As many of you know most artocarpus family trees grow into very big trees. To make them more compact, I have been experimenting with various pruning techniques. These are not described in any books or manuals. Basically, I just improvise as I go along. So far quite happy with a few early results.
Artocarpus elasticus. Topped at chest height, picture taken after 6 weeks. It developed two sprouts, two future leaders.
10 months later nice two trunks growing sideways. Untopped tree ( not pictured) still reaching for the sky on a single trunk.
Chempedak Topped at chest height with side branching already developed. It did not grow any upwards leader after 6 weeks.
After 10 months still no new upwards leader, but got 3 nice branches taking leading role. Keeping leaders down with rope for a few weeks to establish 45 degree angle growth.
Jackfruit, I thought this would be easiest to control, as it already had few side branches to assume leading roles. I topped, and nothing like happened. First picture, 6 weeks after topping. Just tiny sprout at the top, but 10 months later this tiny sprout gained 8 feet. You can see where the cut was made as trunk shifted to a side a little. Other 2 jackfruits reacted the same way. Strange, but no bushy growth.
Marang I cut lots of marangs at various heights. I find this species one of the easiest to control as they always develop three side branches at the area of the cut.
Marang nr. 1 Cut at the chest height. This is a picture after 6 weeks. Nice branching developing.
After 10 months side branches gained substantial growth at low level.
Topped, this tree once again. It looks out of shape now, but I believe I"ll get resumed upwards growth, and more energy going to the branches near the cut.
Marang nr. 2Cut this tree at what might seem crazy level of about 1.5 feet only. About a year ago it still looked tiny but nice crown. Now it has gained growth and looks really good. It's my favorite looking marang tree. Great, low growing crown of three leaders. It's a bit slower to grow than others, but I believe there is external issue as porcupine took substantial chunk of the trunk. It has healed now.
PedalaiI had most success with this one out of all pedalai trees. Success seems to come yet again from very yearly radical cuts. Topped this tree at about one and half foot. Looked like this:
Cut upwards leader once again here:
Basically it developed split into two architecture. Top the trunk, than top both 2 new trunks, now four leaders, and those leaders once again splitting into two with more cuts. I really like the way this tree looks now. It is wider than taller. 13 feet across.
Note on other artocarpus species. No success yet with A. anisophyllus and A. hirsutus. They develop new leaders and keep going up as if nothing happened.