Three Little Bits of Green

[0soyoung]

This is what is left of a 9-10 foot tall Sekkan Sugi Cryptomeria that I chopped down to about 2.5 feet about a week ago. There are only the 3 little bits of green, one on each of 3 separate stems/trunks. The roots have been left in the ground, undisturbed.

What do you suppose will happen from here?

 

[Smoke]

Being in Washington state it will grow like a bitch. In Fresno it would puke out when it hits 95 degrees.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Excellent question. Hope would be for some more very low sprouts.

 

[MichaelS]

This is what is left of a 9-10 foot tall Sekkan Sugi Cryptomeria that I chopped down to about 2.5 feet about a week ago. There are only the 3 little bits of green, one on each of 3 separate stems/trunks. The roots have been left in the ground, undisturbed.

What do you suppose will happen from here?

View attachment 144668

It will die of course.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Because you started with big tall material, meaning lots of vigor, and you left the roots undisturbed, it will likely explode with buds everywhere.

If you had dug it up, reduced the roots by 90% and then chopped, it would likely die first hot summer day.

Condition of the tree before you do any technique, is critical.

 

[Victorim]

Any popping going on yet?

 

[0soyoung]

Any popping going on yet?

Nope.

But yesterday was only the third day this year with a high temperature above 70F.

 

[Victorim]

Nope.

But yesterday was only the third day this year with a high temperature above 70F.

Been another four weeks ish.. any news?

My mushroom crypto is responding well to foliage cutbacks, but not back budding to the older wood yet. Will look at a full chop if this goes well for you.

 

[Paulpash]

Dead is my call - killed a few cryptomeria branches by reducing them by half in the past, probably double the foliage mass you have in your entire tree. Why did you whack the **** out of it in one go?

 

[Paulpash]

Been another four weeks ish.. any news?

My mushroom crypto is responding well to foliage cutbacks, but not back budding to the older wood yet. Will look at a full chop if this goes well for you.

Cryptomeria will crotch bud at strong branches but never had it bud on the main trunk.

 

[0soyoung]

Dead is my call - killed a few cryptomeria branches by reducing them by half in the past, probably double the foliage mass you have in your entire tree. Why did you whack the **** out of it in one go?

This tree had become entirely too large for its place in our yard. Most of the foliage was well more than 3 feet above the ground. My wife and I discussed how much I 'need' another tree for bonsai versus our impatience to eliminate the claustrophobic feeling it was giving us, blocking a window.

So, with the claustrophobia addressed, I can now wait until next year to dig it out - the question is only whether it goes directly to the compost bin or to into a pot of Turface next. I've read that cryptos can be chopped like a deciduous tree. I suspect it is BS (i.e., that you are right), but it is an opportunity to find out. Taxodium distichum is also a conifer - it indeed can be chopped like this. I enjoy just finding things out whenever there is an opportunity - that is why I did it.


Little bits of green are still green, but there still are no new bits of green.

 

[_#1_]

Cryptomeria will crotch bud at strong branches but never had it bud on the main trunk.

My Crypto "gyokuryu" is budding on just about all the old branch crotches. Cluster buds too. And here it looks like 4 buds coming from the trunk. Maybe because it's still young at only a little under 3 ft tall.


And here it's in between two old branches. And one from a surface root too. Upper right are the two buds from the first pic. Maybe mines dying and throwing out all it's energy whichever way it can. Who knows.

 

[Victorim]

Any progress @0soyoung ?

 

[0soyoung]

Nope.

The little bits have new light green tips (weakly second flushing), but there still are no more bits.

 

[Victorim]

mine was responding well to cut backs so I went hard ( i mean hard) about 3 weeks ago. got 2 back buds on the trunk extending now so more ammo to the spring lop plan. different cultivar though mines a "mushroom"

 

[0soyoung]

Mine is/was a 'Sekkan sugi', I do believe.

 

[Victorim]

What do you reckon? great trunk just need to get the life down. (edit- tomato can is for size)

 

[0soyoung]

Normally, I would think you could have a leisurely time developing a very nice tree just in the process of working the foliage down; but it looks like the process is going so quickly for you that you'll need to stop and think about the design.

You've got nice movement in the trunks and lots of variety in their thicknesses. You'll make a great tree of it, right?

 

[Victorim]

Normally, I would think you could have a leisurely time developing a very nice tree just in the process of working the foliage down; but it looks like the process is going so quickly for you that you'll need to stop and think about the design.

You've got nice movement in the trunks and lots of variety in their thicknesses. You'll make a great tree of it, right?

Have been mulling these words for a few days, and may be I'm still missing your meaning.. once I get the foliage down I think I can start on the design. A lot will go and the plan is just to see where the tree wants to go rather than a fixed work too. I hope I can make a great tree of it the bones to me are worthy of it.

 

[0soyoung]

Have been mulling these words for a few days, and may be I'm still missing your meaning...

I really don't think you're missing a thing.