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For this article I will talk about chopping the trunk of an acer species. This will work for a good number of other species but some extra horticultural techniques should be used on hard to chop species.
For a maple, there are two schools of thought on how the tree should be styled. One form is the spreading oak type tree or modified broom, and the other is the largely tapered informal upright type trunk which I consider classical Japanese Style Moyogi.
Both tree are treated totally different in the way they are chopped and the aftercare. The future shape of the tree too uses a totally different set of guidelines to build a proper canopy on the tree.
The basic chop usually produces a massivly tapered moyogi type form, because the aftercare in books teaches us to create taper thru progressive chops which makes a back and forth type tapered trunk that leaves us nothing left but to put a green triangle helmet on it and call it good. A really good triangle green helmet is OK for a couple trees on your bench, but who wants thirty maples all styled the same way?
So for variety, it seems that some of the trees in ones collection will have to be trained for that more broom canopy. That is very difficult for many since they have no idea how to grow branches or how to even start. While I can tell you within the confines of this page about the two trunk types and the pratfalls that come with each, it will be up to you guys on how you produce the kind of material you wish from the stock you bought.
I can tell you this from experience, the massive taper Japanese style trunk is much easier to build for the beginner. The spreading oak style is much more difficult and requires twice as much time. The tapering trunk can have branches built while the trunk is growing, while the oak style will have to have a full canopy of primary branches before any secondary branching can be built. Secondary branches cannot be built until the successive chops on primaries are done or they will be removed as the primaries are conditioned.
So the first thing one must look at is the trunk they bought. What can be done with it, does it have buds lower on the trunk? Low buds are good no matter what, Moyogi or oak style. Keep all those you can. Let them grow but keep them in check. Keep internodes short.
SPREADING OAK STYLE
For the spreading oak style tree make sure the chop is straight across the trunk. Most of the primaries should emerge from the trunk in the same general area. Only choose the best three buds from which to grow the tree from. Do this in the fall after they have grown all year. Make sure to introduce some movement in them with wire. In the spring when the buds break, cut back the branch after 4 pair of leaves to one pair. At this point let it grow all year adding the wire after a few weeks growth. Don't worry so much about the whole branch with wire just the first 4 inches of branch. Next year it will be cut back for taper and wire is just a waste of time. All were interested in is guiding the branch into the correct direction. This part of the process can take as much as four years or more depending on growing season to accomplish.
After the primaries are set, its just a matter of secondaries, done in the exact same way, and then tertiaries built on top of the canopy.
CLASSICAL JAPANESE TAPERING MOYOGI
In this style it is much the same except it works better if the base of the tree has some movement already. The trunk emerging from the soil is pretty important for this form to look good. The trunk is chopped straight across. There is a time in which it can be cut at an angle to save time in developing the taper and that is when there is a good low bud or small branch to chop to. Taking advantage of that branch will save a season.
The reason we cut straight is because buds do not always develop at the high point of the chop and may bud lower which means that at some point you have to re cut the trunk to improve taper which just sets the trees development back and makes a larger scar.
As buds pop on the lower trunk due to chopping, good ones can be trained to become branches at this point saving lots of time.
Here are examples of each, and you can make up your mind which you wish to do....
For a maple, there are two schools of thought on how the tree should be styled. One form is the spreading oak type tree or modified broom, and the other is the largely tapered informal upright type trunk which I consider classical Japanese Style Moyogi.
Both tree are treated totally different in the way they are chopped and the aftercare. The future shape of the tree too uses a totally different set of guidelines to build a proper canopy on the tree.
The basic chop usually produces a massivly tapered moyogi type form, because the aftercare in books teaches us to create taper thru progressive chops which makes a back and forth type tapered trunk that leaves us nothing left but to put a green triangle helmet on it and call it good. A really good triangle green helmet is OK for a couple trees on your bench, but who wants thirty maples all styled the same way?
So for variety, it seems that some of the trees in ones collection will have to be trained for that more broom canopy. That is very difficult for many since they have no idea how to grow branches or how to even start. While I can tell you within the confines of this page about the two trunk types and the pratfalls that come with each, it will be up to you guys on how you produce the kind of material you wish from the stock you bought.
I can tell you this from experience, the massive taper Japanese style trunk is much easier to build for the beginner. The spreading oak style is much more difficult and requires twice as much time. The tapering trunk can have branches built while the trunk is growing, while the oak style will have to have a full canopy of primary branches before any secondary branching can be built. Secondary branches cannot be built until the successive chops on primaries are done or they will be removed as the primaries are conditioned.
So the first thing one must look at is the trunk they bought. What can be done with it, does it have buds lower on the trunk? Low buds are good no matter what, Moyogi or oak style. Keep all those you can. Let them grow but keep them in check. Keep internodes short.
SPREADING OAK STYLE
For the spreading oak style tree make sure the chop is straight across the trunk. Most of the primaries should emerge from the trunk in the same general area. Only choose the best three buds from which to grow the tree from. Do this in the fall after they have grown all year. Make sure to introduce some movement in them with wire. In the spring when the buds break, cut back the branch after 4 pair of leaves to one pair. At this point let it grow all year adding the wire after a few weeks growth. Don't worry so much about the whole branch with wire just the first 4 inches of branch. Next year it will be cut back for taper and wire is just a waste of time. All were interested in is guiding the branch into the correct direction. This part of the process can take as much as four years or more depending on growing season to accomplish.
After the primaries are set, its just a matter of secondaries, done in the exact same way, and then tertiaries built on top of the canopy.
CLASSICAL JAPANESE TAPERING MOYOGI
In this style it is much the same except it works better if the base of the tree has some movement already. The trunk emerging from the soil is pretty important for this form to look good. The trunk is chopped straight across. There is a time in which it can be cut at an angle to save time in developing the taper and that is when there is a good low bud or small branch to chop to. Taking advantage of that branch will save a season.
The reason we cut straight is because buds do not always develop at the high point of the chop and may bud lower which means that at some point you have to re cut the trunk to improve taper which just sets the trees development back and makes a larger scar.
As buds pop on the lower trunk due to chopping, good ones can be trained to become branches at this point saving lots of time.
Here are examples of each, and you can make up your mind which you wish to do....
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