Primary, secondary, and tertiary branches were all selectively reduced in accordance with natural-target pruning principles. This approach accomplished several objectives simultaneously. First, canopy mass damping was pre- served as much as possible. Second, reduction cuts removed foliage and end weight without creating excessive stress on parent stems. Third, branch length and loading were reduced in ways intended to decrease bending moments and lessen the likelihood of large limb failures. Most importantly, the pruning achieved its objectives without compromising vigor. The tree retained its natural appear- ance. Epicormic sprouting remained limited. Recovery was strong. And as of this writing, the cottonwood has not experienced catastrophic whole-tree or large tree-part failure. PLANT HEALTH CARE TREATMENTS AND RESULTS Following pruning, Xavier Kaighin of Diamond Edge Outdoor Management administered a plant health care pro- gram that included paclobutrazol (TGR) applications and fertilization.
The response was dramatic.
Combined with the removal of the competing elms, the treatments produced a substantial increase in leaf size across the canopy. Site ob- servations conducted in the fall of 2025 suggested average leaf size had increased three to four times over pre-treatment conditions. For a tree that had never previously received fertilization, the improvement was impossible to ignore. CLOSING REMARKS “It’s not very common in my practice to preserve a cottonwood,” E.J. admitted. “It’s one of the rare trees people ask us
The groomed Cottonwood standing healthy and tall after enduring the May 16th tornado that hit St. Louis.
to save. Most often, we’re cutting cot- tonwoods down.”
Louis area. Wind speeds reached ap- proximately 152 miles per hour, leav- ing a path of destruction across the urban forest. Mature oaks failed. Large shade trees that had stood for generations were dismantled by the storm. Streets filled with debris from both homes
Then nature provided the ultimate test.
On May 16, 2025, the recommenda- tions, pruning prescription, and pres- ervation strategy were put to the test when an EF3 tornado struck the St.
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