Healing a chop

markyscott · Apr 5, 2014

I've used a couple of techniques to accelerate healing of large wounds on deciduous trees. Probably lots of you have techniques of your own. One that I've used with some success is a kind of approach graft combined with partial removal of the branch or trunk.

Here's a maple that I dug from Mike Hansen's place last year. I let it grow without cutting back for the growing season.

Scott

markyscott · Apr 5, 2014

I removed a wedge from the uptight leader that I wish to remove, but didn't cut it all the way off. This reduces the size of the wound that has to be healed and takes advantage of sap flow to the leader to heal the wound. After a month of spring there is a good callous developed.

Scott

markyscott · Apr 5, 2014

Next, bend some tall leaders around into position to be approach grafted across the wound. There should be two points of contact, one on each side of the wound where the callous has developed. Approach graft the branches across the wound. The grafts will take in a month or so - where the branches are grafted to the callous, healing will be accelerated at that point. I grafted 3 branches across this wound.

Scott

Adair M · Apr 5, 2014

Marky,

You're on the right path. Your healing would have been even better if you had applied cut paste. A soft kind. That keep the wound moist, and the callous grows faster.

Also, you didn't mention it, but let the new leader grow unchecked. Inhibit the growth on the part you're going to cut off eventually. You want the tree to concentrate it's energy on the new leader. But leaving the sacrifice prevents the portion of the trunk below the cut from dying off.

I'm doing much the same thing on a JBP. (Without the approach graft.) I am approach grafting a new branch in the bottom of the big scar. Approach grafts take well in calloused areas.

It will be interesting to follow how yours does. Good work!

JudyB · Apr 5, 2014

Good stuff

Thanks, good illustration and post.

edprocoat · Apr 5, 2014

Thats a great idea, and one I have never seen before. Thanks for sharing.

ed

Paulsur · Apr 5, 2014

Good project to share. Thanks! Please keep us posted too. I am invested now!

Poink88 · Apr 5, 2014

Good post. Thank you.

While I do not do the partial cut...I've done the approach graft on my "frankentree" project. Bridging the chop area which in my case are really separate.

MACH5 · Apr 5, 2014

Ebihara uses this technique. Thanks for sharing and keep us posted on your results.

markyscott · Apr 5, 2014

MACH5 said:
Ebihara uses this technique. Thanks for sharing and keep us posted on your results.

Thanks - indeed the photographs of Ebihara's nursery were where I learned the technique. Boon taught me about the bridge graft.

markyscott · Apr 5, 2014

Adair M said:
Marky,

You're on the right path. Your healing would have been even better if you had applied cut paste. A soft kind. That keep the wound moist, and the callous grows faster.

Also, you didn't mention it, but let the new leader grow unchecked. Inhibit the growth on the part you're going to cut off eventually. You want the tree to concentrate it's energy on the new leader. But leaving the sacrifice prevents the portion of the trunk below the cut from dying off.

I'm doing much the same thing on a JBP. (Without the approach graft.) I am approach grafting a new branch in the bottom of the big scar. Approach grafts take well in calloused areas.

It will be interesting to follow how yours does. Good work!

Thanks - I stopped short of mentioning the cut paste and the growth - family duties called (time for Mr. Peabody with my son). The bridge graft should be treated in every way like any approach graft and I appreciate you mentioning these important aspects.

I'll try and remember to take some photos of the finished product tomorrow.

Scott

0soyoung · Apr 5, 2014

markyscott said:
I've used a couple of techniques to accelerate healing of large wounds on deciduous trees.

Interesting post, Scott, but do you also have something comparable that is being treated differently (say just lopped off the branch and didn't use cut paste) to show that this indeed accelerates healing?

Smoke · Apr 5, 2014

markyscott said:
Thanks - I stopped short of mentioning the cut paste and the growth - family duties called (time for Mr. Peabody with my son). The bridge graft should be treated in every way like any approach graft and I appreciate you mentioning these important aspects.

I'll try and remember to take some photos of the finished product tomorrow.

Scott

I hope you do show photos all the way thru the process over how ever long it takes. I have only seen them done by Kathy Shaner and they have had pretty disasterous results. I would love to see one done and healed very nicely.

I think Brian Van Fleet showed this method here several years ago, have not seen any results of that healing process or how long it took.

davetree · Apr 5, 2014

Smoke said:
I hope you do show photos all the way thru the process over how ever long it takes. I have only seen them done by Kathy Shaner and they have had pretty disasterous results. I would love to see one done and healed very nicely.

I think Brian Van Fleet showed this method here several years ago, have not seen any results of that healing process or how long it took.

You mean the bridge grafts, not the partial cut/chop ?

markyscott · Apr 5, 2014

0soyoung said:
Interesting post, Scott, but do you also have something comparable that is being treated differently (say just lopped off the branch and didn't use cut paste) to show that this indeed accelerates healing?

I don't have exactly what you ask for, but here is a close up of a different trident from which I removed a large branch last year. I used the bridge graft technique in an attempt to close the wound. The first photo is of one of the bridge graft unions and illustrates what I interpret to be increased callous build up around the graft union. The second photo is a larger picture of the wound. The two successful grafts are on the right side of the wound the graft on the left side failed - the wound is closing asymmetrically with nearly 3/4" of callous growth on the side with the successful grafts and less and 1/2" on the side without.

Scott

markyscott · Apr 5, 2014

Smoke said:
I hope you do show photos all the way thru the process over how ever long it takes. I have only seen them done by Kathy Shaner and they have had pretty disasterous results. I would love to see one done and healed very nicely.

I think Brian Van Fleet showed this method here several years ago, have not seen any results of that healing process or how long it took.

Bridge graft, partial chop, or both? In what way was it disastrous? I'd love to be able to avoid a disaster if I can.

Scott

Brian Van Fleet · Apr 5, 2014

Smoke said:
I hope you do show photos all the way thru the process over how ever long it takes. I have only seen them done by Kathy Shaner and they have had pretty disasterous results. I would love to see one done and healed very nicely.

I think Brian Van Fleet showed this method here several years ago, have not seen any results of that healing process or how long it took.

Here was the thread. I'm eager to see how this works too, as I haven't seen the results over time either. I like your idea of combining the partial chop with the bridge graft, and your technique seems simpler than how Kathy applied it...though looking at it again, she seemed to be pretty concerned with keeping the swelling lateral vs. outward.

Smoke · Apr 5, 2014

Brian Van Fleet said:
Here was the thread. I'm eager to see how this works too, as I haven't seen the results over time either. I like your idea of combining the partial chop with the bridge graft, and your technique seems simpler than how Kathy applied it...though looking at it again, she seemed to be pretty concerned with keeping the swelling lateral vs. outward.

Thats the problem "I" have seen the results over time and it wasn't pretty. I want to see a good one.

garywood · Apr 5, 2014

I don't have any pics so think what you may

The success I've had with bridge grafts have been longitudinal, bottom to top vs lateral, side to side. Large cuts always callus faster at the top, then the sides and finally the bottom leaving a line from the center of the bottom to the center of the top. I try to stay pretty close to the eventual callus line as possible and as soon as the top "takes" stub it off. When the bottom "takes": stub it. Sap flow always takes the route of least resistance or shortest route between root and shoot. Increased metabolic activity in that area.

markyscott · Apr 5, 2014

garywood said:
I don't have any pics so think what you may The success I've had with bridge grafts have been longitudinal, bottom to top vs lateral, side to side. Large cuts always callus faster at the top, then the sides and finally the bottom leaving a line from the center of the bottom to the center of the top. I try to stay pretty close to the eventual callus line as possible and as soon as the top "takes" stub it off. When the bottom "takes": stub it. Sap flow always takes the route of least resistance or shortest route between root and shoot. Increased metabolic activity in that area.

You know, that is interesting. I asked Boon why not longitudinal when he helped me with one last year. He wasn't very clear with his reasons, but he was definitely clear that he preferred to bridge across the wound. I even thought of trying a longitudinal bridge on this one, but there was 1/2 a dang trunk in the way - maybe next time.

Scott

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