Hi all, we picked up a plum tree that is a bit slanted couple of days ago. I want to plant it on our backyard. Is there a way to straighten up this tree? My wife thought if we put it on the wall it will eventually straighten up. Sorry if this question is silly, I’m new to this hobby.
by BillStax
4 Comments
I’d plant that tree as-is. For whatever reason, it chose to grow like that, but it should grow more vertically over time. I planted a few of my trees a bit wonky, and the ones I planted straight up at the correct depth are doing the best. The other trees I planted at an angle or slightly too deep aren’t doing quite as well. The good news is that trees have gravitropism, and the trees I planted at an angle have since started growing straight up. There’s just a slight curve at the bottom of the trunk where it straightened itself out.
You could also plant it in your yard with a wooden stake and wrap a rope or ribbon around the stake and the trunk tightly. That could bend the middle or upper portion of that branch back in.
The stems going to follow the sun either way, you could plant it and stake it but unless you have truly full sun it is going to point towards the sun either way
Not a concern. When you plant it, make sure to remove the top layer of potting soil until you see root flare THIS IS CRUCIAL. Root flare showing upon completion of planting, never mulching all the way to trunk
I love this so much. Its like the purest form of an innocent attempt… lets dive in.
For starters, lets move the tree away from the wall. It reflects light and absorbs heat in ways your plant doesn’t want. Additionally, once its in the ground it will grow towards its light source. It wont necessarily “correct” that little bend, but it will straighten out a bit and it will be less noticeable – especially as it grows in diameter. It most likely was crowded by adjacent canopies and grew that way for a better light source. I wouldnt worry about it. Plant it and let it do its thang. Forcing it to meet some aesthetic condition will just stress the tree out – especially if youre new and not entirely sure on what to do.
Id let it go for a season or two and do some light pruning *only when needed*. But as far as the bend goes… chalk it up to character and give it a good home