pine trunk thickening - bonsaiTALK Community

3-Aug-2002	#1
painted_treeman bonsaiTALK Journeyman Join Date: Aug-2002 Location: plymouth Country: uk Posts: 48	pine trunk thickning just wondered if anyone has heard of this. If not I thought to share it with all. Reading Dan Bartons exellent book (The definitive illustrated guide to Bonsai), he lists a few techniques for quick trunk thickening of pines (page70-71 ). he advises to actually tap one side of the trunk every day with a light hammer for as much as a year, this apparently bruises the underlying cellular structure of the trunk and as a result it swells as it repairs itself thus getting thicker quicker. However, only tap one side. Jjust wondered if anyone has tried this? I have a white pine i am fond of and might try it, but dont want to damage it ? blimey worry worry!!!

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3-Aug-2002	#2
TreeBay Tips:5¢ Advice:Free *MODERATOR GROUP* Join Date: Aug-2001 Location: Silicon Valley Country: USA USDA Zone: 9 AHS Heat Zone: 4 Posts: 9,742	If I were going to try this I would do it with a tree that I am NOT fond of and see what the result might be. Pines have resin ducts and they, White Pine in pariticular, can be pretty fragile. It may be a matter of experience knowing what is "brusing" and what is bashing. Regards, Matt __________________ Want to be a seller on bonsaiAUCTIONS? Get authorized today! bonsaiTALK: Over 100,005.36 Megabytes Served this Month!

3-Aug-2002	#3
bnsaijim bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman Join Date: Sep-2001 Location: Gulf Coast Country: Texas USDA Zone: 8b-9 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 771	A few of the öld timers" have classified this one with the magical trunk thickening creams and pastes... Never tried it myself...

3-Aug-2002	#4
Carl_Bergstrom Old Mister Crow Join Date: May-2002 Location: Seattle, WA. Country: USA USDA Zone: 8 AHS Heat Zone: 2 Posts: 3,197	I'm with bonsaiJim on this one - I bet this works about as well as all of those spam emails I get about to how "thicken my pine's trunk." Well, it probably works better, but thinking of the long term form and health of the tree, I can't imagine that this would be an advisable practice. For either pine. -Old Mister __________________ In love with trees Last edited by Carl Bergstrom : 3-Aug-2002 at 11:29 PM.

3-Aug-2002	#5
Brian bonsaiTALK Artisan Join Date: Apr-2002 Location: Northern Michigan Country: United States USDA Zone: 4 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 130	Thats a good one OMC __________________ Brian Zone 4 Michigan USA

4-Aug-2002	#6
ripsgreentree bonsaiTALK Master Chief Join Date: Sep-2001 Location: Fresno, CA Country: U.S.A USDA Zone: 9 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 1,260	trunk thickening Well I know this I hav tried this method 15 years ago and found that at best it did not work and at worst it dammaged the trees trunk and underlying structures. Nothing works as well as just planting the tree out in the ground and letting it grow. Prune it and shape it and let it grow in the ground until it has the trunk that you want on your bonsai. sincerely __________________ ripsgreentree It requires an open hand to give and to recieve.

4-Aug-2002

Shambhala

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Join Date: Feb-2002

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Quote:

Originally posted by oldmistercrow
I'm with bonsaiJim on this one - I bet this works about as well as all of those spam emails I get about to how "thicken my pine's trunk."

LOL!

In the Simon & Schuster's Guide to Bonsai it also mentions hitting the trunk with a hammer as well as using a pin. However it also said that it will produce thickening only in that area, so you could have a weird looking trunk if you didn't do it in a consistent area.

I wouldn't do it though...

4-Aug-2002	#8
Bonsainut Carrier of Bonsai Fever Join Date: Oct-2001 Location: So-Cal, US of A Country: America The Beautiful USDA Zone: Zone 9-10 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 1,833	Guys, I hate to say Ive had experience with enlarging uh wood, but Im all for it. I have had great luck on black pine. Every time A JBP crosses my bench I take the pinchers of a concave cutter and make lots of tiny holes on the lower trunk. It works!!! ...yeah I have no double blind studies to prove it, but what would a blind guy care anyway I ask you?

4-Aug-2002	#9
Carl_Bergstrom Old Mister Crow Join Date: May-2002 Location: Seattle, WA. Country: USA USDA Zone: 8 AHS Heat Zone: 2 Posts: 3,197	Well, bonsainut, you're the expert. It just might work with pines, then. Try with one of my hemlocks, and you'd end up with a dead hemlock and ten dollar hammer. -Old Mister __________________ In love with trees

5-Aug-2002	#10
Tony bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman Join Date: Jan-2002 Country: USA USDA Zone: 7 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 861	That must be why they call you the three legged bonsainut! Seriously though. The concept does work. I've never tried it on a pine but you can take any tree and wound the cambium and it will go into overdrive to repair the damage, and in the process expand the girth of the affected member. You just have to be sure you don't wound it so badly that it can't repair itself. Lest it fall off and never work again. Tony

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