FreshAirSunshine's Urbanadori Twin Trunk Crabapple Development - Comments Welcome!

[FreshAirSunshine]

This is a development thread for my urban collected twin trunk crabapple described here: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/identification-help-crabapple-or-bradford-pear.58968/. This past year it was put into an 18" Anderson flat after significant chopping during and shortly after collection. Yet I still didn't chop hard enough it seems - I probably should have brought down a few areas further. One trunk pushed reasonably OK, although still week for a crab. The other trunk is very weak - we'll see if it pulls through. Had huge chops to get rid of some grotesque trunks growing side-by side from about 2' up. It did leaf but the growth was very short and weak.

End of Nov (leaves starting to go); Now; Plans for future Chops in yellow w. intended main trunk line options in blue/red:


I have a larger Shuho pot I intend to put this in eventually if it makes it (probably 3-4 years from now) - pic and virtual below (tree angle is totally off in the photo but meh):


Would love any thoughts or comments on where to take this!

 

[BrianBay9]

I don't think the left trunk is helping you much. From this angle there's reverse taper, and that straight bit coming off to the left doesn't seem to fit with anything else going on.

 

[FreshAirSunshine]

Yep that’s generally been the suggestion over the past year as it’s recovered. I think I’m going to cut it down low, but I’m waiting to see if it regains vigor so I can entertain the thought of a mother-daughter option. It’s very straight though without taper so I’d be rebuilding from quite low to get that… if I don’t decide to make it a single trunk.

 

[FreshAirSunshine]

The tree will definitely be a coarse naturalistic style ala Dan Robinson. The bunny eaten bottom has forced that and it’s got tons of deadwood that’s staying for now.

 

[Michael P]

With pruning and carving you might be able to reduce the inverse taper on the left trunk to an acceptable appearance. I wouldn't cut it off yet.

 

[FreshAirSunshine]

Yeah I'm seeing this spring if that side becomes reinvigorated. The huge chop was from an unusable mess of two trunks going straight up side-by-side, each almost as large as the trunk going into them. You can see it if you look REAL hard at this mess of branches. Trust me, this thing was every sort of battle with the bunnies. Had trunks going from anywhere it could struggle to live on from their assaults. I figure first check is whether the trunk seems to be recovering. I can always kill it later.
.

 

[FreshAirSunshine]

Chopped back a bit and we’ll see if the second trunk becomes a deadwood feature or lives. The club at top was partially dead by end of winter and I decided it was time to remove it. Carving in the future that’ll be dependent on whether it survives.

 

[FreshAirSunshine]

This one didn’t make it and seemed to have not developed much root last year on autopsy. Not entirely sure what else was the cause - there had been some borers though I had dug out in the fall. Maybe missed some….