Trunk Chopping A Trident, Japanese Maple And Liquid Ambar

mkonig

Hi Robert

Sorry to but in.

I think that there is a little confusion about the size thing. Cutting a tree that is only 1/2 inch in diameter will eventually produce a small bonsai, but small bonsai don't make big bonsai even after a long time. If you want to develop bigger trees the method demonstrated by bonsaial is the way to go.
Most deciduous trees will readily bud back from a bare trunk, so the chop wont hurt them. The timeframe you are looking at in developing a large trunk is easily long enough to heal most scars (with proper care).

Here is one of my Korean Hornbeams in development that was grown from a cutting for 5 years before the first cut. I have marked the other cuts on the pic for illustration.

All the best

Mike

Attached Images

korean hornbeam post140402.jpg (27.3 KB, 479 views)

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Greggles

WOW....ok..waiting 2 years is amazing...I think if I'm going to do that..I will at least start on 10 projects all at once!! Otherwise..it'd be such a waste of time to just start one tree! Boy that looks amazing...

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jcayer

Greetings,

Very intersting thread. I'm going to give it a try as soon as this snow is melted...

You might as well check this link: http://www.rgbonsai.com/amurearly.htm

Another trunk chop with pictures.

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Best regards,

Jean

todai

Hi,
I've a lot of questions:
Do you chop the trunk at an angle of 45°? Or doesn't it matter?
Will a shoot close the cut help the scar to
heal better?

I've an oak in my garden. Its trunk diameter is about 3''. Is it too fat for chopping?

greetz from Switzerland
Roman

TreeBay

Roman, those questions all depend on the particular tree. Trees are cut (pruned, chopped, thinned or trimmed) to create taper and movement, to add interest, remove unwanted growth and increase ramification. Without seeing the plant it is impossible to tell you how to prune, chop, trim or thin it.

Regards,

Matt

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Psynapse

Justreviving this post as I'm also interested in the subject.

To bring up a previously asked question:

Does anyone do their trunk chops as Rlominski mentioned and leave a branch below the chop It seems reasonable to me that this would be a good idea in the sense that it may give a better branch porportion(thickness) from top to bottom.

What I'm saying is the branches left behind by the chop will always be thicker than the new growth above it. As the new leader grows from the first chop the left over (bottom) branch fattens up also. The next chop may leave behind a branch half the size of the lower branch and so forth, getting thinner towards the top. Like I said before they should always stay in porportion to one another this way... wont they?

Is this what Colin Lewis is getting at? Or does everyone just deal with branching later

Camay123

Very interesting thread.
This is the most clearly described technique Ive read.
Thx BonsaiAl.

AS BonsaiAl said :



So If I understand right, it's the perfect time to do this ?

Also, When making the first trunk chop, is it better to make the chop just above a bud ? If they are no bud, will one grow ?

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Camay123

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TreeBay

Psynapse -

The branch below the chop is intended primarily to prevent dieback on that side. It's ideal to have one on either side of the cut to help with the withdrawal of sap. It may or may not be a good location for a branch in the future, but until the wound heals, it's a good spot for growth to prevent future problems.

In a bonsai there is no real correlation between the size of a branch and its calendar age. Pruning and refinement brings things into an apparent balance. In fact, the younger major branches might be among the older ones, if, for example, a new branch were grafted on and allowed to grow. The important thing is how the tree appears, not which branch is actually oldest.

Camay, it's safest to chop an older tree right above a branch or bud. It isn't always BEST to do so. A healthy, young tree of a strong variety like a trident maple will almost certainly throw a lot of buds in the vicinity of a chop.

Regards,

Matt

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