trident top snapped off

[jimlau]

the top of this trident snapped off, shown by the arrows. as shown there are no branches now above the highlighted area, there are only lateral branches which eventually do go upwards.

i was going to thread or approach graft a new leader. will the cambium layer stay active, even tho there are no branches above the shown area? the area is quite scarred, but there seems to still be room for possible grafting.

 

[lordy]

Not sure about the cambium and grafting, but I think I saw another thread about twisting all the branches up top to create an apex. Maybe you can try that and let us know how it works.

 

[Poink88]

Please post a pic of the entire tree..sometimes, we get too focused on changing/saving something when it is not necessary (it actually is better to remove some times). Not saying it is the case here but it is possible to have better alternatives than jumping thought those hoops.

 

[GrimLore]

Yes a good picture of the whole tree, perhaps 3 or 4. It "could" be it will work out better and often does when you have an accident take place.

Grimmy

 

[jimlau]

this is likely from the front view. note the only branch near the middle is the shoot pointed at.


the other picture shows a big gap in the apex.

I have 2 shoots growing to possibly be used for a graft.

 

[jk_lewis]

You won't be able to recreate the same tree, anyway. It appears to me there's enough good trunk left that a simple(!) redesign of the tree would be the quicker and more certain way to go than a rather iffy graft.

 

[Smoke]

There is some really fugly areas going on in the top of that tree, as well as really bad scarred branches. Given any thought to just starting over next spring?

Also, I did not read what happened to the branches, why are they gone?

 

[jimlau]

yeah, I acquired it late last year with the scars. was hoping they would heal.

as long as the cambium is alive on the top, I don't see why I can't thread graft a new top. did it on an elm, tho the cambium layer was definitely strong on it.

so, may try the graft. if it fails, I can start over.

thanks.

 

[Paradox]

. Given any thought to just starting over next spring?

Do you mean chop below that "T" branch and start a new apex?

 

[Cadillactaste]

I can't say that I am a wise one to bonsai...but I have seen where ones have taken mishaps to their trees...and stepped back...regrouped...and let their tree show them what it's capable of doing...and honestly...the mishap has taken it to a better place than before! Before grafting a tree that at some point had a mishap...study it with a new eyes so to speak. See if it could be taken into something far grander than you first envisioned for it. Good luck to you...