Is it time to trunk chop an old bonsai?

Ash · Post by **Ash** » April 4th, 2014, 8:07 pm

Hi,

This is a veteran bonsai in my collection that has a lot of age and texture to it, but I would like to undertake a major restyle or reshape.
Here are the basics:

Species: Melaleuca stenostachya
Origin: collected by Mary Brisbane in 1980
Dimensions: 850 x 720 mm
Trunk at base: 200 mm

Mel_stenostachya.jpg

Mel_stenostachya trunk.jpg

Opinions please - don't hold back - Is it time to trunk chop a veteran bonsai? Where would you cut it?

Ash

Post by **Bougy Fan** » April 4th, 2014, 8:28 pm

3rd branch to be new leader - it has no taper above that

Isitangus · Post by **Isitangus** » April 4th, 2014, 8:39 pm

After second branch in the right-revers taper after that and that gives you a super powerful trunk line to build on.

AndyLo · Post by **AndyLo** » April 4th, 2014, 11:32 pm

Air layer at third branch = 2 nice bonsai!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Rory · Post by **Rory** » April 5th, 2014, 6:04 am

Bougy Fan wrote:3rd branch to be new leader - it has no taper above that

completely agree

Post by **kcpoole** » April 5th, 2014, 6:44 am

bonsaibuddyman wrote:
Bougy Fan wrote:3rd branch to be new leader - it has no taper above that
completely agree

and reduce the length of the 1st branch on the left by 2/3 too

Ken

Post by **Steven** » April 5th, 2014, 8:03 am

Great potential here Ash for an awesome shohin!
When will you do the chop? Up in your climate I guess you could do it at almost any time of the year?
If mine, I'd be chopping just above the 3rd branch so I could use that stub and the 3rd branch to build an apex. I'd also be chopping all the branches back pretty hard and re-growing them closer to the trunk.

So, what will YOU do?

Regards,
Steven

EdwardH · Post by **EdwardH** » April 5th, 2014, 10:22 am

I agree with what has already been said. Chop trunk at the start of the reverse taper to build a new apex and reduce the branches by 2/3.

Great looking tree by the way. Reminds me of some of the trees at the beaches around Sydney.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » April 7th, 2014, 1:25 pm

Hi all,

I went looking for that 'third branch' but realised that my original photograph had an optical illusion. That branch to the right, second from the bottom, is actually the top of a back branch emerging further down the trunk. The tree got the chop at that point anyway and being a Melaleuca I expect it will shoot OK. After the chop I have started to see an even smaller tree in it, the trunk looks thicker already and I am wondering whether to chop it further. Pics soon to come...

Ash

Ash · Post by **Ash** » April 7th, 2014, 7:33 pm

Here is the pic...

Melaleuca_stenostachya.jpg

Maybe I will prune it even lower... all the 'goodness' is in the lowermost part of the trunk.

Ash

Post by **Steven** » April 9th, 2014, 3:43 pm

G'day Ash,

Would you consider taking it a little further back something like this:

Melaleuca_stenostachya.jpg

You could then grow branches/foliage something like this:

Melaleuca_stenostachya2.jpg

This however would depend on the ability of the M. stenostachya to shoot on old, bare wood at this time of the year

Regards,
Steven

Ash · Post by **Ash** » April 9th, 2014, 6:40 pm

Hi Steven, I think this will be the way I go in the future. I think it should shoot well on old wood. Ash

Steve B · Post by **Steve B** » April 10th, 2014, 9:14 pm

Nice vision Steven, this is going to be an absolute cracker of a tree Ash! I'm a big fan of the chunkier Mels and this one is going to be outstanding.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » January 15th, 2015, 3:20 pm

Hi,

Here is the growth following the first trunk chop. As it turns out this species re-sprouts really well so I am comfortable further trunk chopping would be possible should it need to go lower. It sprouted in about six places and all of the shoots have grown fine.

Melaleuca stenostachya A.jpg

So I did a second chop to one of the lower new branches to make a new top.

Melaleuca stenostachya B.jpg

I haven't done much other pruning as I wanted to keep the sap flow up with the eye for further chopping. Now there is one tiny new shoot just starting down low where Steven suggested.

cheers

Ash

Steve B · Post by **Steve B** » January 15th, 2015, 3:57 pm

Certainly looks like it's enjoying itself with the shooting since the last hack.
Are you going to start chopping back further this summer, although I guess up in FNQ there's less seasonal considerations?

AusBonsai