Seal Wound On Trunk Chop?

dustin

Im researching now and have 3 trees I plan to trunk chop in a day or two. I havent seen anything consistent on whether or not to seal the cut? I read one website from a guy who likes to do a prependicular cut, above a branch if he can help it, not seal and let it die back. Another states to pick what you think will be the eventual front and do a 45degree cut with the wound in the back of the tree and seal it. So to make this easy as many posts exist on trunck chopping, should I
1) just whack the trunck where I want, perpendicular, dont seal and let it die back and remove the dead wood after a season or

2)a 45 degree cut in the back of the tree and seal it.

My stock is two trident maples and an oak.

Thanks for any advice on this.

!Oh one more thing, one of the Tridents I want to do root over rock, so how soon would a repot over the rock without severe root prune be kosher after the trunk chop.

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Carl_Bergstrom

Here's my advice.

When you evaluate advice that you read on the internet, take the source into account. Ideally, take a look at trees they've been growing using the techniques that they advocate. If you can't, a decent fallback source of information is the excellent set of translated-from-Japanese articles in Bonsai Today. I'd trust those authors before I'd trust unknown voices on the net.

(Of course, this is just advice. And my gallery doesn't have photos of trees, just accent plants. So I suppose if you follow my advice, you have to disregard it. )

Best regards,
Carl

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TreeBay

You won't find any consistency in bonsai.

Regards,

Matt

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dustin

So I guess the advice Im getting so far is either way I want to chop the truck is fine. One method is not better for the trees health than the other? Im a little confused....

Anybody else ?

Carl_Bergstrom

That's not at all what I'm saying, Dustin.

What I'm saying is that you'll read all sorts of tripe on the internet, and you need to learn how to distinguish between pearls and swine (to misappropriate a metaphor).

I strongly favor one approach, but why should you believe me? I'd recommend that you see what the experts (as opposed to the self-proclaimed experts) do.

-Carl

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dustin

"read all sorts of tripe on the internet, you need to learn how to distinguish between pearls and swine"

Definetly agree with you on this one Carl. Ive been keeping a saltwater reef tank for years now and have been active on many forums for reefs, some for 5+ years. Keeping a reef tank is not an easy task, and you have many baseline facts where its the right way or the wrong way, period. Other issues are more about the perception of whats right or wrong based on an individuals experience or research. I think Bonsai falls much more in this category of perception than hard line rights and wrongs. Maybe thats why Im drawn to it, besides the love I have for nuturing plants/trees in general.

So, back to the truck chop, Ive taken one of the maples and the oak and Ive found a nice place on the trunk, above a branch or node, and chopped at an angle. Ive tried to make the best determination of what may be the eventual back of the tree for the cut, and sealed it. For the other maple, I plan to do a root over rock, and may try a perpendicular cut and see how the branches develop. But then again, I think I feel that doing an angled cut and sealing it just seems better for the tree.

We shall see how they develop over a season or two, Im excited as they all look like they have great potential.

Oh, and as for "but why should you believe me". I dont think its about whether I believe you or not. But if you share experience, I will take it as just that, your experience. Which I appreciate nonetheless. Im here to learn about the success and failures of others in regards to a trees health and style, and this can only help me better my skills

-Dustin

Carl_Bergstrom

Dustin,

Glad to hear that you sealed it. I hope you used the black putty from the jar rather than the green goo from the tube that is meant for grafting but all too often is sold as a wound sealant in the US.

I don't have enough first-hand experience to have a strong recommendation on flat versus angled.

Cheers,
Carl

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ovation22

Can you post pictures along the way for the rest of us that are also still learning?

Thanks.

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John Callaway
Matsu Bonsai blog

Bonsai Questions - Well, it depends

dustin

Sure, I'll post some pics tonight.