Refurbishing a Japanese Maple - the "Hedge Cutting Method"

Neli,

I don't understand where your problem is. Of course during the vegetation period there may well be parts wit too long internodes. When the leaves are off the fine tuning will start. then you just cut off the part with the long internodes.

My problem is that You told me that I should not cut to two internodes...during the 3 cuts...and I would like to know why, that is not good for my tree.
Because if I do that at the end of the year I will have better production in therms of growth...as I mentioned before 6 internodes produced in a year, all short ones as opposed to cutting the branch to 2 internodes during the drastic final cut. Which means that my branch will be developed faster.
I want to know what is wrong with that?
What am I not understanding here.

I told you what??
When cutting during the year it better to cut to last foliage pair than to the second one in case of doubt. The reason is simply that new buds will appear right where the last pair of leaves was. When the leaves are off you probably don't want that and cut back again. Had you cut back to the first internode you wold have the new growth or buds right there and keep them. This is why I cut very close. The other reason to cut very close it that I don't want the crown to grow much. After a few years one would have a crown which is just too big.

Sorry Nelie, I just don't understand what you are asking me. I honestly have no clue where your problem is.

Just for your information: the last internode is always the one closest to the trunk. You may have many pairs of foliage. So you try to place your cuts so that there is only one pair left. If you miss one pair and leave two or more you will probably loose that growth in the end. But it is not so important. With this method you get so many new shoots and buds that you will have to get rid of some anyway.

Bob, seems like the discussion has been moved [ and debated/argued ] here : https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t13460-hedge-method-by-walter-pall
I don't have much to say in either cases [not enough practical knowledge] and its seems that 0soyoung has pretty much explained it for my part and you just nailed it with your comment, but its an interesting exchange.
Personally I'm going to give it a try to both approaches on a couple of ligustrums and come back when I've seen the difference that you explained Bob.

The conversation initiated by Neli has, as mentioned above, has been given a thread of its own and can be found HERE Please feel free to assist Neli in her quest.

This immediate thread of Walter's is still live.

I do not see that my post got moved to the other thread - was it just deleted?

- bob

Bob, your post has been quoted in its entirety by Neli on the other thread and as such appears under her name. Because of that there was no need to transfer the original.

Call me a mad fool, but I've just attacked most of my acers with the hedge shears.

Very satisfying


timR

I'm planning on trying out this "Pall-arding" technique on my shohin one in the next couple of weeks.

fiona wrote:I'm planning on trying out this "Pall-arding" technique on my shohin one in the next couple of weeks.

I have prepared the trees for the experiment...Will post it soon Fiona.

fiona wrote:I'm planning on trying out this "Pall-arding" technique on my shohin one in the next couple of weeks.

"Pall-arding" Should officially be included in the IBC bonsai dictionary I like it . Do we have a bonsai dictionary here?

A Belgian 'friend' invented the term "Pallsai" to insult me. He claimed that what I am creating cannot possibly carry the honorable name 'bonsai'. I am flattered actually that a term is created with my name. I feel not insulted, but honored.
BTW: who would guess that the term "Impressionists" was invented to insult a group of painters about 120 years ago.

So it is quite alright to invent a term with my name for mutilating bonsai for a good cause.

fiona wrote:I'm planning on trying out this "Pall-arding" technique on my shohin one in the next couple of weeks.

Fiona could you translate this "trying out this Pall-arding technique " into normal english... ?

Naw. It loses its impact if you have to explain!!!!

Oh well okay then; it's a pun on "pollarding" - a traditional method of tree maintenance. And it has to be said that pollarding is a very effective method which has stood the test of centuries of practice. If "Pallarding" is as good (and I see no reason why it shouldn't be, otherwise I wouldn't be risking an expensive shohin on it), in decades to come it may just be regarded as one of those traditional methods we do without question because it actually works.

As I have said elsewhere on this forum, the shock of the new is very ephemeral thing - especially when evidence of its success and/or worth is staring you in the face.



btw Walter, the coinage of the term Pallarding was most sincerely meant as a compliment, and I am now quite flattered that you are honoured by it.

I was looking at this Japanese sight today, one of those which is run by a MASTER...Taisho en. They have trees for sale there....Crazy prices...that I can not afford.
http://taishoen.org/shopping-shoz.htm
Just guess what I found?








link
http://taishoen.org/shopping-shoz.htm
I wish someone will tell me what this is and why it is so expensive.

Walter, it looks like you have converted the Japanese... If this is not hedge method then I dont know what is.

And some more:

neli
I'm not 100% positive, but the tree you're trying to identify looks like an azalea to me.

that aside the first set of pictures seem to lack some .... lets call it "refinement"
but that could be only me looking for some "breathing" in the ramifications instead of this compact mass.

Xavier, it must be the style of the first tree. Something like chojubai maybe...That was not the point. The point is that the Japanese are using this method as well. This are very very expensive trees, done by a serious and well known Master...What I am trying to point at is that they are using it...maybe just started it now??? I dont know. But if they have started now...they are learning something from Europe too.

Neli,

The plants you posted are Trachelospermum asiaticum. The Japanese have been training them like this for years. They did not learn this from Walter Pall.

Regards,
Martin

MartinSweeney wrote:Neli,

The plants you posted are Trachelospermum asiaticum. The Japanese have been training them like this for years. They did not learn this from Walter Pall.

Regards,
Martin

Did you see the broom? What ever they are I am sure they have used a method very similar to hedge method.

The result of hedge cutting method.

You "knotty" boy Walter Darling.....Looking good! I think very soon you will convert me to this hedge method of yours.

MartinSweeney wrote:Neli,

The plants you posted are Trachelospermum asiaticum. The Japanese have been training them like this for years. They did not learn this from Walter Pall.

Regards,
Martin

He he he! I know now....  Can you omagine? I came back recently from apprenticeship in Japan, and guess where it was...Taisho en...the same place. But I did not know that before. The thing is Japanese use the hedge method on many trees...not really on trachelospermum but many more...I even came back with some start jasmine...Trachelospermum.

It works great Walter. Thanks for sharing pictures.