airlayer carpinus

oooohhh... you got rid of the lower right branch...

probably a good move
(but i myself would have kept it to work into the design...)

Like Kevin I might have been tempted to keep at least some of the lowest right hand branch but looking at your photos I think cutting it off was probably the best move.

The main trunk section is already pretty long and straight and shortening it will help compact the tree.

Also have you changed the planting angle? Looks like you may have but it's hard to tell from the close up image. Do you have any more photos that show the whole tree as it is now?

Interesting material and given that it's a Hornbeam you should get copious back budding so developing a suitable branch structure should not pose too much of a problem.

Thanks for sharing.

Regards

Richard

Indeed, I tilted it a bit in order to have the main trunk have an upward line throughout the tree. Otherwise the first trunk section would have beenhorizontal to downward growing.

The branch on the right was too thik, straight without taper. And as the rabbit looked, "Off with the head, the queen said". Or in this case, the king . A bud popped very near that point, so I might let that grow out into a branch. Still at least 5 years before the branching gets any looks of a canopy; Early days still!

In my experience Hornbeams grow pretty vigorously so in less than five years you should have a pretty good basic structure. In fact, too rapid thickening of apical branches and wire scaring as a result can be a problem.

Slowly this tree is getting somewhere.. Contemplating a pot..