Spartan Juniper with 2 Leaders - Ask Extension
We have a 4-5 foot Spartan with 2 leaders (from the bottom of the trunk). What should we do to mitigate any future problems? I have attached 3...
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Spartan Juniper with 2 Leaders #464767
Asked June 23, 2018, 1:11 PM EDT
We have a 4-5 foot Spartan with 2 leaders (from the bottom of the trunk).
What should we do to mitigate any future problems? I have attached 3 photos.
Photo 1 - the entire Spartan .... you can zoom into the base to see the split with 2 leaders emerging.
Photo 2 - shows the base split with 2 leaders
Photo 3 - shows the top of the Spartan. The 2 highest vertical items are the 2 leaders. One in the center (is the main and tallest one) and one on the right of the center one (this secondary one completes the overall shape on the right hand side of the tree).
What should we do to mitigate any future problems? I have attached 3 photos.
Photo 1 - the entire Spartan .... you can zoom into the base to see the split with 2 leaders emerging.
Photo 2 - shows the base split with 2 leaders
Photo 3 - shows the top of the Spartan. The 2 highest vertical items are the 2 leaders. One in the center (is the main and tallest one) and one on the right of the center one (this secondary one completes the overall shape on the right hand side of the tree).
Butler County Pennsylvania
Expert Response
The Morton Arboretum recommends removing the smaller leader in late spring to give the cut time to heal before winter. Otherwise you risk the tree splitting if there is a heavy snow.
There may be a problem with the appearance of the area covered by the unwanted leader. Lack of sunlight may have created a dead zone on the other leader. No new growth can occur on dead branches, so prune the unwanted leader carefully so you don't spoil the shape of the tree. Hear is a link to an article on pruning cuts. You can try a series of header cuts on the unwanted leader so you can see if there is going to be a problem with a dead zone. You may want to leave some of the unwanted leader in place to cover up bald spots.
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Thank you Eileen. This is very helpful. Would it be ok to start making some limited secondary leader cuts right now (June 23)?
BTW I did find a Youtube video on someone doing this limited secondary leader reduction on a 2 leader Arborvitae and thought it made sense. However before I did that or worse cut the secondary leader at the base and totally ruined the Juniper I thought I should reach out to an expert.
Thank you very much
Gary W
BTW I did find a Youtube video on someone doing this limited secondary leader reduction on a 2 leader Arborvitae and thought it made sense. However before I did that or worse cut the secondary leader at the base and totally ruined the Juniper I thought I should reach out to an expert.
Thank you very much
Gary W
You found the right answer. The important thing for you is to cut the unwanted leader in stages to maintain the look of the juniper in case you have a dead spot between the two leaders. If you find no dead spot, then you can remove the unwanted leader at the base. Otherwise you want to do a series of cuts with the shape of the shrub in mind. Typically, you do a cut just above a lateral bud. The loss of the growing tip on the unwanted leader causes the lateral buds to grow on the pruned branch. You may find you can cut the unwanted leader over a couple of seasons. I'm sure you will do a good job. You've done the research..
