Season for top pruning mature material?

[electraus]

What time of year is best to top prune/trunk chop a deciduous tree that has already reached desired trunk girth and has an established branch that can be used as a leader? I imagine it’s not late winter/early spring because I don’t want the explosive growth that you generally look for when doing the first couple of chops.

Also curious if it would be better to do a flat chop and then carve or go straight for the bevel chop because I’m only cutting off about 4 inches of length (~3” diameter). Thanks in advance!

 

[crab apple]

I'm no expert but lots of recomendations on this site to do it right after the first flush hardens off in late spring.

 

[leatherback]

I'm no expert but lots of recomendations on this site to do it right after the first flush hardens off in late spring.

this is my typical go-to moment.

 

[Paradox]

What time of year is best to top prune/trunk chop a deciduous tree that has already reached desired trunk girth and has an established branch that can be used as a leader? I imagine it’s not late winter/early spring because I don’t want the explosive growth that you generally look for when doing the first couple of chops.

Also curious if it would be better to do a flat chop and then carve or go straight for the bevel chop because I’m only cutting off about 4 inches of length (~3” diameter). Thanks in advance!

Timing as stated above.

Make the cut straight unless you already have a branch below that you plan on using for a new leader. A straight cut will probably give more options for buds to pop that you can choose a new leader from.

 

[Shibui]

Happy to endorse the above timing though I also chop through summer as well. I also chop in winter down here.
Also agree with a flat cut unless you already have a good strong branch as new leader. Hoping a tree this size does have a potential leader because it may be getting to the size where new buds may not always grow from a bare trunk and die back can become an issue. Some species are more reliable than others.

 

[Tieball]

I chop American Elm early summer while there is plenty of warm sunny growing time before my autumn and winter.

 

[Gaitano]

As stated above there are two main times. A hard trunk chop is best when the tree is in a peak energy positive state. Keep in mind a maple will bleed in the early spring, so after spring harden is better.

1) spring prior to bud push- tree is at maximum capacity of energy storage. Massive push for new buds/new leader, but less for chop site healing. If you don’t have an available branch or bud to cut back to and need new possible options..

2) after 1st spring growth when 2nd push is starting, energy positive state, less of a push but more available energy to heal immediately. A bigger cut is better here. Good when you have options for a new leader.

A flat cut gives you options and takes into account possible dieback. Here’s a good article I printed for my notes:

https://rockymtnbonsai.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/For-Beginners-Trunk-Chopping-101-For-Deciduous-Trees.pdf

 

[electraus]

Timing as stated above.

Make the cut straight unless you already have a branch below that you plan on using for a new leader. A straight cut will probably give more options for buds to pop that you can choose a new leader from.

I do already have a branch I’m going to use as a new leader. Does the guideline stay the same in that case or should I go straight for a bevel cut?

 

[electraus]

Happy to endorse the above timing though I also chop through summer as well. I also chop in winter down here.
Also agree with a flat cut unless you already have a good strong branch as new leader. Hoping a tree this size does have a potential leader because it may be getting to the size where new buds may not always grow from a bare trunk and die back can become an issue. Some species are more reliable than others.

Yeah it already has a new leader. It’s a bald cypress. Does that change your advice at all?

 

[electraus]

As stated above there are two main times. A hard trunk chop is best when the tree is in a peak energy positive state. Keep in mind a maple will bleed in the early spring, so after spring harden is better.

1) spring prior to bud push- tree is at maximum capacity of energy storage. Massive push for new buds/new leader, but less for chop site healing. If you don’t have an available branch or bud to cut back to and need new possible options..

2) after 1st spring growth when 2nd push is starting, energy positive state, less of a push but more available energy to heal immediately. A bigger cut is better here. Good when you have options for a new leader.

A flat cut gives you options and takes into account possible dieback. Here’s a good article I printed for my notes:

https://rockymtnbonsai.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/For-Beginners-Trunk-Chopping-101-For-Deciduous-Trees.pdf

Ah, thank you. I appreciate this!

 

[BobbyLane]

The information seems a bit vague, does it have an established leader and nothing else below or does it have a leader and lower branches. Either way, ive done chops to a leader at various times. This one on a Beech was done in late January https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/european-copper-beech.27350/
but ive also chopped back to leaders in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, but usually if im chopping to a leader there's often other branches, buds or nodes on the tree. Especially if chopping in Winter. and come spring the trees just bud out as normal.

 

[BobbyLane]

chopped to a leader in early Nov
https://flic.kr/p/2hFsizj https://flic.kr/p/2hFuXp1
After

Frankenbeam

Folks, I bring to you my latest creation, FRANKENBEAM!!!!

www.bonsainut.com

 

[electraus]

The information seems a bit vague, does it have an established leader and nothing else below or does it have a leader and lower branches. Either way, ive done chops to a leader at various times. This one on a Beech was done in late January https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/european-copper-beech.27350/
but ive also chopped back to leaders in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, but usually if im chopping to a leader there's often other branches, buds or nodes on the tree. Especially if chopping in Winter. and come spring the trees just bud out as normal.

Sorry for the unclear info. There are no other branches below the established leader. It’s a bald cypress.

 

[BobbyLane]

Sorry for the unclear info. There are no other branches below the established leader. It’s a bald cypress.

Ok well for me, Id probably wait until spring, my only reason being, for me its pretty boring to just look at a tree with one leader and nothing else all winter until it wakes up!

 

[Drcuisine]

chopping a BC gives a certain look. IMO they never look natural after a chop. Kind of true for elongating trees in general. Nothing wrong with chop-observe-learn.
In regards to timing I think most people prefer the tree to be in an energy positive state which is best after first flush with hardened leaves and still plenty of time for the tree to recover. Some trees do not heal big cuts. I don't make big cuts on BC so I don't know if they heal over big scars. Leaving deadwood also seems popular of these trees. Personally I have a slight preference for Taxodium mucronatum.

 

[BobbyLane]

Not really clued up on BC, the initial question was about deciduous. Anyway, funny enough this old BC video just showed up on my YT feed, I love to hear Athur joura's take on things.

 

[Paradox]

I do already have a branch I’m going to use as a new leader. Does the guideline stay the same in that case or should I go straight for a bevel cut?

Id say yes if you have a branch you want to make the new leader, you can do an angled cut instead of a straight cut to start the healing of that area while the new leader grows

 

[vp999]

Walter Pall always say that you can cut back/remove anything above the roots anytime of the year, there's no need to wait, its the roots removal/trim back that is time sensitive.

 

[Shibui]

Yeah it already has a new leader. It’s a bald cypress. Does that change your advice at all?

I think advice is the same. Where you cut back to a strong new leader go straight for an angle cut. Species does not matter much.
With such a large cut I assume there's still lots of growing and branch development so timing is much less important. If growth following an early chop is too long just prune it off and start again later in summer but the spring growth will have already started callus around the wound.