trunk thickening on pines

hi all
I was reading the bonsai art of kimuru book last night and in it it mentions an old technique for thickening pine trunks in certain areas ,and was wondering if anyone had given this a go and if it worked .He describes putting around 15 1.2"deep cuts into the arear in question with a sharp knife and the calusing results in a thicker trunk and from the pictures this was very effective with no signs of scaring within a year it had thickend considerably. im interested as i have pine that would benefit alot from this. but the book wasant very descriptive so i dont fully understand how to impliment the cuts i.e vertical or horizontal how closly spaces etc any advice would be welcome

thankyou

richard

The problem with reading about a potentially destructive technique in some expert's book is that they make it seem so easy (and harmless) when it isn't. Unless YOU are as expert as Kimura, these kinds of techniques should be tried first on trees you don't give a tinker's damn for. Once several of them have successfully shown that that technique works for you, then try it on the tree you like.

I agree with Jim on this.

To answer your question, "horizontal or vertical". The answer if definitely vertical.

Ed

I vaguely remember seeing something about using this technique to smooth the graft union on a pinus parv.

Hmm, that makes sense. The callous that develops would obscure it.

Thanks for that tidbit Preston. That's one I'm going to tuck away in my bag of tricks.


Ed

Actually the technique does work but in my experience it took a little longer than a year,-- but I did it a little differently, which may account for the time difference. First of all I used a dental pick and pierced the bark down to where I encountered a good deal of resistance. I did this in probably two dozen spots on one side of the trunk to resolve a reverse taper on a Scots Pine. The trunk has evened out and you cannot see where I wounded it. This kind of injury should not cause problems, all you are doing is stimulating a healing response without actually creating a good deal of real damage.

Has anyone used this or a similar technique to "grow" a certain type of bark? i.e. causing large bark plates to appear.
-PT

Colin Lewis wraps trunks in sphagnum moss to produce mature bark at a somewhat accelerated pace. See his "The Art of Bonsai Design" -- page 19 (I think).

I've seen that technique with moss done and it does work well with pines. Takes a couple of years though.

A couple is better than ten or twenty!

Has anyone ever used this technique on deciduous trees? I have an apple that could use
this kind of calousing over the graft line.

Libby

It only works "well" with trees that have rough bark. Your apple may get that bark when it is mature 15-20 years but until then . . .

bumblebee wrote:Has anyone ever used this technique on deciduous trees? I have an apple that could use
this kind of calousing over the graft line.

Libby

I have a rule of thumb. Conifers should be pierced or sliced and Deciduous trees should be struck. You can thicken a trunk on a deciduous tree by striking the side of the tree that needs to thicken with a wooden mallet or large dowel. The reason is the nature of the bark on a deciduous tree is thin and scars easily if pierced. The nature of the bark on a Conifer is crucial to the design of the tree, it is thicker and can be hopelessly damaged by striking it.

both techniques would be very benificial to my scots pine,I wonder if the two done at the same time would compliment each other i.e cuts and or pin holes then wraped in sphagnum for a year or two,might have to give it and go.

cheers

richard

richard novis wrote:both techniques would be very benificial to my scots pine,I wonder if the two done at the same time would compliment each other i.e cuts and or pin holes then wraped in sphagnum for a year or two,might have to give it and go.

cheers

richard

It is a tantilizing idea but don't try it on a good tree.

It is a tantilizing idea but don't try it on a good tree.

I have just the right tree to try on has been sitting in a corner of my garden for a couple of years mainly because of a reverse taper near to the nebari, i will name it the Guinee pig tree ! i will take some pics and measurements and will post back any results in a year or two could be interesting or not as the case may be.

cheers

richard

richard novis wrote:

It is a tantilizing idea but don't try it on a good tree.

I have just the right tree to try on has been sitting in a corner of my garden for a couple of years mainly because of a reverse taper near to the nebari, i will name it the Guinee pig tree ! i will take some pics and measurements and will post back any results in a year or two could be interesting or not as the case may be.

cheers

richard

What kind of Pine?

Pinus sylvestris, scots pine

richard novis wrote:Pinus sylvestris, scots pine

This Pine responds well to piercing, I have not tried the sphagnum wrap.

Vance Wood wrote:Actually the technique does work but in my experience it took a little longer than a year,-- but I did it a little differently, which may account for the time difference. First of all I used a dental pick and pierced the bark down to where I encountered a good deal of resistance. I did this in probably two dozen spots on one side of the trunk to resolve a reverse taper on a Scots Pine. The trunk has evened out and you cannot see where I wounded it. This kind of injury should not cause problems, all you are doing is stimulating a healing response without actually creating a good deal of real damage.

Vance,

Did you do this like a straight-in puncture wound or more of a deep scrape between the separated bark pieces?

Straight in. Dental picks are very thin and the wounds close up almost immediately.