PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Richard W. Harris
TI  - Structural Development of Trees
AID  - 10.48044/jauf.1980.028
DP  - 1980 Apr 01
TA  - Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (AUF)
PG  - 105--107
VI  - 6
IP  - 4
4099  - http://auf.isa-arbor.com/content/6/4/105.short
4100  - http://auf.isa-arbor.com/content/6/4/105.full
SO  - JOA1980 Apr 01; 6
AB  - To develop a tree that is structurally strong, it should be trained to exploit the better elements of its branching pattern and growth characteristics. A tree develops a well-tapered trunk, better able to distribute stress uniformly along its length, if it is grown with more than one-half of its foliage on branches that originate from the lower two-thirds of the trunk. Branches are attached to the trunk more securely if they are well-spaced vertically along the trunk, are thinner than the trunk where they arise, and have wide angles of attachment. An unstaked tree can move in the wind, resulting in a shorter tree, with larger trunk caliper, greater taper, and a larger root system better able to withstand the elements without support. Stakes and ties detract from tree appearance and can seriously injure the trunk. The angle at which a main branch grows can be directed by pruning to a more upright shoot or by leaving a spreading branch to be more horizontal.