Skinny Sakura...now what?

It's Kev

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I was very excited to buy a small cherry blossom tree, and then a stick arrived in the mail. It seems like there was a lot more length to it, but they did a brutal trunk chop.
Now I've got a 20cm stick (which I have no problem with) but only a 15mm thick trunk. And its just straight up with no taper at all, and I have no yard to plant it in to attempt more trunk girth.
So here's my question: what are my options with this tree?IMG_20170331_123646.jpg
 

my nellie

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Letting grow and then chop is a one-way road to follow, I think.
I would suggest that you keep any water sprouts which may germinate at the base of the trunk for the purpose of fattening/taper.
 

It's Kev

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Letting grow and then chop is a one-way road to follow, I think.
I would suggest that you keep any water sprouts which may germinate at the base of the trunk for the purpose of fattening/taper.
Like this thing? I know these trees get grafted to a different base because of the roots, so i was wondering what to do with this. Will this then serve as a sacrifice branch?531477054963147999.jpg
 

It's Kev

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Oh yeah, and it's in a nursing pot that's only half filled with soil, should i gently lift the tree and fill it up so it has more soil to grow in?
 

It's Kev

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In that case, disregard my suggestion.
How do you see the quality of current substrate.
It's new potting soil, and I give it water from my aquarium, so there is always new nutrition. I just got the tree a week ago though.
 

JudyB

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Can you plant it into a colander or grow box? Looks like you should do a repot on it and get it into good draining soil. You might want to think of doing it as a smaller tree, and develop it in that direction. You could chop it now and start that process, at the lower bud. But looks to me like it could be air layered just above the graft, and then chopped after separation. You've got some nice low buds to start with if you go that route.
 

It's Kev

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Can you plant it into a colander or grow box? Looks like you should do a repot on it and get it into good draining soil. You might want to think of doing it as a smaller tree, and develop it in that direction. You could chop it now and start that process, at the lower bud. But looks to me like it could be air layered just above the graft, and then chopped after separation. You've got some nice low buds to start with if you go that route.
I was thinking of chopping further down to just above the top bud. So the tree doesn't need a different trees roots then? Air layer and discard the bottom bit? And then its gonna have to be a shohin?
 

JudyB

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I was thinking of chopping further down to just above the top bud. So the tree doesn't need a different trees roots then? Air layer and discard the bottom bit? And then its gonna have to be a shohin?
I would air layer, and discard the bottom. Cut it down to a low bud and start the process. It doesn't "need" to be a shohin, just depends on how long you want to develop it, and if you have a way to grow it out to a larger size. That graft is always going to be a visible eyesore for a bonsai.
 

It's Kev

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I would air layer, and discard the bottom. Cut it down to a low bud and start the process. It doesn't "need" to be a shohin, just depends on how long you want to develop it, and if you have a way to grow it out to a larger size. That graft is always going to be a visible eyesore for a bonsai.
i've never air layered before, i can do some quick research and give it a try.
 

namnhi

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Has anyone airlayer a flowering cherry successfully? I have 3 that am thinking of doing this but would like to hear success story.
 

JudyB

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@MichaelS has done one in mid summer using the wire tourniquet. He was part of a conversation about this with a few others, perhaps he'll join here as well. He said the diameter was around an inch.
 

It's Kev

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Has anyone airlayer a flowering cherry successfully? I have 3 that am thinking of doing this but would like to hear success story.
I couldn't do it. The top part died off. I'm gonna stop pulling the new shoots off the bottom and see what becomes of it. Above the graft I now have a long straight piece of deadwood, and its impossible to find an ingrafted cherry blossom.
 

just.wing.it

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I couldn't do it. The top part died off. I'm gonna stop pulling the new shoots off the bottom and see what becomes of it. Above the graft I now have a long straight piece of deadwood, and its impossible to find an ingrafted cherry blossom.
Seeds are available online.
I have 10 planted this year.
Had to do a cold stratification process last year.
Fingers crossed.
 

It's Kev

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Seeds are available online.
I have 10 planted this year.
Had to do a cold stratification process last year.
Fingers crossed.
i'll do some practice air layering on some of the trees around my home until i get it right, then i'll just buy another one. i bought rose seeds earlier, but when they grew out, the weren't roses. it's some sort of creeper plant. so i don't really trust seeds ;)
 
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