Why is one of these trees forking like crazy?

[l008com]

These are two young Shantung Maple trees. I bought both online as tiny little saplings. They are growing pretty well and I hope to plant them in the ground this Fall.

Anyway, isn't it weird how the one on the right is growing normally? Its just growing up, with its stem down the center. Then the one on the left split for no reason, then it's splits split, and THOSE splits split. Its just a forking machine. Its going to look more like a shrub than a tree at this rate. What is up with that? What causes it? I've had plants fork when they get cut before but this is just going it completely on its own.

I want these trees to have at least somewhat of a normal shape to them when they're in the ground. But I don't want to trim anything yet, I don't want to slowdown their growth because its always a race to growing things big enough that the rabbits won't eat them.

I was thinking of using elastics of some kind and kind of just squeezing the forks back together, so they will eventually grow back into one branch as the tree keeps growing. Not squishing tight enough to snap anything, just bending them back parallel to each other.

 

[Chuck]

Genetics

 

[Meadowlark]

What is up with that? What causes it? I've had plants fork when they get cut before but this is just going it completely on its own.

It is natural growth.

I was thinking of using elastics of some kind and kind of just squeezing the forks back together, so they will eventually grow back into one branch as the tree keeps growing. Not squishing tight enough to snap anything, just bending them back parallel to each other.

If it was mine, I would remove the left lower fork while it is young. If left as is, the tree will be very vulnerable to splitting in storms later in life and/or vulnerable to infections at the joint. Make a clean cut at the branch collar...late winter is best for doing this. Train the remaining branch upward.

The risks to the tree grow the longer this is permitted...in a couple of years, it really would be risky to perform this operation and increase each year... that's what I would do.

​

 

[Gemma]

These are two young Shantung Maple trees. I bought both online as tiny little saplings. They are growing pretty well and I hope to plant them in the ground this Fall.

Anyway, isn't it weird how the one on the right is growing normally? Its just growing up, with its stem down the center. Then the one on the left split for no reason, then it's splits split, and THOSE splits split. Its just a forking machine. Its going to look more like a shrub than a tree at this rate. What is up with that? What causes it? I've had plants fork when they get cut before but this is just going it completely on its own.

I want these trees to have at least somewhat of a normal shape to them when they're in the ground. But I don't want to trim anything yet, I don't want to slowdown their growth because its always a race to growing things big enough that the rabbits won't eat them.

I was thinking of using elastics of some kind and kind of just squeezing the forks back together, so they will eventually grow back into one branch as the tree keeps growing. Not squishing tight enough to snap anything, just bending them back parallel to each other.

View attachment 116557

I would prune the weaker branch off while it is young. Pruning won't slow down the growth of the tree, all the energy would be redirected to the remaining branch and it will actually speed up growth