The big Crataegus has had a year to rest since collection and is looking strong. Most of my trees are given longer to recover after collection, but with hawthorns, I feel that it is generally safe to do a little work after one year if they are growing vigorously, as long as the roots are not disturbed.
Hawthorns will often throw out long straight branches with smooth bark, known as water shoots. Wherever possible I remove these smooth, juvenile looking branches, in favour of aged, flaky bark. I recently went through this big Crataegus, cutting these smooth areas out and carving the stumps to hollows. Once the wood dries out I will tidy up the cuts and darken with a blowtorch.
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| One large water shoot |
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| Same area after work |
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| Another water shoot and an ugly stump below it |
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| Same area after work |
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| Finished for now |
