Bob: Not quite standard technique. Usually you angle your chop
toward the back of the tree and bring up a bud or branch from the
front.
You can help a large chop scar heal faster by thread
grafting a thin branch from below through the heart of the scar.
In my climate these scars tend to heal fairly quickly whichever
way you go.
Also, if it's a pretty large scar on your chop, it helps
to carve it convex. This provides a better transition taper.
Alan Walker
http://bonsai-bci.com http://LCBSBonsai.org


-----Original Message-----
From: bob campbell
Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 2:08 PM
To:
Subject: [IBC] Avoiding 'broken top' redwoods using sacrifice
branches?

Hello:
Yet another dumb idea from the guy who thought he could
grow potensai in Fresno/Visalia unattended. (btw - I appreciate
all the good advice, someone could have sold me a lot of trees
before I figured out that it would not work)

So this idea is:
Top the tree, use a branch behind for the apex and a side
branch wired back across the trunk to hide the chop scar. Pretty
standard technique. Next, since these bud back so well, allow a
branch on the back of the tree - about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way up
to grow and grow and grow while keeping the apex pinched back.
The sacrifice should over time start to form a new apex and give
me even more taper. When I'm ready to show the tree I remove the
sacrifice branch. When I'm done showing the tree, I grow another
sacrifice branch and repeat.

I read this group on usenet but emails are welcome if you
prefer.
Many thanks for all the tips over the years,
bob campbell
zone 7 - nor-cal between the bay and the hills

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