layering question

hi its zac,
can you layer the trunk of a tree to make it shorter. the tree grows up about 2 feet then splits into two main branches. it is growing in the wild of my back yard and I think it would look great as a twin trunk tree.

here are pictures

this is a general picture of the tree it goes a bit higher than in the picture mabey a foot or two more (the picture is sideways)


i want to layer the tree within the red area. But i'm not sure if layering on the main trunk will just kill the entire tree.

also i need some help figuring out what kind of tree it is
below is a picture of the foliage


the leaves seem to grow in clusters of about 6 or 7 they vary in size from tiny(like 1 cm) to about 2 inches long. i haven't seen any flowers but the way the leaves are it almost looks like an azalea variation.

thanks to anyone who can help,
zac

I don't know what species it is, if it is good for bonsai and if air-layering is easy with it, but if I did air-layer it for a twin i would peel a ring of bark a little higher so that the roots would develop at the base of the two trunks.

hi Alain,
Do you know if layering the main trunk would kill the tree?

I'm not sure i understand what you mean: if the question is "When I remove the layered part, will the tree die?", the answer is definitely no, the lower part will produce new shoots, just like when you prune a tree.

If you mean layering it lower, the answer is no: even if you layer it almost at ground level, the chances that new shoots will appear are very high.

ok, i was thinking the while layering the tree would die, because I the bark and cabium helped transport some important nourishment.

thanks zac

i found both of these kinds of leaves on the tree

The tree looks like a crab apple tree to me. They often have leaves with one or two lobes on leaves, particularly on young trees. I had the same concerns about killing trees by layering too. However, I learned that the trees, when layered, are still able to get water and nutrients.

ok i found tiny berries, less than .5 inches and they are green right now. i think i missed the spring flowers on it though.

Todd Ellis wrote:The tree looks like a crab apple tree to me. They often have leaves with one or two lobes on leaves, particularly on young trees.

I agree with you. the bark too makes me think of some kind of wild apple-tree.

In that case, layering is no problem.

You can also take root-cuttings with these species, at the end of winter.

thanks Alain and Todd for the advice. i will layer just bellow the split so i can have a twin trunk.