AusBonsai

I have a number of trees that have varying degrees of reverse taper. I am wondering what techniques others have used to counter/remedy this problem.

One tree that i have made a decision on course of action for is the callary pear I have posted on in the past and will update on soon. I have a bechtel's crab that I plan to layer at some stage, just not sure if I should go below the graft or if it would be fine growing on its own roots. A Yatsubusa black pine that I recently acquired, again not sure if this variety needs to be grafted or would it be fine on its own roots.

I also have a large Grevillea robusta with major reverse taper that I really don't want to layer as it already has a fantastic radial root spread and due to its size would not be a quick process if I went the layer approach, if layering is even a possibility with this species. This tree has shown me some of the oddities of ground growing that I have come across with other collected stock, the section of trunk that was below ground level is considerably smaller than at or above ground level. What other options are there for correcting reverse taper that I could maybe employ with this tree?

Matt

Hi Matta

I was told by a guy that injuring the tree where you wan it to go bigger.

he ask me to buy a hobby hammer and hammer the area. that will cause swelling and it might fix the reverse taper.

dont ask me for proof in this. never tried it. im just passing it on

John

Carving is one option I have used to good effect, you do however need some girth to make it work.

Cheers Pup

This is the best way to remedy reverse taper ...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_1QjN13Ymg

There is a technique called the spagnum moss wrap where you put a large pvc pipe around the base of the tree and pack in the spagnum moss VERY tightly. This causes swelling and callouses the bark on the trunk making it look fatter. I am doing a Radiata at the moment and i will see how that turns out.

In the future try to avoid the urge to acquire trees with reverse tapper. If you cant carve it out it will take many years to try and correct and most of the times wont work. Damaging the cambium in the area you want to enlarge only works sometimes and most of the times its not enough to correct reverse tapper, not to mention it takes loads of time. Try to avoid buying a tree with handle bar branches. Most of the times this is were I find a reverse taper. Try to grow a sacrifice branch below the reverse taper. Don't remove the branch until the taper is corrected. Depending on the species and the size of the tree. This might leave a huge scar. So rather throw the tree away and stop waisting your time or do a air layer above the reverse taper and grow a new tree from there on.
Sorry if this sounds evil. But its the truth.

Juan

[quote="Ninja"]In the future try to avoid the urge to acquire trees with reverse tapper. If you cant carve it out it will take many years to try and correct and most of the times wont work. Damaging the cambium in the area you want to enlarge only works sometimes and most of the times its not enough to correct reverse tapper, not to mention it takes loads of time. Try to avoid buying a tree with handle bar branches. Most of the times this is were I find a reverse taper. Try to grow a sacrifice branch below the reverse taper. Don't remove the branch until the taper is corrected. Depending on the species and the size of the tree. This might leave a huge scar. So rather throw the tree away and stop waisting your time or do a air layer above the reverse taper and grow a new tree from there on.
Sorry if this sounds evil. But its the truth.

Juan[/quote

Way to go Juan, get stuck right in there for your first posting Uh..by the way..welcome to Aus bonsai

You Are spot on there Juan avoidance is the best remedy, another good solution is the mulcher, that may sound a little harsh but sometimes your efforts are best expended on really good material the exception being nishiki pines which due to grafting almost always have a reverse taper, if you get one on its own roots cherish it.
Craig

i have a calitris that was reverse taper so i split the trunk and gradually wedged it apart (over months) and the next time i repotted i took the split down through the roots. it took the savage work well and has shari and split most of th way up the trunk. i guess you couldnt do this with all species tho'. Put a photo up when i take one.

HAHAHA brilliant Ozzy

fixing reverse taper isnt easy, as it has been recommended avoid it at all costs, especially those new to bonsai, dont the tree tree if it is showing reverse taper! this is not something that gives the tree character! it is a big problem that takes forever to fix if you ever can!

there are several techniques that can work but most are all time consuming. one way if the reverse is low enough is to graft seedlings or slightly larger stocks into the reverse taper and fusing them in.

the tapping of the trunk with a hammer isnt exactly the best technique, it is hard to judge how hard to hit with enough force to cause the damage to create the scarring and swelling or you dont hit it hard enough and it wont do nothing.

jamie

Didn't someone here once say that someone corrected reverse taper by essentially turning the tree upside down?

I know that's totally vague, but there weren't any details given at the time and I can't remember if they said who did it.

But I guess if you had a tree you didn't wanna lose with a really nice (eg. thick and or old looking) trunk but reverse taper, you could always do an air layer where you'd like the base of your tree to be and then once it was ready, plant it upside down and chop off the old roots or something.

There's probably a few ways of doing it. But perhaps whoever it was who first mentioned that would know how it had been done.

Jamie wrote:fixing reverse taper isnt easy, as it has been recommended avoid it at all costs, especially those new to bonsai, dont the tree tree if it is showing reverse taper! this is not something that gives the tree character! it is a big problem that takes forever to fix if you ever can!

there are several techniques that can work but most are all time consuming. one way if the reverse is low enough is to graft seedlings or slightly larger stocks into the reverse taper and fusing them in.

the tapping of the trunk with a hammer isnt exactly the best technique, it is hard to judge how hard to hit with enough force to cause the damage to create the scarring and swelling or you dont hit it hard enough and it wont do nothing.

jamie

That's true about the hammer. i guess it require a great skills.

This is an interesting topic. any other ppl with any other ways to remedy reverse taper here?

i have sliced vertical cuts into the bark through the cambium about 5-8mm apart, 2-4 lines depending on the reverse taper, what it does is is scar and heal out, it can also kill off the section in between slices, so 4 lines you could lose the area between cut 2 and 3 this will creat a shari and can change the effect of the reverse taper.

jamie