bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - First time trunk chopper

Skip the seed thing. You won't have much of anything to work with if you wait for the tree to produce cones. You cannot trunk chop and expect the plant to produce cones.

Concentrate on the main tree. Trunk chopping a BC is very very easy and it will push new growth from bare wood like mad. Do it in early spring just before the new leaves emerge. BC leaves start as tiny green bumps that expand over a few weeks until litle new leaves pop through. You want to trunk chop BEFORE the actual leaves become visible and AFTER the bumps have started to swell.

You can prune the roots at the same time you trunk chop, if the tree is a nursery plant that's been in a pot for some time and the roots are tightly grown together. Root pruning, in fact, may help the tree grow more quickly after the trunk chop, as newer roots are more efficient than older woody roots.

For both jobs, I'd recommend just getting a short cross cut handsaw and simply saw the trunk off. Make the chop at least six inches ABOVE where you see the final apex. This will allow extra room for an apex bud to pop and subsequently more design options.

The same for the roots. Don't bother to untangle what is probably a tangled mess. Saw through the bottom third to two thirds of the entire root mass --after you've removed all of the soil with a strong jet from a hose.

Plant the newly chopped tree in a deepish container -- five gallon plastic pain buckets with holes punched in the bottom work very well for this--in heavier bonsai soil--70 percent organic (composted pine bark mulch or similar--avoid peat moss) and 30 percent coarse nursery sand of some sort. Make sure you bury the tops of any surface roots or buttressing roots (root flare) at least six inches BELOW the soil surface. If you don't do this, the larger roots will die back and take a substantial portion of the trunk with them.

Let the plant alone for two years to regain it's roots and push new top growth. During this time, select one of the numerous new leaders as the primary one. Get rid of the others. Do the same with lower growth. You should be gently bending select lower growth into more horizontal positions as BC pushes new growth almost straight up.

I've done this with several BC. Works like a charm. They're tough and grow vrey quickly...Good luck.

16-Aug-2005	#6
rockm bonsaiTALK ArchMaster Join Date: Oct-2003 Location: Fairfax, Va Country: USA USDA Zone: 7 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 4,561	Skip the seed thing. You won't have much of anything to work with if you wait for the tree to produce cones. You cannot trunk chop and expect the plant to produce cones. Concentrate on the main tree. Trunk chopping a BC is very very easy and it will push new growth from bare wood like mad. Do it in early spring just before the new leaves emerge. BC leaves start as tiny green bumps that expand over a few weeks until litle new leaves pop through. You want to trunk chop BEFORE the actual leaves become visible and AFTER the bumps have started to swell. You can prune the roots at the same time you trunk chop, if the tree is a nursery plant that's been in a pot for some time and the roots are tightly grown together. Root pruning, in fact, may help the tree grow more quickly after the trunk chop, as newer roots are more efficient than older woody roots. For both jobs, I'd recommend just getting a short cross cut handsaw and simply saw the trunk off. Make the chop at least six inches ABOVE where you see the final apex. This will allow extra room for an apex bud to pop and subsequently more design options. The same for the roots. Don't bother to untangle what is probably a tangled mess. Saw through the bottom third to two thirds of the entire root mass --after you've removed all of the soil with a strong jet from a hose. Plant the newly chopped tree in a deepish container -- five gallon plastic pain buckets with holes punched in the bottom work very well for this--in heavier bonsai soil--70 percent organic (composted pine bark mulch or similar--avoid peat moss) and 30 percent coarse nursery sand of some sort. Make sure you bury the tops of any surface roots or buttressing roots (root flare) at least six inches BELOW the soil surface. If you don't do this, the larger roots will die back and take a substantial portion of the trunk with them. Let the plant alone for two years to regain it's roots and push new top growth. During this time, select one of the numerous new leaders as the primary one. Get rid of the others. Do the same with lower growth. You should be gently bending select lower growth into more horizontal positions as BC pushes new growth almost straight up. I've done this with several BC. Works like a charm. They're tough and grow vrey quickly...Good luck.