TRUNK THICKENING

Share your success stories about defoliation, bare rooting and anything else relating to maintaining healthy bonsai.
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IS2SXC
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TRUNK THICKENING

Post by IS2SXC »

i just wanted to reassure and get opinions on this as i have used this technique once and still abit hazy on whether it did or didnt


everybody says having a sacrificial branch which is just above the base will help increase the width of the trunk but what happens if your tree doesnt thicken where u want it to???
THAT IS THE QUESTION
and i know planting it in the ground thickens your tree

BUT, has anyone tried the technique where u put a ring around the area u want to thicken ??? i heard that the ring causes the tree to swell in that area and thickens and then you remove the ring after and the tree will heal the scar itself

so what is everybodys opinion on this technique??
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Re: TRUNK THICKENING

Post by Bretts »

I think it is a matter of watching the tree and working out why it is not thickening where you want it too. There may be a root that is supplying energy to another part of the trunk.
The ring might help but I don't see this being much faster in teh end of just getting good growth and directing it where you want as best as possible.
It's too bad your in such a hurry cause the stories I could tell you, Bushels and baskets of stories, hole crates full of stories. But if you can spare a moment I will tell you one story.
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Re: TRUNK THICKENING

Post by techpetal »

Check here for the previous discussion on this method.

viewtopic.php?f=104&t=2052&p=20772&hili ... ing#p20772


Tech
Whilst walking through the forest of Bonsai Myths, I found a single small tree.
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Re: TRUNK THICKENING

Post by Bretts »

I still think sacrafice branches and mangaing the sap flow is the way to go. It is amazing how quickly an issue will disapear when it is resolved early. And no scarring.
It's too bad your in such a hurry cause the stories I could tell you, Bushels and baskets of stories, hole crates full of stories. But if you can spare a moment I will tell you one story.
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Re: TRUNK THICKENING

Post by Pup »

A lot depends on the tree. Conifer's react differently to deciduous. With deciduous you can thicken an area with defoliating the part you want to stop and leaving the foliage on the part you want thickened. So if you want the trunk thicken you leave as much foliage as possible.

What happens in most cases is that the tree in question, is being trained in a pot so to keep it looking nice, we shape and prune it. This slows the tree as does re potting it needs time to recover, from all this. So consequently it is not going to thicken. Put in the ground or a big grow box.

Coniferous tree's are slower grower's than deciduous so it will take longer to heal a scar, in some cases it will divert the sap from that area so as to put more strength
some where else.
All these Ideas are there to do this.
They have been practiced for a long time with many failures in between. When you see an article in a Magazine with a transformation in a couple of Pages. Check out the text to see over how long it took not the few pages. In some cases years so be careful of what you try it out on.

Putting a ring round is dangerous unless you are familiar with the process. As is scoring or drilling holes in the trunk. Tree's will heal themselves but it takes time.
They have to concentrate on staying alive first. So shedding one part to save the rest is always the first choice of a plant.
Even if it means one side of the tree. Ask Brett he has first hand knowledge of a tree healing it self on one side only.

Try these things by all means but do it on something that you do not mind losing first. Then you can say this works. This is how I did it.
JMHO pup :)
Edit typo's
Last edited by Pup on October 19th, 2009, 12:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: TRUNK THICKENING

Post by IS2SXC »

techpetal wrote:Check here for the previous discussion on this method.

viewtopic.php?f=104&t=2052&p=20772&hili ... ing#p20772


Tech

i read it but that quote is based on JBP only isnt it?
it didnt say other plants

well thanks heaps i just wanted to see if anyone has tried it and had good results :D
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Re: TRUNK THICKENING

Post by IS2SXC »

Try these things by all means but do it on something that you do not mind losing first. Then you can say this works. This is how I did it.
JMHO pup :)

yes thats why i collected alot of privets hahhahahha
if they die just go to the creek and get more they're everywhere :D


thanks Pup and u too brett
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