Catalpa Pruning

I have a catalpa in a pot that's about 4 ft tall. I've attached a picture of it.
I would like to prune it so I get those wonderful golden green large leaves.
But the branches taper off to these twigs that must be no more than a 1/4" thick.

All the advice says cut back to a permanent frame work. While I would like to encourage large foliage, I don't want to lose too much height. How do I go forward?

Thank you.

Mrs Flowers

 

I would leave it as it is for the time being.

Few things you need to do to achieve big leaves.

1. Much Much larger pot with plenty of quality growing compost/food or find a nice spot and plant it up. New shoots take considerable energy and that pot simply will not sustain your large leaf goals.

2. Grow it on for another couple of summers to get those branches thickened up. Catalpa are a very very fragile branched tree and in order to support a network of large leaf branches you have some way to go.

3. Without being rude its isn't the best example I have seen to attempt heavy pruning for large leaves. I looks like it has suffered a pretty severe pruning low down already ? This is even more reason to grow it on to get it established properly. You can be pretty brutal with healthy established catalpa, for the time being I would enjoy yours in the form it's currently in but improve its growing conditions. This will improve your current leaf display on existing branches also.

:gnthb:

 

Thanks for your very helpful advice.

I will consider whether to plant it in the garden or a larger pot.
Yes, this poor thing I found thrown out in a skip last summer, so hopefully with some TLC, I can get it
robust and healthy.

Won't be doing any pruning on it for awhile. Just wanted to know before the growing season started.
Thanks again.

Mrs Flowers

 

I will try and post up some pics of mine later.

Being in the ground will make so much difference to the quality and longevity of the leaves, it really is worth while.

 

Catalpa bignonioides
One of the most amazing trees I have seen.
There is one in York at a place I used to work. It must be at least 12 metres high!
Planted way back in the 1800s and very large it has been attended to by the tree fellas a few times to keep it in top nick.
Every year, mid / late summer it produces the most amazing foliage and flowers that look like orchids..
I have tried seeding from some of the beans and heel cuttings with no success. Probable just as well knowing how big it can grow I would not want one in my garden.
Good luck with your bean tree and please keep us up to date.
robert

 

Why ? I have 4 in my garden 50ft x30ft plot. Pruning keeps them to a medium size and they are deep rooted.

 

I think of the Indian Bean as a small-ish tree too, not seen a really large one in this country. Particularly the Aurea cultivar.

Mind you, I grew one from seed last year, and its nearly 4 feet tall in its pot!!

... and half a dozen Judas trees grew to taller than me, from seed, too

... but the Maidenhair trees I grew are tiddlers :(

 

Some of the best ones I have seen are in the smallest of places. There is one in a hidden London Courtyard I found that was enormous. Protected on all side by tall buildings, it must be the happiest catalpa ever.

 

I have some pictures when I find them....
Must get my pics organised some time

This one has cables to hold the branches in position and to stop them falling under their own weight
robert

 

Its one of those trees that left to its own devices will get quite big, but they tolerate hard pruning very well and in the process produce much larger leaves.
I agree with BM, Mrs Flowers, it will perform much better planted out, I dont think its reasonable to assume you will get the large leaves you want, if growing it in a pot.
The pot is the reason for the poor thin growth.

I would go about it slightly different, mine is on a single stem to 5ft, its at that height I cut it back to each autumn.

To achieve this, (if thats what you want), you need to plant it out, and I would cut hard back now, to a good looking bud low down.
When it shoots in spring rub out all but one bud and tie it to a cane as it grows, at the end of summer/autumn, cut it back to a bud at the desired height.

Next spring you grow it from the top of this years shoot, keeping perhaps three buds.
These are the beginnings of your framework that you cut back to each year.

Even grown like this you can expect to cut off stems 6-10ft long of the current seasons growth each year.

 

Some garden and catalpa pics in here Mrs Flowers.

http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/showthread.php/banana-mans-july08-15789.html

I can't think what I have done with the others :cnfs:

 

Catalpa bignonioides
I finally managed to get a couple pictures of it this morning just to show the size of this speciman.
It is just showing some young growth today.
I must try to get pictures when it is in bloom
robert

 

thats huge =], where abouts is it?

 

Cant really tell you exactly being security minded, but what I will say is that the building in the background to the left is the RSPCA home in York.:gnthb:

 

"Cant really tell you exactly being security minded"

Not this one, then, on Google Maps? :D