Bottle trees - brachychiton rupestris (forum)

2 Brisbane Gardeners starts with ...
We planted 2 bottle trees 2 years ago, they look great and they've grown to 3.3 meters. But, the trunks are straight with no signs of the bottle shape? If we trimmed the top new growth would that encourage the trunk to grow wider?
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Picture: 1

Time: 5th March 2016 12:28pm

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Bald Hills
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Pademelon1 says...
Quick Answer: I wouldn't.

Long Answer: The bottle-trunk takes time to develop (up to 10 years, but usually around 5), and these trees are both still very young, so It is unlikely that the trees would start to bottle anyways.
Another factor is that the trees will grow taller first in shaded conditions, because they are searching for light. In you picture, It appears that the tree is partially blocked from a building on the right. The tree, now that it is above the building, will start to slow down and spread out a bit, and this will also result in the trunk starting to widen.
Finally, trimming the new growth will cause the tree to become more dense, which may adversely affect the tree's appearance, and trimming also temporarily leave the tree more susceptible to pests and diseases.

All the best,
Pade.

Time: 26th March 2016 12:45pm

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Original Post was last edited: 26th March 2016 12:45pm
About the Author Pademelon1
PADDINGTON,2021,NSW
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2 Brisbane Gardeners says...
Thanks very much for the information, sounds like I've got to be a little more patient to see the bottle trees mature.

Time: 29th March 2016 8:16am

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