Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Ferral cats will take care of that problem. I had rabbits eat all of my Hornbeams down to the stump a number of years ago. Then along came the cats, from where I cannot say, but the rabbits disappeared.
What the...???
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Ferral cats will take care of that problem. I had rabbits eat all of my Hornbeams down to the stump a number of years ago. Then along came the cats, from where I cannot say, but the rabbits disappeared.
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Deer cannot bite clean like that. They only have "grinding" teeth in the rear of the jaw. Most certainly Rabbits as Squirrels have a tendency to chew around the base eating the soft bark. I used to leave out Timothy hay at our old house and they left the plants alone.
Grimmy
Grimmy
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Well thank you for praise concerning my solution to the 36" high rabbit damage. However; being it better to have people think I am pretty sharp as opposed to general consensus that I can no longer find my back side with both hands, I have to tell you that I have seen what I have related. The Hornbeams I had decimated, were attacked from above through the snow, a good foot above the trees that I had been shoveling snow upon. The rabbits seem to have the ability to sniff out those kinds of food sources and the determination to do what is necessary to get to them; in this case bonsai trees.
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Sometimes deterrents like Timothy hay will only work to the point where desperation sets in. When that happens only a screened defense will prove to be significant and the conditions this year have proven to be extreme and the animals have to be in a state of desperation. As things are here this morning I was thinking I might get out and look at some trees but that's not going to be the case. We now have an additional two inches of snow on the ground and another five to seven on the way by the end of the day.
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jk_lewis
Masterpiece
Before you all start taking it out on hapless warm-blooded animals, look up "twig girdlers" -- http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=1235222
I've had them. They are very perplexing.
I've had them. They are very perplexing.
Poink88
Imperial Masterpiece
lordy
Omono
Thanks for the link Jim. I was not familiar with those twig girdlers before now. In reviewing the damage shown in the link, I think the damage to my trees is all different from the girdler damage, but similar in nature to each other: the cuts are all the way through, all cleanly cut, and all at an angle as if the culprit was coming at the twig from an angle, not head on or perpendicular. I'm leaning heavily towards the bad wabbit. Stuff on my benches would be fine. Stuff in my grow beds may need a fence of mesh around each.
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GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Definitely the work of bonsai tools or the teeth of a rabbit or beaver. The beaver would not have stopped with the twigs. There is absolutely no question in my mind we are looking at Rabbit damage. The little round turds is a clue------
I vote rabbit.
That said, I think the rabbit did you a favor on the trident. You need to trim those branches back even farther. There's no taper to them.
The way to develop trident branches is to let them grow out, then cut back hard. Repeat. Repeat. 3 or 4 times a season, for 3 to 4 years. To develop taper. THEN, start work on ramification.
That said, I think the rabbit did you a favor on the trident. You need to trim those branches back even farther. There's no taper to them.
The way to develop trident branches is to let them grow out, then cut back hard. Repeat. Repeat. 3 or 4 times a season, for 3 to 4 years. To develop taper. THEN, start work on ramification.
Poink88
Imperial Masterpiece
Adair. So basically chopping back about after every 2-3 months? Trying to learn here because I thought to do the chop once a year only. Thank you.
lordy
Omono
I actually looked up rabbit poop on Bing to compare it with deer poop. Similar, but deer seem to be neater in their "distribution". That and the rabbit poop pics were exactly what I found in about 3 different places.
I really gotta have a talk with my foxhound. A measly rabbit rules the yard?? Come on, dog. Step it up.
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lordy
Omono
Thanks Adair. The trident is in the ground to get thicker. Most of the tree will be firewood soon. I was actually looking at it to dig and chop but it is due to drop about 45 degrees here in the next 24 hrs. I may try again next week.
I had very similar damage to trees I planted in the ground to grow out - I don't really have deer issues, but tons of rabbits, so I'm fairly certain that you are seeing at least some rabbit damage. I put up a chicken wire fence around part of my growing grounds that solved that issue.
Dav4
Drop Branch Murphy
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If you like, I can send my 5 month old pointer pup up your way for a week or two. I'll guarantee that rabbits in your yard will be the least of your worries if you accept
.
Dario,
Once you get your trident trunk the size and taper you want, then you start working on branches. Depending on how thick you need them determines how often you cut back. If you need a lot of girth, yes, cut back less often if you are still getting rank growth.
Here's the key: when you grow out trident limbs, you wire the new soft shoots while they still have leaves on them. Use aluminum wire. This wire will only stay on a moth to six weeks before it is removed. Once the wood lignifies, it's set. Typically, we don't wire old wood.
Let the new branch grow out until it starts to slow down, then cut it back to the first vertical pair of buds (leaves). You know how tridents alternate at each internode: horizontal then vertical, the horizontal etc? Cut back to a vertical pair. I know, I know, it sounds wrong! Then when the new twigs get to 6 or 8 inches long, cut off the downward growing twig, and wire the upward growing one down. Also putting in some side to side wiggle. This makes for an undulating branch as it builds taper. Repeat this every 6 weeks during the growing season.
Your goal is to build an undulating branch which has taper from the trunk to the tip.
It takes a decade to really do it right. Yes, it actually takes longer to develop good deciduous branches than it does pines or junipers.
You're young. Make it happen!
It's the taper and undulations that separate the masterpiece trees from the "good" trees.
Once you get your trident trunk the size and taper you want, then you start working on branches. Depending on how thick you need them determines how often you cut back. If you need a lot of girth, yes, cut back less often if you are still getting rank growth.
Here's the key: when you grow out trident limbs, you wire the new soft shoots while they still have leaves on them. Use aluminum wire. This wire will only stay on a moth to six weeks before it is removed. Once the wood lignifies, it's set. Typically, we don't wire old wood.
Let the new branch grow out until it starts to slow down, then cut it back to the first vertical pair of buds (leaves). You know how tridents alternate at each internode: horizontal then vertical, the horizontal etc? Cut back to a vertical pair. I know, I know, it sounds wrong! Then when the new twigs get to 6 or 8 inches long, cut off the downward growing twig, and wire the upward growing one down. Also putting in some side to side wiggle. This makes for an undulating branch as it builds taper. Repeat this every 6 weeks during the growing season.
Your goal is to build an undulating branch which has taper from the trunk to the tip.
It takes a decade to really do it right. Yes, it actually takes longer to develop good deciduous branches than it does pines or junipers.
You're young. Make it happen!
It's the taper and undulations that separate the masterpiece trees from the "good" trees.
fourteener
Omono
I have a landscape weeping tamarack that gets bunny trimmed every spring. They do nice work as it's a nice even cut all the way around. Snow bank+ 18 inches= nicely manicured tree. The jap maple sitting next to it gets wrapped in burlap. I find the trimming on that to be less than acceptable.
Interesting - I think in the Naka books he says to work with the downward growing branch and wire it upwards, as working with the upward growing branch will never look convincing. I could be wrong though, it's been a while since I've flipped through the books.
I don't know if Naka said to use the downward growing ones or not. I have his books, but it doesn't matter...
Yes, intuitively, we would think its better to work with the down twigs. But, that's not what happens in nature. It's the up twigs that survive, the down twigs get shaded out, and sluffed off.
So, we are just doing what nature does. Just accelerated.
Yes, intuitively, we would think its better to work with the down twigs. But, that's not what happens in nature. It's the up twigs that survive, the down twigs get shaded out, and sluffed off.
So, we are just doing what nature does. Just accelerated.
Poink88
Imperial Masterpiece
Adair,
Thanks so much!
I don't know about being young...you were running perfect until that part. LOL