rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Hey Man,
I am obviously much newer at this than you and definitely much...much...much newer than Walter . I have been looking through Zach Smiths website, and I do not see a huge degree of difference between his material and the Hornbeams in Chicago (besides the noticeably larger surface roots). They all look like chopped stumps that still have many years ahead of them. What exactly is it that you look for in trunk chopped deciduous Yamadori since you are essentially building from scratch?
Thanks for any/all info!
PS Alvaro's material is on a whole other level, it's very obvious to see the difference there.
"What exactly is it that you look for in trunk chopped deciduous Yamadori since you are essentially building from scratch?"
To answer this specifically, you look for finer, evenly distributed surface roots (not one or two HUGE roots that shoot off to one side or another or are the only roots visible.) You look for a trunk that can have some taper forced into it with a chop -- either through an extension apex, or through multiple apices, as is shown in stickroot's photo. Big trunk chops on Carolina hornbeam are problematic, as the bigger the trunk, the slower the healing. A multi-stem apex can offer a solution to that dilemma.
Additionally, you ideally want a trunk that has some "real" age to it--mature bark, "muscled up" trunk butressing--ridges etc. Trunks that have immature bark, no significant diameter aren't worth collecting or paying for. .