Ginkgo weirdness

Russell Coker Mon Mar 14, 2011 2:18 am

Hey Y'all.

There was an interesting discussion last month about Ginkgo on the "questions' forum. I had mentioned that I had repotted a friend's tree last spring. This old tree, ''chichi icho'', had pushed itself up and forward in the pot. One of the "chichi's" had grown down the trunk and into the soil. When it hit the bottom of the pot it started to push the tree out of the pot.

Anyway, to make a short story long, about 20 years ago my friend rooted some cutting from her tree. They all produced this strange "turtle back" type of growth and made clumps - this is one of them that belongs to me...

I repotted it today and found the same thing happening, these odd roots pressing against the bottom of the pot. I removed them and put it in a new pot. I wanted to show them to you. I'm going to put them in some soil and see if they grow. Who knows?

We'll see what happens.

OK then.

gregb Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:51 am

I recently acquired a ginkgo very similar to yours. I'd be curious to see whether your root cuttings take root and grow. The person I got mine from took meticulous notes about the tree and tried several times without success to root cuttings from it. Good luck ThumbsUp

gregb Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:59 am

Thought I'd show a picture of what I'm talking about...

gregb Mon Mar 14, 2011 5:10 am

gregb wrote:Thought I'd show a picture of what I'm talking about...

gregb Mon Mar 14, 2011 5:19 am

Another note is that this tree started off as a pencil thin cutting from Chikugo-en (sp) purchased in 1991. The bamboo splints are recent changes made by myself to spread the branches out and let more light in for the growing season. I'm hoping it will improve ramification rendeer

Khaimraj Seepersad Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:36 am

Russell, Greg,

how about some heights on those trees ?
Khaimraj

Guest Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:38 am

Hi Russell.
nice group planting.

roots?...maybe you could use it as ginger.hehehe.

regards,
jun

Smile

Russell Coker Mon Mar 14, 2011 12:29 pm

Greg, thanks!

Your ginkgo is beautiful, and I love that Yamaaki pot for it. It will be interesting to see if your tree does the same as mine as it grows. Those chichi roots were cut directly from the bottom of that turtle back mass, and weren't there the last time I repotted 3 years ago. I need to get a piece of rebar and straighten that main trunk.

The root I cut from my friend's tree last spring did sprout, but it was much larger than any of mine. It was almost as big as my fist.

Khaimraj, my tree is about 3 feet tall, probably too tall. It is covered almost top to bottom with leaves in the summer, and really pretty. Greg's is obviously much smaller - and much prettier!

Guest Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:03 pm

Hi Russell.

Is this a clump? Really nice clump.

I think changing the angle of the outer trees would help a bit in the design, if its possible. just my thought.

regards,
jun Smile

Russell Coker Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:20 pm

Yep, it's a clump. Started out as a single cutting, and the others came as the turtle back started to form.

Yes, I plan on doing just as you suggested. I'm also going to make some wounds near the soil level on the left side, pack some sphagnum against it and see if some new shoots sprout. If they don't I'll root some cuttings and attach them to that area.

R

Guest Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:37 pm

...Well good luck Russell. I'm sure it will turn out even nicer specially if new smaller outer trunks pops out.

regards,
jun Smile

Oliver Muscio Mon Mar 14, 2011 2:14 pm

I find exactly the same kind of tuberous roots under my gingko each time I repot it. They do push the tree up out of the pot. The first time I potted this tree, it had one long tuberous root with rootlets coming out from its entire length. I cut the root in half, retaining the top part with the tree, and replanting the bottom half of the root. It sprouted new growth (I was thinking of making a clump, but eventually selected a single shoot) Growing it the ground, I cut back this shoot several times before eventually potting it up. Because of it stayed in the ground for several years, while the first tree was in the pot, this new tree grown from the root cutting is much larger than the first. I will post pictures when I have a chance to dig them up from last fall. (The trees actually are nothing to brag about.)
Oliver

Russell Coker Mon Mar 14, 2011 2:32 pm

Hi Oliver. Thanks for the input. There isn't much ginkgo information out there, so hopefully others will add their experiences here too.

Glad to hear it worked out well for you. So what do you think of growing in the ground? I've always understood that they develop better in a pot...

Oliver Muscio Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:08 pm

I'm no expert. They grow faster in the ground, but that might not be better...
Oliver

Oliver Muscio Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:19 pm

Here are my two gingkos, from autumn of 09 (I have a picture of the larger from last autumn, but not the smaller, older one.)
The original, older tree that was potted first:

Oliver

Oliver Muscio Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:22 pm

And the second tree, grown from the root of the previous tree above (sorry about the large picture size. I guess I need to resize before uploading...)

Oliver

Randy_Davis Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:38 pm

Russell Coker wrote:Yep, it's a clump. Started out as a single cutting, and the others came as the turtle back started to form.

Yes, I plan on doing just as you suggested. I'm also going to make some wounds near the soil level on the left side, pack some sphagnum against it and see if some new shoots sprout. If they don't I'll root some cuttings and attach them to that area.

R

Russell,

I ran across this on the web when doing a little hunting about your strange root nodules. It appears that they are called a lingnotuber. Check out this link and go to page 11, it has a picture and discussion on them. I'd be inrested in your opinion on whether it matches your trees roots.

http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic211924.files/Ginkgo_Biloba_Dutch_Chapter.pdf

Randy

Oliver Muscio Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:49 pm

Randy, that's probably what they are, although they don't look exactly like those in the diagram...
Oliver

Khaimraj Seepersad Mon Mar 14, 2011 5:07 pm

Thanks Randy.
Khaimraj

Russell Coker Mon Mar 14, 2011 6:41 pm

Oliver Muscio wrote:Randy, that's probably what they are, although they don't look exactly like those in the diagram...
Oliver

Actually, mine do. I think you're right on target. Looks like an interesting article, thanks!

gregb Tue Mar 15, 2011 12:42 am

Khaimraj Seepersad wrote:Russell, Greg,

how about some heights on those trees ?
Khaimraj

Wow, this thread mushroomed quickly Exclamation

My tree is 17" tall from soil level to the tip of tallest branch; base is 3" in diameter @ soil level.

gregb Tue Mar 15, 2011 12:46 am

Russell Coker wrote:Greg, thanks!

Your ginkgo is beautiful, and I love that Yamaaki pot for it. It will be interesting to see if your tree does the same as mine as it grows. Those chichi roots were cut directly from the bottom of that turtle back mass, and weren't there the last time I repotted 3 years ago. I need to get a piece of rebar and straighten that main trunk.

The root I cut from my friend's tree last spring did sprout, but it was much larger than any of mine. It was almost as big as my fist.

Khaimraj, my tree is about 3 feet tall, probably too tall. It is covered almost top to bottom with leaves in the summer, and really pretty. Greg's is obviously much smaller - and much prettier!

Thanks for the kind words about the tree, Russell. Good eye to see the quality pot, I was told by a professional it's worth more than the tree scratch

Russell Coker Tue Mar 15, 2011 1:41 am

[quote="gregbThanks for the kind words about the tree, Russell. Good eye to see the quality pot, I was told by a professional it's worth more than the tree [/quote]

Probably so! I can spot a quality pot from a mile away. It's the curse of expensive taste, but shallow pockets.

gregb Tue Mar 15, 2011 2:45 am

Not a curse in my view Wink

Knowledge like that can get you really good deals and folks always need or want to know the value of things and pots don't die like trees can Idea

Guest Wed Aug 17, 2011 12:37 pm

Hey Russell,

I have been doing some research & came across this thread... How did the Chi Chi cuttings go?

I repotted my mentors old Ginkgo yesterday and removed a couple of smaller chi chi that we planted into his forest, the larger pair I snavelled for myself, upside down they would make great starts for shohin if I can keep them small enough in growth. First off I have to get them growing Rolling Eyes

Matt

Btw love your tree

Sponsored content

Ginkgo weirdness

Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

my ginkgo

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness

Re: Ginkgo weirdness