kiwi1958

Thanks David! Still came back nice!

Treequip: Thank you for your input....yes, the tree is grafted which gives it its unique look...what you said makes complete sense in the reason it took on the possible characteristics of a normal catalpa!!!! The growth last summer did come from within the crevices of the crown...but the existing crown/branches did not produce anything.......once it leafed out, I was mainly trying to keep it contained into a ball and didn't pay attention to where the growth was taking place. Last I saw the tree (again, its at our second home) it was still leafed out so when we return in May...usually at this time its still dormant....with all this knowledge (thank you all) I will be able to have a better understanding on what to look for and what to do... This winter has had some bitter cold again....not like last year though...so I hope there is no further damage Regardless, I do understand it will be a waiting game and I will prune it per Chris's suggestions....I think at this point this is all I can do and hope for! David: With your tree....looks like a great comeback!! Gives me hope...now is that tree a normal catalpa or a "nana" ?? Kiwi...

Jon....thank you so much for your interest and reply. Since this is a dwarf Catalpa, known for its beautiful globe shape, after a brutal winter it took on characteristics of a normal Catalpa! I thought it went wild. So I posted in hopes that this wasn't true....and that with the right pruning and patience... it would once again regain its globe appearance. Thank you for your story!! Kiwi...

Chris....thank you so much for your reply!!! it was very well stated and understandable. Now I have some idea how to get my tree back! Let me interpret back what I understood. 1. I have attached a link to show how I WAS going to prune the tree this spring....but from my understanding you are telling me NOT to prune it in this manner.... if you scroll down, you can see the tree leafed out..this is what my tree used to look like 2. The tree has grown for a season as you stated...so this spring what I am to do is pick these leader branches...allow any smaller branches to grow from the leader branches and snip off any other shoots that grow from the ball/trunk of the tree. Question.. (this tree is at our second home 4 hours away, so I am not able to see it at this point or send pics) When I do prune the tree, can I cut the leader branches back just a bit to shape it into a ball as illustrated in the second link I have attached? In this illustration, I see the leader branches and the little branches that come off of them...this is what I need to achieve? Pruned Tree: Catalpa Bignonioides Nana Trompetboom Snoeien Pruning Indian Bean Tree Pictures Illustration: CNLA - Canadian Nursery Landscape Association: G. Deciduous Trees Thank you again for this wonderful advice !!

Hello…I am writing this post from the US. I don’t know much about trees so please forgive me if I am not clear. I have a dwarf Catalpa tree (Catalpa bignonioides 'Nana') that is 4 years old. The first 3 years it did beautifully. Last winter was extremely harsh with very low freezing temperatures. The tree survived but grew erratically and seemed to have gone “wild”. Once it started blooming in spring, it started sprouting all over the trunk which I snipped off. Then the whole top (ball) and existing branches did not sprout at all. So the tree started sprouting new branches from within and under the ball…. it grew all out of shape. The branches grew so fast and the leaves got so huge, some 10x their size, that in a heavy wind, the branches would break off because the wood was not hard enough yet. During the summer I cut of the dead wood and cut the branches back to form the ball again and also to take the weight off the new branches. The tree and leaves never took the shape like in previous years….just grew wild branches and huge leaves. My question is to all you experts is….once this spring comes, should I prune the new branches back down into a ball again like the shape it was when I first bought the tree? And… if so, will the tree ever take on its beautiful shape again and leaves their normal size again? I am so disappointed as here in the states this catalpa is hard to find, took me years to find. I got so many compliments on it….any help/advice would be appreciated…