trunk chop on Ume

Corrado

Mame
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have an Ume variety Matsubara that has flowered every year for me but the trunk shape was horrendous. I gave it a chop leaving about 5 inches of the stump above the soil and its about 1/2" thick. Its been about 2 weeks now and I don't see any dormant buds breaking anywhere. Did I make a mistake here? The buds that were opening at the terminal top of the trunk were opening when I did this during late April.
 

Bonsai Nut

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Ume does not, as a rule, bud back on old bark. Usually if you want new growth on old wood you have to graft it.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you may have sent your ume to the bonsai graveyard. I hope this is not the case, but odds are not in your favor :(
 

RobertB

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Keep us updated. I have one Im looking to do something similar on in the future. Might just try and air layer the top off.
 

Corrado

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Ok, I will. Reason I did this was becaseu years ago I read in a magazine about chopping fruit trees and even Ume down to stumps and then letting the suckers come up and train those as branches. So this then was BS??
 

Nybonsai12

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was it in a pot or in the ground? I think you would have had a better chance if it was in the ground and had signs of vigorous growth over the last year.
 

Corrado

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Hi, Was just reading searches on chop trunking Ume and found a guy that was successful. But his was in the ground . No, mine is in a large pot and was fed heavily the season before so it should have plenty of strength. I left about 5 inches above the soil too and can see what I call eyes on the trunk. The top had 3 buds that made branches with flowers on it. So after it flowered in march here in NY I cut it back to the last 2 buds and waited to see if any buds would show down on the trunk. I got impatient and decided to airllayer that top part using the wire technique. It swelled the trunk just below the 3 branches really thick and made nodes but no roots. So I really got mad--he he and chopped it off and am trying to root it, and the trunk I cut down to the 5 inch height. The cutting =has leafed out now for a week and may take. If it does it will be an incredible mame. What kills me is this always flowered for us .I had another one that had the perfect shape and never flowered.
 

Dav4

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Ume are quite difficult to air layer or strike cuttings, but vigorously growing ume bud back very well when heavily pruned, even in pots... but they have to be healthy, vigorous trees. It sounds like your tree had a bunch of things done to it since March, so there may not be that much energy left... time will tell.

I routinely chop in ground ume down to almost nothing every summer, and they push buds from all over the trunk and main branches. The thing is, the in ground trees usually have canes between 6 and 12' tall when they're getting chopped... there's a ton of energy there! The potted trees have less growth to cut back, and bud back less, but they still bud back when they're growing well.
 

Corrado

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Hmm, is it too late to plant it in the ground now--ha ha --just kidding. Well its been in a good sized pot (8" x 4)"and I feed my plants every watering during the season. This new growth wasn't really much as I cut it back hard .But I will keep my fingers crossed something will happen. Do you know how long it usually takes to wake up a dormant trunk bud after the chop?
 

Corrado

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OK, its been barely 3 weeks so far and we still have very cool weather here too. Leanring the hard way in the hobby is the best way.
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Got any photos? Where in the world are you?
Like Dave said, they will bud back from a hard chop.
 

Corrado

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oHi Brian, I need to update my avatar to show where Im from! I live on Long Island, New York zone 7b. Still waiting to see any buds form off the trunk. Its a half inch thick and abut 5 inches tall .I see those clam shaped eyes which I thought might be the start of any but so far nothing. Its been about 2 1/2 weeks and its still rainy cool here with nights down to the low 50s. Even my figs are not moving much. These were rooted cuttings that I bought where they had leafed out and are still in a stop mode from the shipping and repotting. The upper part that I severed had about 5 buds which are now leafed out and that base part where the cut was made was swollen from the wire and had some nodes around it. So Im thinking I might have a good chance with the cutting taking.
 

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Dav4

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I suspect your potted ume may be staying too wet. Chopped trees have little need for water until new buds start to open, and sodden soil can lead to root rot. I'd at least put it under cover when it's raining if you can and try to dry it out a bit.
 

Corrado

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Its a good draining bonsai soil I wouldn't worry about that. Theres a cotoneaster cutting that took in it and is now flowering too. I also sprouted a white bark pine seed ,so I am even feeding the pot. Not worrying about the star grass for now either. Its in full sun.
 

Brian Van Fleet

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It should grow. I have chopped this one back pretty hard and it has popped repeatedly on old wood. It may pout for a while first due to timing. But I would also highly recommend getting rid of that Irish moss. It is nasty invasive, and has a big root system.
 

Corrado

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W, that is a beauty Brian. You give me lots of encouragement. But yours was in the ground for 4 years before you did the first chop? So lots of vigor? OK, I will yank as much of it as I can out. Still no sign of buds though. By the way ,that stuff growing as ground cover and making tiny blue flowers is called Creeping Charlie. Talk about invasive, don't ever get that stuff into your lawn!!! A mulching mower will inject cuttings and spread it all over. My lawn has it heavy now. I tried herbicides -didn't work. I tried a full plug of zoysia to crowd it out and the Charlie is winning.
 
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