Hi all,
Have read about the chop and grow method to get a thicker trunk.
But still struggling to understand it.
Can someone explain it in really simple terms. As I'm just not getting the process as it would leave a 'step' in the trunk.
TVM
| Wee Trees Bonsai Help Forum Advice for all http://weetrees.co.uk/phpBB3/ |
|
| Chop and grow http://weetrees.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=17762 |
Page 1 of 1 |
| Author: | Peddlar [ 29 May 2018, 12:41 ] |
| Post subject: | Chop and grow |
Hi all, Have read about the chop and grow method to get a thicker trunk. But still struggling to understand it. Can someone explain it in really simple terms. As I'm just not getting the process as it would leave a 'step' in the trunk. TVM
|
|
| Author: | Gary Jones [ 29 May 2018, 13:34 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Chop and grow |
The idea is that you chop and then grow a new leader to give movement and taper. Of course it can take a number years to grow this new leader to be thick enough and for the wound to cover over. It's quicker of course if you cut back to a branch which can be wired up. Badly done it can look awful and it takes a lot of time to do it well. Much better/easier to find a good trunk line in the existing material by chopping back to a branch if you can. Chopping doesn't give you a thicker trunk - it gives you taper in the new upper sections. For a thicker trunk you need to use sacrifice branches and/or let the tree run wild in the ground. Either way it takes time. |
|
| Author: | Koren [ 29 May 2018, 13:47 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Chop and grow |
This might help explain it:  (credit for image: music-maker on reddit) |
|
| Author: | Peddlar [ 29 May 2018, 13:59 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Chop and grow |
Cheers Gary & Koren That's explains it. Will now attempt it. TVM |
|
| Author: | PeterBone [ 29 May 2018, 14:19 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Chop and grow |
Don't confuse developing taper and developing a thicker trunk. Chopping or pruning anything will always slow down trunk thickening. |
|
| Author: | daryl [ 29 May 2018, 14:39 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Chop and grow |
I don't want to sidetrack this thread too much but in my very early bonsai days (30 years ago!) I learnt a slightly different approach which I think achieves the same result but without chopping anything. It was in a book but I have looked through all my books and can't find it now so I will try to explain. Imagine a sapling growing straight up with a few small branchlets emerging around it. When you feel the tree is ready, instead of cutting the leader off, you wire it out to the side to become a new branch and wire a branchlet to become the new leader. Once the new leader has grown up you can repeat the process, gradually building your branches in whatever direction you need them. Each new leader will be thinner than the previous section so taper will occur naturally. I have only used this on larch but it would probably work on other species if you are growing from young sapling material. I'll go and try to draw a picture to show what I mean. |
|
| Author: | daryl [ 29 May 2018, 15:00 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Chop and grow |
A bit like this... 
|
|
| Author: | Gary Jones [ 29 May 2018, 15:19 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Chop and grow |
That's probably very good for maintaining trunk thickening as well. Probably possible only for flexible species like larch. I'm imagine you'd have to remove the original trunk(s) at some point as they'd be too thick wouldn't they? Do you find that with the larch you worked on. |
|
| Author: | daryl [ 29 May 2018, 16:09 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Chop and grow |
On larches I try to continually grow replacement branching either over or under the main branches so that I can remove any that get too thick without it leaving a gaping hole. My guess is that there must be all sorts of flaws in that technique. If not, it would still be in all the 'How to bonsai' books 
|
|
| Page 1 of 1 | All times are UTC [ DST ] |
| Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group http://www.phpbb.com/ |
|