I’m in Pennsylvania…I picked up this campestre today for 10 bucks! I’d like to get it in the greenhouse but would need to chop it. Can I get away with this right now??
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Can you wait until leaf drop? I guess the question is why does it need to go into the greenhouse now?
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I can definitely wait until leaf drop
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I agree with letting it store as much energy as possible before a chop. i have found that they bud all over the trunk when cut back, but I have not cut back as dramatically as you are proposing.
It is hardy in the ground to USDA zone 4 (-30F, -34C) so you might might want to find a spot to put the pot in the ground for the winter and do the cop in the spring. I am in USDA zone 5-6 and they do well in the ground and even in a shallow grow bag here.
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I like to do my major chops in the late winter, but my winters are mild. I personally would wait until early spring if possible.
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I have a few of these in development and if it was me I would put it somewhere in or on the ground and get it as healthy as possible until this time next year and then air layer the top below the branches to give you one tree and see what happens with budding on the remaining lower trunk. With what looks like animal damage near the base I would say an air layered off top part would give you a better tree.
I agree with airlayering the top. I have found that they will bud all along the trunk when healthy and well fertilized.
I have also found that they tend to pick 2 or 3 roots to grow very aggressively, particularly in the ground. As a result, I am lifting/repotting every 2 years to organize and equalize the roots until mine start to slow down in the pot. I expect it to take a few years to really slow down in the pot based upon how strongly they grow.