Craig: No, the thread grafted branch in the scar makes a good
back branch at a place where one is not going to grow naturally.
Alan Walker
http://bonsai-bci.com http://LCBSBonsai.org

-----Original Message-----
On Jul 12, 2005, at 9:09 PM, Alan Walker wrote:
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.

From: Craig Cowing ]
I have a wild collected crabapple tree which fortunately
developed two
new leaders right at the top edge of the cut where I wanted them.
The
front one is the new leader, and I pruned it back this spring to
grow
out again. I have the rear one growing unencumbered to help the
scar
heal over more quickly. That will be the sacrifice leader which I
will probably cut back next spring, depending on how much more
healing I get at the cut. It's progressing pretty well.

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.

If you did this, would the thread graft come up in the middle of
the
scar? I assume this would be a sacrifice, which you would have to
leave
in place until the wood that "puddled" around the opening met up
with
the growing edge of the new wood around the perimeter of the cut.
Am I getting this right?
Craig Cowing
NY
Zone 5b/6a Sunset 37

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

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