Thickening trunks with a razor blade

[GGB]

I am curious how many people on this site use vertical slices to widen the base of their trees. I do it to half my trees and it seems to good to be true. I haven't seen a ton of before and after photos online. Has anyone had a bad experience or permanent scarring with this method?

 

[barrosinc]

Got pics?

 

[GGB]

I will certainly post some when I get home from work today. Was researching this topic at work and failing to find much info

 

[0soyoung]

I've tried it on seedlings and was not impressed with the results. Some seedlings died, some just closed the wounds, and some maybe got thicker.

Wiring and letting the wire bite in has a much, much more dramatic effect though the stem/trunk end upwith a barberpole-like pattern - will eventually moderate, but one might address this through multiple wirings (some wrapped in the opposite direction) over the course of many seasons. It is not possible to thicken a specific part of a stem (e.g., a live hollow) this way, though.

I also remember hammering was the get-thick-quick miricle technique a few years ago. I also was not impressed by the results; in fact, the only positive response I experienced came from playing a Michael Jackson track while I was at it .

 

[GGB]

I also remember hammering was the get-thick-quick miricle technique a few years ago. I also was not impressed by the results; in fact, the only positive response I experienced came from playing a Michael Jackson track while I was at it .

haha I've heard of hammering the trunks but never gave it a second thought. Like I said I'll post pics soon (won't be home for a second) but some of the slits seemed to have widened. I didn't realize the wire "biting" the trunk was what thickened it. I thought it was just the tree's response to being bent that added girth

 

[Stickroot]

haha I've heard of hammering the trunks but never gave it a second thought. Like I said I'll post pics soon (won't be home for a second) but some of the slits seemed to have widened. I didn't realize the wire "biting" the trunk was what thickened it. I thought it was just the tree's response to being bent that added girth

Wack with cane/Bamboo, lots of masters have done it forever. I believe no one talks about it or practices it because it goes back to the Torture of trees argument.

 

[M. Frary]

I already do enough to my trees. I believe the fastest way to thick trunk is to start with a thick trunk. I'm not sure about others but it ALWAYS works for me.
Come on people.

 

[GGB]

I already do enough to my trees. I believe the fastest way to thick trunk is to start with a thick trunk. I'm not sure about others but it ALWAYS works for me.
Come on people.

I couldn't agree with you more Frary but in the event that I need to correct inverse taper I'd like to know how. Plus I'm still in the idiot stage of my studies. I've collected / purchased trees that'd be usable (by beginner standards) if they were a little bit sturdier.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Yes, you absolutely should do this. They do it in Japan, big secret, but some folks here are figuring it out. This tree is 6 years old, just slice away. Works like a charm.

I started slicing this one last year, 2014, and by this fall, it was ready to dig up. To be fair, the photos are almost 2 growing seasons apart:







Kidding. Don't do it. It's a horrible idea and doesn't work. Grow sacrifice branches to thicken trunks.

 

[Stickroot]

Yes, you absolutely should do this. They do it in Japan, big secret, but some folks here are figuring it out. This tree is 6 years old, just slice away. Works like a charm.View attachment 84997

I started slicing this one last year, 2014, and by this fall, it was ready to dig up. To be fair, the photos are almost 2 growing seasons apart:
View attachment 84999 View attachment 85000






Kidding. Don't do it. It's a horrible idea and doesn't work. Grow sacrifice branches to thicken trunks.

I love it!

 

[M. Frary]

Kidding

You had me freaking there for a second. Whew!

 

[Adair M]

April 1st already? Wow, times flies!

 

[Kodama16]

I was taught by Kathy to slice bark on my white pine. This makes the transition faster to older looking bark. That way I can blend the white pine to black pine base and make it look nicer. This takes time but never thickens the trunk just ages the bark. I've done it for about two years now. Works for me. I only do it to my white pines. I almost experiment on a japanese maple but decided not too.

 

[Smoke]

I couldn't agree with you more Frary but in the event that I need to correct inverse taper I'd like to know how. Plus I'm still in the idiot stage of my studies. I've collected / purchased trees that'd be usable (by beginner standards) if they were a little bit sturdier.

The only true correction for inverse taper is not to purchase it in the first place. If you are growing plants for bonsai with inverse taper, I would suggest looking for trees to purchase without inverse taper.

 

[GGB]

I guess common sense suggests if it were that miraculous it would be a standard

 

[0soyoung]

I guess common sense suggests if it were that miraculous it would be a standard

Or it wouldn't be 'miraculous'

 

[Eric Group]

I tried it years ago on a few trees... Results were less than exciting. T
Does leave scars, does not thicken the trunk, but gives a distressed look and can add the illusion of age a little earlier to trees like Maples that are sometime slow to bark up... Not sure the potential health risks are even worth the VERY limited rewards.. Most the uptime it does not look natural anyway...

Do not recommend it... There are no short cuts that work, just grow the tree out to thicken the trunk.

 

[Adair M]

This idea resurfaces every couple of years...

I was teaching a class at Plant City, and one of the students piped up and told everyone in the class how hammering the trunk thickened trunks, and to REALLY thicken the trunk, cut it like the OP described here. In cross hatches! I asked him how long had he been doing bonsai. Oh, he just started. I asked had he done either of those things to his trees? Oh no, he said, he was hoping I'd demonstrate how to do it in class!

Needless to say, I disappointed him by not only not demonstrating it, I also recommending that no one should!

 

[A Random User]

This idea resurfaces every couple of years...

I was teaching a class at Plant City, and one of the students piped up and told everyone in the class how hammering the trunk thickened trunks, and to REALLY thicken the trunk, cut it like the OP described here. In cross hatches! I asked him how long had he been doing bonsai. Oh, he just started. I asked had he done either of those things to his trees? Oh no, he said, he was hoping I'd demonstrate how to do it in class!

Needless to say, I disappointed him by not only not demonstrating it, I also recommending that no one should!

You party pooper!

 

[sorce]

I've done it to a ficus, but to keep a heavy bend set.
Just one slice down the outside bend.

Now, healed, it is only thicker due to regular growth.
The bend stayed.

I tried to use it to fix a little "waist" on an elm, 2 slices about 3/4 in., the entire "waist" length, and it didn't work, came through ok, but it could have went more bad then good. I got lucky!

Conclusion. .......

In line with M.Frary's advice,
If you must use a razor blade.....

The only way it will help is If you remember to cut yourself with it if you obtain a skinny trunk. Then again, with tattoos and a Mohawk, you probably do this already! Lol
(Others)Don't hate, I have 5 words in razor scar on my body!
Told you I'm an artist!

Sorce