Getting that fat trunk

JillofWindyHill

OK, I need some advice. How do I acheive that fat trunk I've seen in so many of the maples, beeches, etc? I was once told to leave the tree in the ground for a few to several years, pulling it out, once each winter, and pruning the roots. Is that it? Sounds so easy...

I have a 1 gallon cotoneaster in the ground that I'm about to go at. I put it in back in Nov, after gettting it on sale for $5. How much of the root system should I remove before putting it back?

Thanks for any input!

~ Jill

Advertisement

randyburtis

I have read(never tried it) that you chop the top of the tree flat, then pound it down to make the trunk thicker, this obviously causes big stress on it, and the trick would be hitting it enough to make noticeable enough compression, but not too much, then after it has healed they will graft branches to the trunk, and after those take, you can shape it etc.

007

I question the knowledge of who ever told you to dig it up in the middle of winter and prune the roots. I do not think this would be a wise idea at all and would likely kill the tree. Late winter, early spring yes, but mid witner? Definitely not.

Here's a great article at Evergreen Gardenworks on developing thick trunks for bonsai.

__________________

rockm

Big trunks take time in the ground to make. root pruning them slows them down. Rule of thumb, the more roots and root run, the more fuel the tree has to push top growth. The more top growth, the bigger the trunk becomes to supply it. Pruning the roots won't make the trunk big. NOT pruning them will. Leaving the plant in the ground until the bottom third is the diamter you're after is the secret. It will take more than a "couple" or even a "few" years. It will take probably take more than 5...

Bottom line, the more unrestricted growth you allow the plant over the greatest amount of time in the ground will yield the biggest trunk.

Trunk size, though, has to be countered with trunk taper. A telephone pole trunk isn't impressive. A trunk that tapers from 8 inches to 1 within two or three feet or less is. That means trunk chops, lots of them, over a period of years.

It's not a quick thing to do, but that's roughly the process. Which also shows why collected trees are so valuable. The most collectable of those usually has all of the above already there....

badlad52

Peter Chan recommends that a new leader be allowed to grow to 10 ft., before it is cut back to one inch, over and over again untill you have the height you want. So I'm trying this on a trident, working well so far!

Fletch

Randy, where did you read that? I can't imagine someone being able to apply enough pressure to appreciably affect a trunk's girth in that manner and if you did ... well have you ever seen a well used tent peg? sort of just mashed down on top and starting to look kinda mushroomed and fibrous ... I think that'd be all you got for your trouble, and no suitable spot to graft anything to boot.

__________________
Advice worth every penny you paid for it.

Regards
Fletch

rockm

The treatement Randy recommends will kill the trunk, or at least severly damage it. I think he's confused about the "short cut" method of tapping a side of a trunk to induce scarring that thickens it. This method isn't much better than the one he originally recommends, as it too can wind up doing alot of damage that could also endanger the life of the plant. Even if done correctly, the resulting swelling looks odd, not aged...

Ralph

I just want to add to what Rockm wrote. When you put your tree into the ground, in well connditioned soil for optimal growth, you should expect to see very little growth and trunk girth for the first year. This is because the tree will grow the root system to support the top. Dig it up every year, and you will never grow the trunk out.

5 years ago, I purchased an asian pear from a nursery (for the landscape), and it was little more than the thickness of my thumb. Today, that same tree is as thick as my calf.

Not every type tree will see explosive growth like this, but everyone will grow much faster in the ground than you could ever hope to achieve in a pot.

Bonsai is an art for the patient. It is truly rewarding to grow a beautiful specimen from young stock or seed, but you have to be willing to invest the time for this route. Otherwise, just go out and buy a large bonsai.

__________________
Emerging from winter slumber
Bonsai trees burst buds anew
Spring is upon us!


-Paul S.

randyburtis

i either read it in a book i got at xmas, or one i was browsing while shopping, i iwllcheck when i get home to see for sure if i can find it and what it said, either way, it isn't something i would even try, besides who beleives everything they read...even when it has pictures