Decreasing angle of forked Mimosa

[Senator Methuselah]

I have a 7 year old Mimosa tree and as the pic shows has a significant fork rather close to the ground. Any advice on how I may be able to pull the main branches in a bit without damaging it? 

[nepia]

Knowing how those things grow - that's not much in 7 years though the grass is probably slowing it - I'd take off the right hand stem at origin.  The left stem will slowly straighten as it develops

[agg221]

2 hours ago, nepia said:

Knowing how those things grow - that's not much in 7 years though the grass is probably slowing it - I'd take off the right hand stem at origin.  The left stem will slowly straighten as it develops

I would agree with cutting one half out, but I would take the left hand side (cut shown in blue) and then straighten up the right as shown below. I have done this a few times with good results, usually where light has forced a tree to develop a lean that I want to correct. I cut a long, fairly stout pole (something like a piece of hazel 2" at the base) and brace it on the diagonal (shown in red), tying to the trunk like a tree stake at the lower yellow point, either using tree tie or a piece of bike inner tube. The top can then be pulled upright - I would anticipate the tie needing to be around where I have shown the upper yellow line. Bike inner tube is good for this.

 

You sometimes have to play around with the angle of the pole if it bends more than expected when you start pulling the pole and the tree together, and may need to set the upper tie a bit lower if you get too much of an S-curve rather than just straightening. Take it off a year later and you won't even know it was there.

 

Do NOT use string or baler twine for a heavy bend like this - it works really well for smaller bends which only need to stay on until the first flush of new wood growth but on something heavy like this it will cut in and damage the bark, so inner tube works much better.

 

Alec

 

Edited March 12, 2022 by agg221

[Khriss]

Yes, brace or tie it, never seen one you even show a silky to, without it dying back 🙁 K