What to do with this strange shaped Larch(?)

[aesmith]

Hi,

 

We have a Larch in the front garden with a really strange growth habit. The crown, such as it is, seems to consist of branches lying horizontally across each other. It's difficult to explain, and I can take pictures from other angles or zoom in if it helps.

 

Here's the tree in context ..

 

And a couple of pictures from below to try and show what's going on (colours a little funny as I had to use flash) ..

[/img]

 

Any suggestions welcome, even if it's just to say leave it as it is.

 

Thanks, Tony S

[Stubby]

I would say its been harshly topped or snapped out at some time ?

[CallumA]

Looks like the leader was broken when it was a young tree and the branch damage is possibly with the weight of snow, coming from the same neck of the woods I know snow can cause a fair bit of damage. The Forestry Commission plantation in Cushnie has a few acres of lodge pole that no one will cut as it grows for 5-6 feet along the ground before growing up caused by heavy snowfall when trees were young. If you don't like it trim it at the root. It will never be a pretty tree!!

[aesmith]

Cheers. The broken branch in the second photo is quite big, maybe 8" diameter, and the area of the break bends over nearly to the horizontal. That looks to me as if it wasn't growing upright even before the break. I'd rather not lose the tree at the moment, although that might change when some of our newly planted trees get going.

 

The tree shows no sign of trying to produce a new leader, do Larch not do that?

 

Tony S