Chop! Chop!

bonsaial1

About a year ago, after the Convention, I ran into Ripsgreentree at a nursery. He talked me into buying 5 trident maples. He said I should chop them way back and train them as shohin stock. I did. I chopped the snot out of them. Two responded and pushed shoots and one languished. Two of them were not cut back and were reserved for future chops.
Later that summer the one that did not bud finally showed signs of budding. It pushed up growth and actually made up for itelf being behind and caught up with the other two.

First some photos of the original trees for those that did not read the original thread last Nov. The photos represent the trees as bought, the three chops, one that I didn't chop as a size referance, and one of the trees nebari.

Attached Images

	5trees.JPG (65.3 KB, 137 views)
	chop1.JPG (43.6 KB, 146 views)
	chop2.JPG (51.2 KB, 143 views)
	chop3.JPG (59.9 KB, 127 views)
	DSCF0200.JPG (52.8 KB, 123 views)
	04i.JPG (70.3 KB, 132 views)

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bonsaial1

Now to this year. The trees grew unfettered for the entire year, I fertilized and made sure they had plenty of water. What I got was a good 1 inch of wood out of the year. Some good scar tissue to build on this year, and a good starting place to continue my three trees.
The trees grew to about 9 feet in height and added a full inch at the base.

One of the trees is going to be exceptional and I will post some remarks on whats going to happen over the next year.

Attached Images

	DSCF0041.JPG (55.0 KB, 129 views)
	DSCF0038.JPG (63.7 KB, 125 views)
	DSCF0039.JPG (58.4 KB, 120 views)
	DSCF0040.JPG (69.1 KB, 133 views)

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bonsaial1

Photo 1 shows the most immediate promise. I have included it below. The image seen in photo two shows what I hope to accomplish this year.

In red are the next chops to be done this spring. First in red chop 1 I will remove the remainder of the dead trunk area. I had good scar coverage and I think it added appropriate taper. That is what you need in a chop. This one did exactly what I wanted it to. After removing the deadwood, I will chop the leader back to red chop 2. This will probably heal in one year due to it being so small. Hopefully the tree will bud where I have the two green branches drawn in. If it does, the hard part is over. The tree can be built from here on out. The green part will be chopped at no. 3 next year, and then an apex will be built on that area. This should yield a tree about 6 to 7 inches tall with a 2 1/2 inch trunk. The branching will be added by thread grafting, and will take place this spring after the appropriate buds open. Buds do not seem to grow from scar tissue to easily. No use grafting if the tree is not what I want yet. The blue line suggests the future planting angle.

Thats it Kids, not much different then the way they do it in Asia. Just more of them and probably better stock to start with. I'll check back here in the spring and post the follow up after it buds and we can see where this tree will be then.

/|\
III Bonsai-al

Attached Images

	DSCF0040.JPG (69.1 KB, 100 views)
	chopguide.jpg (58.4 KB, 152 views)

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It's about time that the proper respect be given to the fine art of balloon animals...

bonsaial1

BTW, if anyones interested, those photo's were taken yesterday. The green leaves on those maples are fresh and this is Dec. 8th. Go figure! The earth must have slipped off its axis

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It's about time that the proper respect be given to the fine art of balloon animals...