cut one down or keep both

[Danno77]

Here are two fairly young maple trees that are both very healthy, but growing too close together. the one on the left is larger and taller. the one on the right is better balanced. If I took the smaller (on the right) would the other tree balance itself out a little better? Maybe the larger tree should come out so the one on the right won't have to share its resources?

OR, do i leave them alone and they will just grow into one big mass. I know that happens alot, but is that the rule or the exception.

They sure are pretty trees, the leaves are a nice bright yellow.

 

[mrfjsf]

I would keep the left one and cut up the other. The one on the left will eventually overpower the right and their roots will start to intertwine (if they havent already, I can't judge the distance from the pic, but it looks close.) Making neither of them "lookers". But that's just me...

 

[Danno77]

I know it's hard to tell, but there's only a couple of feet between their bases. I am with you about how nice they look as a pair.

 

[gzecc]

Look at the health of the stump. Check the ground around both trees. If there are any ground issues, cut the one with the issues at the base. Other than that its a toss up, flip a coin.

 

[rdust]

Leave them alone unless you want the wood. If it's your backyard and you don't want the tree's to crowd each take the one that's the ugly one out of the two. Otherwise I'd let nature handle it.

 

[btuser]

I think you're looking at this all wrong. Is there enough room to fit a hammock between the two?

Like it was said, unless you want/need the wood I'd leave those two alone. You're not really thinning a stand at this point. The trees look like they're playing nice.

 

[mainstation]

Leave them alone unless you want the wood. If it's your backyard and you don't want the tree's to crowd each take the one that's the ugly one out of the two. Otherwise I'd let nature handle it.

+1. Let it Grow.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Neither of them looks like they grew straight. If you must cut one, leave the fullest tree and cut the other.

 

[CJW88]

At this point I think it would be moot to cut either one of them. Together they look like one nice big tree. They also look like they're kind of buffering each other. Each one is keeping to other from leaning too far, making up for the imbalance of each tree. I'd leave them. What I would keep an eye on is the lowest limb on the left tree. The big one sticking out on the left side. Watch for any cracks around the top where it joins the trunk. If that limb would ever split off of their it might take alot of the trunk with it.

 

[Danno77]

It wouldn't be a horrible thing to let them grow together, I just wasn't sure if that was the norm or the exception. I'd hate to lose them both because I didn't cut one. Maybe in 70 years they'll look like this one on Grandpa's farm. I, personally, haven't seen a maple this big before.