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Posted by dadiOH on May 4, 2008, 2:42 pm
Nate Nagel wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I've got a redbud tree (at least that's what I've been told it is) in
> my front yard. Unfortunately it is growing at an angle, hanging over
> the street and actually around a streetlight. It is a very pretty
> tree but looks like hell. I think it did this because it was
> competing with an oversized elderberry bush that was left untrimmed
> by the previous owners. The redbud has two main trunks, one about 4"
> and the other about 3" in diameter.
>
> So yesterday I figured I would try to pull the tree straight and
> bought some cable, clamps, and instead of a stake I bought a ground
> rod figuring that a typical wooden stake wouldn't hold this tree (I
> have a small ironwood in the back yard that I'm doing the same
> treatment to.) I cut the ground rod in half, drove one half into the
> ground a few feet away from the tree, and started setting up the
> cable. Gave SWMBO a wrench with instructions that she should tighten
> the cable clamps while I was pushing the tree upright and pulling the
> cable taut. I set my back against the main trunk, held the loose end
> of the cable (I bought the cable long enough that I could loop it
> around the ground rod and back to the tree) took a breath, pushed,
> and... nothing. The damn tree is STIFF.
>
> Then things got stupid. I pulled the truck around front, tied a loop
> in the cable, and dropped it over the trailer hitch. Carefully I
> inched forward, but as soon as the cable pulled taut, the ground rod
> bent, and the cable slipped off of it. (this is better than what I
> expected, which was the cable snapping and whipping around. So SWMBO
> was standing well away from all this mess.) It had a good bite in
> the ground, but bent right where the clay under-soil gave way to
> actual topsoil, maybe 9" to a foot below the surface.
>
> So what do I do with this tree? it's the prettiest tree in my front
> yard, but looks very ghetto as it's been allowed to grow at such an
> angle. What can I use as a stake that's stronger than a ground rod?
> Rebar? And how do I pull it without using a pickup truck (e.g.
> safely) I'm thinking two cables, each with a turnbuckle in the middle,
> alternately being shortened, or maybe I should just bite the bullet
> and invest in a good, heavy come-along.
I doubt you'll be able to straighten it without digging out one side;
however, you should be able to bend it easily enough and - given time - you
should be able to get the part above your bending point straight.
If you want to bend it, this is what I would do...
1. Get some 1/2" dacron rope. Not nylon, not hemp, not the floating
garbage, DACRON.
2. Dig an angled, 4' deep hole as far away as the tree as possible and set
an 8' 4x4 in it at a 45 degree angle leaning away from the tree. Cut a
notch/groove around the top of the 4x4 maybe 3" from the end.
3. Take a couple of turns of the 1/2" line around the 4x4 in the notch.
Make them loose so that when you tie the ends you have loops about 8" in
diameter that hang
4. Make similar loops around the tree trunk as high up as possible and make
more of them...enough so that when they are pushed together they cover 6-8"
of the trunk so that the stress that will be applied is spread over a larger
area and does no or less injury to the tree..
5. Tie one end of a long length of the 1/2" line to one of the loops -
either those on the tree or those on the post, doesn't matter.
6. Now run your 1/2" line thru the other loops and back. Do it 3-4 times
7. You now have a rudimentary block and tackle with tons of mechanical
leverage...start hauling on the bitter end. The tree WILL bend. Since
there are no sheaves, there will be a lot of friction. That is good as it
enables you to pull on something other than the bitter end and have things
stay put while you then pull out the bitter end. If you happen to have some
blocks, NP in using them, this way saves $$ if you don't have.
8. Once you have bent the trunk as much as possible or practicable, tie off
the bitter end to the block & tackle line parts.
9. Take some smaller line - 1/4" nylon would be good - and use it to whip
together the loops left in #3 & #4 above starting at the part closest to
your rudimentary block and tackle. As you pull this line taut you are
closing the loops and that will bend the trunk a bit more. You may not be
able to totally "whip" the loops which is OK, do as much as possible and tie
off the end of the whipping line.
10. After a month or two, repeat the above and see if you can bend the trunk
a bit more; maybe yes, maybe no...the trunk needs to grow a bit to help hold
it in the bent shape.
You said there were two trunks - don't try to bend both with one setup, do
them individually.
If you can't bend it as above, let me know and I'll tell you how to rig a
Spanish burton (purchase on purchase) :)
--
dadiOH
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