Encourage tree to grow more on one side

Kieran10

I just planted a 5 year old Liquidambar tree that I bought in a pot from a nursery. It's about 13 feet high currently. It's nice and straight but I reckon it must have been growing close to another tree and one side is less developed than the other. Is there a method to encourage more growth on the weak side or will it catch up naturally on its own? 

fidgetbones

If the poor side faces south, and is not overshadowed, then it will grow more on that side.

treehugger80

first make sure that the weak side has access to lots of light, if it doesn't have that access then nothing will make it grow.

if you want you can then lightly prune the side that grows well - carefully otherwise it will looks strange, that way next spring, when the sap rises, more will flow to the small poor side and it will start growing there first.

but personally I'd let nature take its course if the poor side is facing the sun.

Kieran10

treehugger80 says:

first make sure that the weak side has access to lots of light, if it doesn't have that access then nothing will make it grow.

if you want you can then lightly prune the side that grows well - carefully otherwise it will looks strange, that way next spring, when the sap rises, more will flow to the small poor side and it will start growing there first.

but personally I'd let nature take its course if the poor side is facing the sun.

See original post

 The way I planted it the weaker side is facing east and the stronger side west. Going by trees that were planted before I bought the place, they are all pretty symmetrical.