Clump Syle Maple ala Bjorn

[misfit11]

It worked for Bjorn so why not? Had to try one myself. Seven seedlings bound together. We'll check back in 25 years or so...

 

[Deleted member 32750]

9 seedling clumping that I started last year using the same method. All 9 survived and completely fused in 1 season. Just repotted yesterday. You want then to grow free and layer above the wire. I recommend checking in the summer and then cutting away the portion below the new roots to encourage lateral spread

 

[misfit11]

9 seedling clumping that I started last year using the same method. All 9 survived and completely fused in 1 season. Just repotted yesterday. You want then to grow free and layer above the wire. I recommend checking in the summer and then cutting away the portion below the new roots to encourage lateral spread

Nice work! I hope all mine survive.

 

[deadcs]

9 seedling clumping that I started last year using the same method. All 9 survived and completely fused in 1 season. Just repotted yesterday. You want then to grow free and layer above the wire. I recommend checking in the summer and then cutting away the portion below the new roots to encourage lateral spread

View attachment 473221

¿Could you please explain how did you plant them?¿through a board with holes?
Great clumpp tbh
Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 32750]

¿Could you please explain how did you plant them?¿through a board with holes?
Great clumpp tbh
Thanks!

I tied them together above the roots with aluminum wire and planted them in a pot slightly smaller than a 1 gallon nursery pot and then I fertilized heavily in the spring with high nitrogen fert to grow them quickly and promote thickening for the wire to cause the trees to ground layer. I checked the plan in mid summer and cut away the old roots below the wire. This is important so the tree will grow more of the new root system. Then fertlize generously with organics for the rest of the year.

 

[bonsaiwood]

Bjorn made me do it too.
Planned to do one, ended up making three. Looking forward to see others’ updates. Fun little project!

 

[SeanS]

I’ve done a few, here’s a trident group through a washer. One of the smaller trunks has subsequently died since the repot in spring

 

[pandacular]

In Bjorn’s video, he used wire wrapped in plastic tubing to protect the trunks, but he mentions that not using the tubing may be better for ground layering roots. I’m not quite sure what to do there, as the Styrax seedlings I’ve selected won’t readily fit through a washer, which would be my preference.

 

[Adamski77]

In Bjorn’s video, he used wire wrapped in plastic tubing to protect the trunks, but he mentions that not using the tubing may be better for ground layering roots. I’m not quite sure what to do there, as the Styrax seedlings I’ve selected won’t readily fit through a washer, which would be my preference.

make three of them! ... one with plastic tubing, one without plastic tubing and third one with plastic strap/zip strap? (not sure about proper English expression)

... he mentioned third one in the video too... and it worked...

so you can see what is the best method and learn tones

at least that's my plan for this spring

 

[bonsaiwood]

make three of them! ... one with plastic tubing, one without plastic tubing and third one with plastic strap/zip strap? (not sure about proper English expression)

... he mentioned third one in the video too... and it worked...

so you can see what is the best method and learn tones

at least that's my plan for this spring

The smallest clump in my group (small brown pot in the photo) was made without the use of plastic tubing. Only wire around the base of the seedlings, not too tight, but tight enough to get the trunks in contact. Then buried the wire below the soil to see if any roots develop from there. Will try another using a zip tie.

 

[bonsaiwood]

I’ve done a few, here’s a trident group through a washer. One of the smaller trunks has subsequently died since the repot in spring

@SeanS How do you remove the metal washer after the trunks have fused together? Looking forward to seeing the progress of your clump.

 

[flor1]

Cut it into two with a saw or grinder

@SeanS How do you remove the metal washer after the trunks have fused together? Looking forward to seeing the progress of your clump.

 

[iant]

I had a similar project a few years back that the gardners threw out in the winter because it had no leaves on it.... They thought it must be dead if it didn't have leaves...

 

[bonsaiwood]

I had a similar project a few years back that the gardners threw out in the winter because it had no leaves on it.... They thought it must be dead if it didn't have leaves...

Do you plan to thin out any of the live branches or just let them all grow out and wire later?

 

[SeanS]

@SeanS How do you remove the metal washer after the trunks have fused together? Looking forward to seeing the progress of your clump.

You cut the original roots that are now below the washer off completely and then pull the washer off from below the new roots. This photo shows where the little trunks were threaded through the hole in the washer and how I’ve cut the old roots and the parts of the trunks that were through the hole off



Here’s another example, this time 15 seedlings

 

[bonsaiwood]

Thank you @SeanS for explaining your process, very helpful!

I like the idea of growing some in the ground- appears you were able to achieve plenty of fine roots there. 15 seedlings with no fatalities. Impressive!

 

[19Mateo83]

Yall got me wanting to clump something. So…. We’re gonna try this with bald cypresses. Why not. I just happened to have saved some soup can lids for this exact purpose. So here we go, 10 cypress seedlings wired underneath where the disc goes. I’m using a fabric pot to hopefully encourage a good root ball when it’s ready to seperate.
Cypress root trimmed and planted.

Insert drilled soup can lid

Back fill over lid, space seedling tops out, water and wait.

 

[Oakacer]

I have a similar project with English oaks ongoing. One year in and no signs of fusion yet! (Photo from Sumer 2023).

 

[SeanS]

Slightly different variation on the same theme, 10 seedlings through a metal roofing plate. 2 years in the ground (with root work after the first year as I needed to dig it up to move it). Completely fused 10 trunk forest.
It was fused after the first year.



You can barely see the metal plate in this photo before I cut off the remaining roots under it and pried it off.

 

[TrevorLarsen]

Incredible results in so little time. I will for sure be copying you this next year.