Regrowth and Trunk Chop

Jay

Soooo, Here I am getting ready to leave for the holiday weekend! [i:737485838c](Everybody enjoy and be well).[/i:737485838c] Before leaving I go out to the yard to check on things and low and behold a tree that I had severely trunkchopped was starting to grow. The tree I believe to be a....'Buckthorn' (Rhamnus cathartica). A quick explanation..,I was helping a fellow Bonsaist clear his new yard. I was lopping away at all these small sapplings...after a bit I noticed this stump, about 5 inches high that I had just lopped. It had VERY nice nebari. So I figured what do I have to loose, I brought it home and planted it. Well its been about 10 days and I am getting growth...but...at the very base. I had sealed the wound on the top but was hoping to get some growth near the top. My question, Should I take my advise to others and just be [i:737485838c]Patient[/i:737485838c] or should I remove a liitle of the sealer at the top in a couple of spots and hope to get growth? By the way the stomp is about 1 1/2 inches at the chop. Thoughts and suggestions. I will be bringing home my digital camara (yup left it somewhere) and will post pictures next week!

__________________
A Bonsai student living with his trees at N 44.37 W 77.49...
Think before you act... then think again... no good comes from rushing

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jackmickelberg(deceased)

I would remove a bit for no longer than 7 days, then examine it closely before re-sealing it. BTW, my chop went better than can be expected! (See picture)

It's a willow, and just big enough to put my thumb and middle finger around.

Capt. Jack

jackmickelberg(deceased)

Oh yeah, let's see a picture!

Capt. Jack

jackmickelberg(deceased)

Of your tree!

Tony

If I understand you right, all the new growth is coming from the base of the trunk, As in suckers .......?

If so I think you'll have to watch it closely and if you don't get any growth further up on the trunk, in a week or two you'll want to prune those branches back fairly hard in a attempt to induce buds higher up. I'm not familiar with the particular growth habits of Buckthorn but many trees will put out suckers like that when trunk chopped and if left to grow unhindered they pull all the energy and the main trunk will die.

As for getting new buds right at the top of the chop, that's always a toss up. The chances would be better if the tree where left in the ground and chopped in early spring. That way you have all the root reserves looking for dormant buds to push and the chance of getting one where you want it is better. I doubt that the pruning paste is the problem.

Tony