Cutting bark to promote new growth?

[Scrogdor]

Hi, pretty new to bonsai. I was watching a Heron's bonsai vid, and he mentions just placing cuts in bark to promote new leaf or branch growth. Is this actually possible? I haven't seen it discussed on the forum, that or I'm not sure of the correct name for it.

 

[leatherback]

Yup, with some species making a small cut in the bark above a node reduces the sapflow (and with that, auxin levels) near that bud. This means the bud is no longer inhibited and can start growing.

 

[Divide_by_zero]

I've done that combined with rooting hormone to promote root growth and it worked well on several deciduous trees but I've never tried it to encourage budding??? But if Peter says it works, I'll trust him. He's been successfully growing very impressive trees for much longer than I've even been in the hobby.

Which direction does he make the cuts, across the direction of growth or with it? And how big a cut? Do you remember the title of the video?

 

[Divide_by_zero]

Yup, with some species making a small cut in the bark above a node reduces the sapflow (and with that, auxin levels) near that bud. This means the bud is no longer inhibited and can start growing.

Aha, that makes sense. I will have to experiment with it some, next year. Winter is coming

 

[Scrogdor]

I've done that combined with rooting hormone to promote root growth and it worked well on several deciduous trees but I've never tried it to encourage budding??? But if Peter says it works, I'll trust him. He's been successfully growing very impressive trees for much longer than I've even been in the hobby.

Which direction does he make the cuts, across the direction of growth or with it? And how big a cut? Do you remember the title of the video?

No idea which video, he mentions it for like 5 seconds. It might be a ficus video. Unsure though.

 

[Divide_by_zero]

No idea which video, he mentions it for like 5 seconds. It might be a ficus video. Unsure though.

Thanx, I'll look it up.

 

[RoadManDenDron]

I wondered if this was used in bonsai but in fruit trees it is called 'notching' you cut a 'notch' and as explained above about auxin a new branch develops.

 

[leatherback]

I wondered if this was used in bonsai

any trick that works is used
And many that dont

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Hi, pretty new to bonsai. I was watching a Heron's bonsai vid, and he mentions just placing cuts in bark to promote new leaf or branch growth. Is this actually possible? I haven't seen it discussed on the forum, that or I'm not sure of the correct name for it.

I did this with a juniper, and it worked for me... single data point. I cut a short vertical slash through old bark until I got down to the sapwood. Eventually a bud popped which turned into a branch - exactly where I needed one.

 

[Scrogdor]

I did this with a juniper, and it worked for me... single data point. I cut a short vertical slash through old bark until I got down to the sapwood. Eventually a bud popped which turned into a branch - exactly where I needed one.

Any idea if this works with Ficus Retusa?

 

[badatusernames]

Any idea if this works with Ficus Retusa?

I don't know if it was because I did it, but I've done it and got some growth as a test. I was trying to save a branch that had snapped, but later it got cut off anyways. I probably had seen the same Heron's video - it was definitely a youtube video that encouraged me to try. That doesn't mean I did it right or, like BN's post suggests, that it's any more than one data point.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Any idea if this works with Ficus Retusa?

I don't honestly know... but in my case it was going to be on the back of the trunk so I thought "why not"?

 

[cishepard]

Has anyone tried this with Bald Cypress? I have a nursery BC that I would like to air layer the top off of, but would be more comfortable if the lower trunk had some branching already started (my main interest is the lower trunk). If I could force some branches to grow, it would be great …

 

[Divide_by_zero]

Has anyone tried this with Bald Cypress? I have a nursery BC that I would like to air layer the top off of, but would be more comfortable if the lower trunk had some branching already started (my main interest is the lower trunk). If I could force some branches to grow, it would be great …

Don't know about Bald Cypress but my experience with air layers over the years would indicate that you need at least one good sized branch below the layer to feed the roots or the air layer will fail and often the lower trunk will die as well. Purely anecdotal.

Advice worth every penny you paid for it.

 

[leatherback]

Don't know about Bald Cypress but my experience with air layers over the years would indicate that you need at least one good sized branch below the layer to feed the roots or the air layer will fail and often the lower trunk will die as well.

No per se. If you have a healthy tree, the layering works fine without branches below. And indeed, the risk then exists that the roots are not strong enough to push new growth. But I find that most of the time, you will have new branches sprout below the layer fairly soon after starting the process.

 

[Shibui]

I cut a short vertical slash through old bark until I got down to the sapwood. Eventually a bud popped which turned into a branch - exactly where I needed one.

Everything I have seen indicates a horizontal cut above the desired location. A vertical cut will not do much to interrupt auxin flow but if it has worked once it may work again.

No per se. If you have a healthy tree, the layering works fine without branches below. And indeed, the risk then exists that the roots are not strong enough to push new growth. But I find that most of the time, you will have new branches sprout below the layer fairly soon after starting the process.

My experience too. Cutting to make air layer is interpreted by the tree almost the same as a trunk chop. Any tree that will produce new buds and shoots from bare wood when chopped will do the same when a layer is applied. BC are good at new shoots from old wood so I would have no problems layering a trunk with no shoots below the layer site

 

[Soup Dragon]

Hi, pretty new to bonsai. I was watching a Heron's bonsai vid, and he mentions just placing cuts in bark to promote new leaf or branch growth. Is this actually possible? I haven't seen it discussed on the forum, that or I'm not sure of the correct name for it.

I have tried it once, on a branch on a Chinese elm. I cut a vertical notch (the branch was horizontal) and after a few weeks a new shoot appeared exactly where I had made the cut. See the photo below.



This is just a single data point, on a species that will really respond to anything, so I'm not about to claim that it has a high success rate. It did work on this occasion though.

 

[Scrogdor]

I have tried it once, on a branch on a Chinese elm. I cut a vertical notch (the branch was horizontal) and after a few weeks a new shoot appeared exactly where I had made the cut. See the photo below.

View attachment 394157

This is just a single data point, on a species that will really respond to anything, so I'm not about to claim that it has a high success rate. It did work on this occasion though

Thanks for the picture, that's cool to see!