Next Steps With This Gingko?

[piper]

Hello All:

New to the forum! About 7 years ago I started three Gingkos from seed. You can see from the picture I probably need to be doing something to shape/style by now. Any help is appreciated - I have minimal skills in styling. Maybe I should have posted this in a specific style forum? Thanks all for your tips!

Craig

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Welcome!



First, are you satisfied with the size of this trees trunk? If so, it would be time for a pruning (maybe not this time of year though). However, given the size of Ginkgo leaves, I'd let this tree grow for a few more years to really thicken.

 

[piper]

Welcome!



First, are you satisfied with the size of this trees trunk? If so, it would be time for a pruning (maybe not this time of year though). However, given the size of Ginkgo leaves, I'd let this tree grow for a few more years to really thicken.

Thanks for the response - question - would it thicken with more time or just grow taller with no intervention?

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Thanks for the response - question - would it thicken with more time or just grow taller with no intervention?

It would thicken without intervention, no cutting or anything. And, if possible, you could allow it to thicken faster by planting it in the ground.

 

[piper]

It would thicken without intervention, no cutting or anything. And, if possible, you could allow it to thicken faster by planting it in the ground.

Thanks RR - I will keep doing what I have been then until they get thicker. Potential move on the horizon so don't want to do in-ground yet.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Hello Piper
In spring, when the new leaf buds start to swell, just before the leaves come out. I would repot your ginkgo to a much larger pot. Perhaps a 3 gallon or 5 gallon size nursery can. Then I would let it grow in that can without any pruning, until the trunk is as thick as you want it to be for the finished bonsai.

If you want a finished tree that is 4 inches in diameter and 18 inches tall, then leave this ginkgo grow until the trunk is 4 inches in diameter. It does not matter how tall it gets, you will cut it down later. It may require letting the tree get to 8 feet tall in order to get the trunk size you want.

Once you begin applying bonsai techniques to a tree in a pot, trunk thickening becomes very slow, so the "quickest route" is to allow the trunk to thicken by letting the tree grow before you even begin.

Use the time you are waiting to aquire and start other trees. Read books, attend local bonsai society meetings, you are in Wisconsin, be sure to hit the Wisconsin State Fair, to see the bonsai exhibit. Madison WI, http://badgerbonsai.wordpress.com/ and Milwaukee both have very active bonsai clubs. http://www.milwaukeebonsai.org/inde...me will be at the shows. Hope this helps.

 

[piper]

Leo thanks for the detailed response. Very helpful! I didn't understand that thickness would improve with height and both you and the other response have explained that. I thought just opposite. I will check out the links you sent and the opportunities to see the good work being done in southeast WI! If there is one or two 'bibles' you would recommend to read/reference send those titles my way. Thanks again for the fantastic response.
Craig

 

[drew33998]

Hello All:

New to the forum! About 7 years ago I started three Gingkos from seed. You can see from the picture I probably need to be doing something to shape/style by now. Any help is appreciated - I have minimal skills in styling. Maybe I should have posted this in a specific style forum? Thanks all for your tips!

Craig

Although I am not experienced with Maidenhair growth habits, here is a good video on growing bonsai from seed by Graham Potter. If you haven't, take a look at all his videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU2gtm7vGlQ

 

[Klytus]

Cut each branch to two nodes and leave a longer stub than normal,i would have done this about a month past.

 

[piper]

Cut each branch to two nodes and leave a longer stub than normal,i would have done this about a month past.

Would you still do this now or wait until early spring?
Thanks for reply.

 

[Paulpash]

Leo thanks for the detailed response. Very helpful! I didn't understand that thickness would improve with height and both you and the other response have explained that. I thought just opposite. I will check out the links you sent and the opportunities to see the good work being done in southeast WI! If there is one or two 'bibles' you would recommend to read/reference send those titles my way. Thanks again for the fantastic response.
Craig

Understanding how plants thicken and specifically how to grow material suitable for bonsai is invaluable. I suggest you visit the link provided if you want to understand this concept better as it could save you a lot of time and effort. The person who wrote this is very well respected and grows some of the best material for bonsai in the states (Brent Walston):

http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/trunks.htm

Bookmark his site and read the numerous other articles on offer - some are species specific, others are fairly general, such as soil and watering.

 

[ptnull]

I don't have much experience, but wouldn't it grow faster if the soil was better? I mean from the pictures the soil seems to have poor drainage.

 

[Klytus]

You can cut later next year whilst leaves are forming.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I've often hear the warning that ginkgos are very slow to heal wounds and might never heal over a chop wound. Does that alter the thickening procedure? I have a ginkgo that I have been growing from seed for eight years or so and was pleasantly surprised at how the base is coming along when I repotted back into it's pond basket this past spring at the national arboretum repotting workshop.
I did notice that a wound from a rodent during the winter a few years ago did manage to roll over with some beautiful red scar tissue, which makes me doubt the oft repeated advice not to chop a ginkgo, but I was curious if any others had some input on the matter. Also, I have had no luck at inducing branching on my ginkgo.

Advice appreciated,
David

 

[Klytus]

They do seem to be obstinate,it's like they are saying they will grow from the branches they make and will by no means deign to accept outsiders motivation.

 

[amkhalid]

I've often hear the warning that ginkgos are very slow to heal wounds and might never heal over a chop wound. Does that alter the thickening procedure? I have a ginkgo that I have been growing from seed for eight years or so and was pleasantly surprised at how the base is coming along when I repotted back into it's pond basket this past spring at the national arboretum repotting workshop.
I did notice that a wound from a rodent during the winter a few years ago did manage to roll over with some beautiful red scar tissue, which makes me doubt the oft repeated advice not to chop a ginkgo, but I was curious if any others had some input on the matter. Also, I have had no luck at inducing branching on my ginkgo.

Advice appreciated,
David

Yes they do heal over scars, but it is true that it is slow. If you chopped a 10 ft ginko down to 1 ft, that scar would probably never heal over in your lifetime. However, scars from things like sacrifice branches will heal. Faster in the ground or a big pot, of course.

This ginkgo has several dime sized scars, presumably from sacrifice branches, that are completely healed over (before I got it) and other dime sized scars that have stopped callusing. I have re-wounded some of these and the callus has started creeping again.

I think ginkgos like this are made from air layers, then sacrifice branches. Not dramatic trunk chops. Also good genetics.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

That is a real beaut, thanks for posting. I think it could do with a little chunkier pot though.

Actually that is a pretty great way to show how well developed the root pad is.

 

[piper]

Understanding how plants thicken and specifically how to grow material suitable for bonsai is invaluable. I suggest you visit the link provided if you want to understand this concept better as it could save you a lot of time and effort. The person who wrote this is very well respected and grows some of the best material for bonsai in the states (Brent Walston):

http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/trunks.htm

Bookmark his site and read the numerous other articles on offer - some are species specific, others are fairly general, such as soil and watering.

Marie1uk:

Thank you for responding - I will bookmark the site and read/save the information. Nice to get the direction where the better info is located. I have seen a ton of information on the web - some of it conflicting.
Craig