Ginkgo Question

Zone 5. Frost free date is September 30.
I know very little about ginkgo, but I am babysitting one for a friend. I have it in the ground in the sun. In the spring it made one set of very large leaves, but hasn't done anything since. The new buds are there in the axils. Should I defoliate it or is it too late?
Iris

Probably too late.

Anyone-

are you supposed to defoliate a ginkgo ?
Or will it just die ?

Later.
Khaimraj

Hi Iris,

My friend, Pat, who has been growing ginkgo in the ground and potted for years, told me "to get small leaves the ginkgo must get full sun". I have had good results but the tree is the first to signal watering needs so I've put it in a location on my benches where it is in the shade late afternoon during our rare hot spell.


Khaimraj,
Since the ginkgo is deciduous it looses it's leaves in the fall but I've no experience with defoliation. Perhaps you could experiment with a few leaves to see how your ginkgo responds.

Best regards,
Norma

Hi Iris,

I defoliated mine last year, and the result was very disappointing: it just put out new leaves that were slightly smaller than the previous ones, but no extra ramification. So I don't think it's a good idea. Maybe in another climate, with different techniques of cultivation, it is worth it, but where I live (zone 8 ), no benefit.

BTW, there's a stunning video that I like to share. It's in Chinese (and it's all Greek to me, in French "c'est de l'hébreu"), but when you se what this guy does, I'm sure you'll be baffled, nonplussed, and even flabbergasted

视频: 银杏盆景制作技术

After one minute, you can spot the word "Penjing" several times.

They sure have a different vision of trees in pot than the Japanese, and Westerners, mainly influenced by the Japanese "standards".

But what this guy does, when the trees are in full leaves, is simply astounding. I guess they must have a different climate

Look at the tools he uses (and think of the price we pay for ours), the kind of soil he uses, the wound sealant, the use of wire, just to make the overall shape of the tree, and from 10'10", the kind of grafts that he does. And the fantasies he gets around 13'48" ...

Hi Iris,

For your question, check out this link: http://lakeshorebonsai.wordpress.com/category/ginkgo-biloba/

Best regards.

Hi Iris
Did you watch the ginkgo video posted by Alain K on Aug.20th? I just finished it and am in awe of what those in the film can be do with ginkgo. I pruned back one of my ginkgos earlier this summer and stuck the cuttings in the gravel around the tree and 2 of them kept their leaves right up to the freeze we had here in Olean, NY a couple of weeks ago. I've been pruning the top and upper branches of this same tree for a couple of years and have root pruned it at least twice (early spring) in the last 3 years. I thought I was taking a chance with this tree until I viewed the film. (link below)

also:
I thought Art Skolnik did a superb program last evening in Rochester. It was poetry with bonsai!

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTYxNDE5NzY4.html

Fresh news?

Robert Taylor wrote:Hi Iris
Did you watch the ginkgo video posted by Alain K on Aug.20th? I just finished it and am in awe of what those in the film can be do with ginkgo. I pruned back one of my ginkgos earlier this summer and stuck the cuttings in the gravel around the tree and 2 of them kept their leaves right up to the freeze we had here in Olean, NY a couple of weeks ago. I've been pruning the top and upper branches of this same tree for a couple of years and have root pruned it at least twice (early spring) in the last 3 years. I thought I was taking a chance with this tree until I viewed the film. (link below)

also:
I thought Art Skolnik did a superb program last evening in Rochester. It was poetry with bonsai!

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTYxNDE5NzY4.html

Gingko biloba, a very complicated specie : I cultivated a gingko for 15 years in the ground, then 15 years in pot, I sold it, too complicated .
Sorry, original translation with google

What about the implications of the sexual differentiation of my initial problem of short branches and long branches for my bonsai?

As we said above, the branches of Ginkgo are dimorphic. Long branches and short branches grow at right angles. The buds grow on short and long branches, but also on the branches, and even on the trunk, which is still a feature of the Ginkgo. Indeed, the bark of Ginkgo also has the peculiarity of having crystals of calcium oxalate which allows budding on the trunk, but also makes it very difficult healing after the size and needs to be chewed if the tree rots.

Long shoots (auxiblastes) with elongated internodes and unlimited growth are fast growing, their leaves, providing spiral are spaced.

Short lateral branches (mésoblastes), very slow growing, densely leafy (up to 10 to 15 sheets) and bear inflorescences.

In summary, if you are unlucky enough to come across a female tree, besides the smell of fruit in the fall is really putrid (release of acetylene, but only on the trees over 60 years) never prune mésoblastes, which are much pus as many male trees. By cons you can prune branches with elongated internodes without any problems.

The male trees, isolate or remove altogether mésoblastes are few. After that, you can prune auxiblastes no problem.

The defoliation don't give a good rsult, sometimes, the branches defoliated don't grow during 1 or 2 years .
On the olds trees, the branches of the base are growing better than the branches of the top, the flame style is not an accident .

Thanks for the suggestions. This spring I dug up the tree, repotted it, & gave it back to my friend. I hope he keeps it in the sun.
Iris