inverse trunk taper

stephentoddpope

hey, i got a dwarf japanese garden juniper a couple weeks ago, ang started styling it. well , i have recently found that the view i want has a small reverse taper problem, i need some advise, to fix it


thanks

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TreeBay

It really depends on the tree. Inverse taper usually develops for some reason, so identifying why and eliminating the cause will help the tree get back into proportion.

Some people will carve it to reduce the swelling or poke the lower trunk through the cambium with an awl to create some wounds that will callus as they heal over and build up the mass.

Other times a slight change in planting angle, position or pot selection can be a help; unattractive points can be hidden with foliage.

About the worst solution is to plunk a rock down next to the trunk, but some people do that, too.

This is all very general and without a photo it's really hard to suggest anything specific.

Regards,

Matt

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stephentoddpope

it isn't in a bonsai pot right now, just a plain clay flower pot, what do you mean by carving, i am a beginner, and only 14 years old, so don't really have any tools. also i have heard that junipers dont work as well to poking through the cambium, as deciduouse trees, i will poast a pic if i can, how do i do that, i am new to this,


thanks

TreeBay

At 14 it sounds like you are getting a good start.

Most of bonsai you will find is addressing flaws and enhancing character. Defects can be disguised or attention can be drawn to another part of the tree. A defect that is handled with ingenuity can become a nice feature. Other times it isn't possible to entirely correct a problem. You may need to disguise it or simply concentrate on the best features of the specimen.

"Carving" is just that. Using a sharp tool to remove sections of wood, thereby creating the appearance of taper. The material left behind might be styled to appear as a deadwood feature, a hollow or snag, or simply removed.

Most any tree will react to damage by producing scar tissue in the form of a localized callus or swelling. The stimulus could be a hole in the bark created by a sharp instrument, a thin line made with a razor or a piece of wire left on too long. (There is a thread on wire scars in the General Folder). Some plants do react more strongly than others.

Carving, pot selection, planting angle, foliage, stones and scars are all possible methods to address the symptoms of inverse taper. Inverse taper usually develops because too many branches are growing in the same place. Knowing this, you want to eliminate the cause and use this to your advantage. If you can get one or more branches actively growing where the trunk is thinnest, that area will increase in size relative to other points on the plant that are less active, helping to solve the problem.

As far as the issue of tools is concerned, the first tool you should look into buying is a Concave Cutter, which is a tool that will allow you to remove branches flush at the trunk and make sharp cuts that will heal quickly. You can certainly substitute less effective tools for some of the other functions

When you have a photo posted we can talk more specifically about the problem, and I am sure there will be other opinions.

Regards,

Matt

P.S. Two other points:

1) Please avoid asking completely unrelated questions in a single thread. It is very confusing to anyone who wants to read or respond. The unrelated question concerning Japanese Maples was moved to the propagation forum

2) To learn to use the various features of the forum, such as uploading attachments, you should look in the FAQ folder, which you can reach using the button labeled FAQ that appears above. The particular FAQ item you want is called ATTACHMENTS
http://www.ip-sys.com/~bonsai/forum...e=3#attachments

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stephentoddpope

actually, there was a branch right at the bottom, when i got it, and i cut it off, should i have left it on, and how would i go about getting a branch to gow near the bottom to fix the taper, and, would i make cuts horizontaly in the place to calouse, and how deep would i make the cuts


thanks

TreeBay

If there was a branch there before the odds are you will get one growing there again in the near future. Juniper are like that.

Any wound would be vertical, or parallel with the trunk, deep enough to go through the cambium, probably 1/16 to 1/8 inch depending on the size of the tree.

Personally, I don't think i would worry about the taper so much unless it is a large tree. Smaller trees have plenty of time to grow out of any problems.

Regards,

Matt

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stephentoddpope

ok, the tree is about 11'' tall, and was a 1 gallon nursery stock it sort of looks like a broom style, though it isn't, it has like a horizantal cresent moon shape about 2/3 of the way up, but thinking, of trimming one side slightly, and growing one, and makeing a semi-cascade style,but not for sure. tomorrow i will try to poste a picture, and see what you think i should do with, i have seen your gallery, and they are beautiful trees

thanks