Planning for spring... WHERE should I trunk chop?

Kazoo

Here are a couple of pix of the mama of my air layer. It has a nice spiral trunk that I would like to make part of whatever it develops into. I put a scale on one picture for suggestions of where to chop.

I have NEVER chopped a trunk. This will be an experience. Do you use good loppers or a saw? Most examples I have seen on here were chopped at an angle.

Does an angle tend to force the new growth to a certain place? (assuming something will GROW)

Any hints on how to best use that spiral part would be great. (if there is a way to figure WHERE to chop to use it)

Thank you a bunch for any hints, orders, suggestions, or threats.

Oh yeah....Acer Palmatum.

Thanks again.

Attached Images

	trunk1.JPG (41.3 KB, 143 views)
	trunk2.JPG (40.9 KB, 129 views)

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Aaron_K

Hi Kazoo,

I like the trunk base of your maple, the movement is gentle and in future years will allow the viewers eye to flow gracefully and gently up the tree to the apex of foliage.

As for the chop, well for my mind, from "C" to "G" the trunk lacks taper and movement. Its uninteresting, and does nothing to benefit the trees design. I personally, would remove just above "C" then take the side branch and begin to bend it skywards. This would become the new leader. The side branch has some nice movement in it, and the taper would be restored to the trunk.

The trunk chop should encourage the tree to back bud, and so you should get some new shoots appearing lower down. When moving the side branch I would use some rafia to support the limb, as Acer P. can be a bit brittle - trust me, I snapped my Sango Kaku lol. Once you have cut off the top (or airlayered it if you so wished) Wrap the rafia from point "B" to around halfway up the side branch. Wet the rafia first, as it helps it stick to itself, and shrinks ever so slightly as it dries. Apply bonsai wire that will be strong enough to hold the branch into its new position, and that's essentially about it.

A good sharp pair of concave cutters should get through that trunk with no problem. If not, a small pull saw or something will suffice - just clean up the wound afterwards.

I've attached a quick picture of what I mean.

All the best,

Aaron

Attached Images

maplechop.jpg (51.2 KB, 86 views)

Kazoo

Aaron, I agree on the "blah" of the straight section. AND on that lowest limb becoming the new leader...........EXCEPT.....


I just went out and ...felt...that limb. It may not show in the pic, but that limb is just a FRACTION of an inch less in diameter than the main trunk.

The thing in the picture on that limb (about an inch from main trunk) is a scar from the removal of a vertical branch.

I can almost ....FEEL.... the "SNAP--DAMMIT" just by sort of "tweaking" it a bit.

I thought of some sort of angle ...grafty....sort of treatment to see if that might work. But not sure.

I guess the raffia might soften the thing a ..BIT.... but, man, it is VERY stiff to the touch and I can see that scar ....trying ..... to yell, "I'll break, I'll break right here, OH YES I WILL!"

I suppose I could try it and ....if.... it did what it LOOKS like it will do, I could hope for a new leader to sprout somewhere advantageous.

It is STIFF. Brittle and stiff. Stiff and brittle. It is looking at me and laughing.

BrianBay9

Well the good news is, if the limb snaps off in the process of moving it up, you will still almost certainly get a bunch of new shoots in the spring....get to choose a new leader from those.

Brian

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Aurelius

The trunk can always do to be a bit fatter.
I'd do the trunk chop this winter just above where the big lower limb is.
Don't worry about wiring that limb up.
Look at this years chop as a pre-chop to the real chop.
Next winter you'll have many options to choose a new easily wirable new leader from. At that time you can make the real chop.
The other buds can just be left on as sacrifice branches.
It's a longer route, but offers a better tree in the long run

bwaynef

Ahh, the optimist!

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© 2004 - present bwaynef

Kazoo

Part of my question is does the angle of chop have any effect on ...where... a new shoot may form?


Like would a new one be more likely to form at the top of an angle or at the bottom or is it completely random?

Aaron_K

Hi Kazoo,

The angle of the chop can influence where the new leader will develop. If for example you were wanting to develop a broom style canopy for a tree, cutting a slight "V" shape is a common practice. Similarly, if you wanted to encourage the new leader to veer to the left or right, you would angle the incision to the respective side, the highest point being where the new growth will hopefully develop.

Regarding the rafia, you'd be suprised how much additional strength this gives the branch being moved or trunk being bent. If you give the limb a few layers and then bend into position, it may very well crack inside, but so long as bark integrity is maintained and the limb doesn't physically sever, it should heal fine.

You also don't have to force it all in one go. You could move it say 70% initally, then every few weeks, tweek it more and more until into its final position is achieved. This could be done with wires or perhaps slightly more easily, with a bending jack.

Hope this helps.

All the best,

Aaron

bwaynef

A pretty common recommendation is to cut it flat and later AFTER the buds have popped, you have a choice of where you want the leader to develop, rather than misguessing where the dieback will end and the bud will form. You allow yourself much better odds. You can go back and remove the dead/dried stub, or shape some taper after the new leader has been selected.

WF

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© 2004 - present bwaynef