Liquidambar no branches / top off

[Shaiamiel]

I have a very old liquidambar that stopped producing low branches. How do I get more lower branches? Can it handle topping off? I can also air layer the top if the bottom will grow new branches.

 

[TN_Jim]

@jkl had an interesting comment on this in sweetgum backbud 2010 thread
I’ve been looking all over for these, found a great spot last year on a country sloped power line connect the electric company cuts ..can not refind that illusive backroad..spongey bark white whale

 

[TN_Jim]

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/sweet-gum-and-back-budding.3724/

 

[miker]

My personal feeling: the trunkline and bark of this tree has so much characater I could not bring myself to chop it. Like someone else said, maybe threadgraft or juice it up and plant it out to induce backbudding?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Agree with @miker , that trunk is too nice to chop. A 3 year "vacation" in a grow out or training box would be my choice. I would move it to a container that holds at least 3 times the volume of the current pot. This container should be almost as shallow as current pot, you want roots to spread, not go down. Water, fertilizer, sun, grow crazy with no pruning. After tree has doubled or more it's volume of foliage, probably 2 or 3 years, prune back to the original branches, bring it back to original size. That should trigger back budding. Once the new branches have had a year or two to develop, back to a bonsai pot it should go.

Other alternative is thread grafting.