6" diameter Honeysuckle

BonsaiRic

I'm excited about the huge Japanese Honeysuckle I dug from my back yard yesterday. 6" diameter trunk with great Nebari (can be seen in the bareroot shot). Been eyeballing it for a while. Buds are just starting to swell.
The roots were naturally growing in a flat pattern because of good quality soil overlaying the clay beneath. New roots were already emerging from the underside of the crown.

I potted it up and staked it firmly to a pole outside the pot. I plan on letting the top grow for now to aid in root regeneration. Sounds like this should not be a problem according to Craig's experience with Honeysuckle.

I thought I might do a trunk chop (marked w/ red lines) at a later time to create a broom style. Taper is a problem at the branch split.

Any thoughts?

Attached Images

	JapaneseHoneysuckle flht 3-27-06 rs.jpg (53.1 KB, 260 views)
	JapaneseHoneysuckle frnt br 3-27-06 rs.jpg (57.7 KB, 242 views)
	JapaneseHoneysuckle frnt1 3-27-06 rspl.jpg (63.5 KB, 225 views)

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bonsaiboy01

I cant wait to this tree when u get done!! love it

Ashbarns9999

Nice specimen Ric, my thoughts would be not broom style because of the sweeping trunk line. I would eliminate the right hand branch and chop further up to a new leader. This I feel should be a larger tree to take full advantage of what could be on offer as taper evolves.

Broom style is suited to a straighter trunk. Of course you could always rotate the tree until you find that straight trunk then no problem.

Kind Regards Ash

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rockm

Do the trunk chop now. Don't wait on it. Leaving alot of top growth really doesn't do alot to help root recovery. What it could do is overly tax the remaining root structure. I would also remove those root suckers. They will rob the main trunk of energy.

With vigorous plants like wisteria, honeysuckle, some hornbeam and others, I have regularly used drastic top and root reduction at the same time. It works. This plant looks pretty healthy and should recover well even with drastic reduction.

I wouldn't use this plant for a broom. It's far too coarse in growth for that. The first fork has a massive, ungraceful branch and a relatively thinner one. That inbalance will continue and will throw off a broom design.

You're thinking too big for the tree's initial frame. This tree should be a third shorter than the trunks chops you have marked off. Compact is better than rangey. Leaving long extentions and such high branching minimizes that dramatic nebari. Think smaller...

I would chop the bigger branch flush with the trunk and use the smaller one as the trunk extension--eliminating the fork at the top and reducing it by half or so. That would force some good initial taper into the trunk. Work for informal upright. That's what this trunk wants...

Adrian_Moss

Hi Ric,

If you ask me, and that of couse only if you ask why chop it now when you can layer it a couple of places...and get a few trees to play with. I mean it seems like such a waste getting one tree out of this beautiful stock by the way. You should have IMHO let it alone where it was layered it a few times at ideal locations and waited.

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rockm

"when you can layer it a couple of places...and get a few trees to play with. I mean it seems like such a waste getting one tree out of this beautiful stock by the way"

This means an additional season or so when the primary trunk isn't being worked--a waste of time for the primary objective--which is the primary trunk. Focus...

For the most part, air layering is a waste of time (not air layering wastes no time at all) unless the materia is worth layering. The most exceptional portion of this trunk is the base. The extension limbs are hardly worth noting, it's got no taper or movement. Lop 'em off. Feel no guilt about "waste."

Ashbarns9999

If you were to select the smaller branch you will be left with a telegraph pole, whereas the larger branch has movement. The scar will be hidden upon removal of the secondary branch. I agree with rockm effect the chop now to balance the root ratio and rid the tree of those suckers.

Kind Regards Ash

__________________
Better to procrastinate than lose sight of the objective by rash deeds.

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BonsaiRic

Thanks guys for the input. I see your points and agree that a broom should have ability for finer branch ramification than a Honeysuckle can provide. I think I was afraid to chop too much too soon...but you're right that honeysuckles can take some abuse.

rockm, is this what you were suggesting (green lines)? feel to modify the pic if needed.

Attached Images

JapaneseHoneysuckle frnt1 3-27-06 rspl2.jpg (63.7 KB, 81 views)

rockm

Ric, can't see the image. However, a rule of thumb when hard pruning a decidous plant... Doesn't make much difference how much you take off once you start chopping a branch below ramification. If you take 1/4" off a big bare limb or 6 inches. I have found it best to cut vigorous deciduous stuff down to the initial frame right off the bat. Leaving branch stubs--unless they offer some design potential--isn't necessary.

"If you were to select the smaller branch you will be left with a telegraph pole, whereas the larger branch has movement."

I don't think so. The large branch is far too coarse to leave that high up on the trunk. Leaving it would require additional forcing of taper in the years to come. It's unecessary, as the smaller branch flows much more naturally into the lower trunk without that additional work. Might be a little less movement (although I think the two upper branches are about equal in this respect) but the pottential to induce nice taper outweighs that.