broken branch help please

william · Wed Mar 08, 2006 6:49 am

First of all Hi if your reading this,I am new to bonsai and have been given a rather lovely ( I think) zelkova tree. I have been able to care and develop the tree quite successfully but recently whilst attempting to bend a branch I managed to snap it away from the main tree,
It remains attached in part and I hope it will be able to sustain sufficient travel of nutrients to the branch through the remaining connected section.

Whilst my first thoughts were DISASTER I remember seeing some very bold and apparently destructive operations performed on some trees in order to create some rather exciting results I now wonder if this is an opportunity to get creative with the damaged area.

Now for the questions.

Will this kill my tree????????

If not

1) What should I do with regards to first aid to the damaged area this consists of a snapped and torn area where the branch joins the main tree.

2) In the longer term what options do I have with regard to working with the damaged area to create something which looks old, worn and damaged.

Thanks in anticipation of some feedback.

William

opabinia51 · Wed Mar 08, 2006 5:10 pm

For aesthetics you could use a pair of concave cutters and clip the broken area right off then seal it with some bees wax or other sealing material

Or you could use the piece as dead wood.

I don't think that this will kill your tree, branches are routinely cut and broken off of bonsai trees.

william · Wed Mar 08, 2006 5:13 pm

Thanks for that, I am thinking of leaving as is for a while and see how things develop hopefully the branch or part of it will live through this.

william · Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:35 am

william wrote:Thanks for that, I am thinking of leaving as is for a while and see how things develop hopefully the branch or part of it will live through this.

Well so far so good, I waited and some small shoots appeared on the snapped branch, as I had hoped, sufficient nutrients can still reach the broken section!

I have done some work and removed sme bark from the damaged part and intend to try and produce and old looking broken / damaged branch with some signs of new life near the main tree....fingers crossed watch this space!!!!!

opabinia51 · Tue Mar 14, 2006 1:18 pm

Ah yes, that would be known as deadwood. Bonsai sure can be a lot of fun, can't they? Have fun!

And Keep us posted as to your progress.

The Helpful Gardener · Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:13 pm

An image perhaps, sir?

HG

opabinia51 · Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:14 pm

Seconded.

william · Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:59 pm

[url=https://www.s3.exoload.com/show.php?image=/uploads/306/1142376648.jpg&title=/uploads/306/1142376648.jpg][img]https://www.s3.exoload.com/thumbnails/306/1142376648.jpg[/img][/url]

OK this may not work but try clicking on the pic.
I decided to take back the bark on a broken branch at the crown of the tree along with the first of the new shoots and await the results.
Id like to encourage some growth around the junction of the broken branch and the main treee now.
I also tried the same approach with a branch lower down and to the left which had been allowed to grow too long and skinny before I got the tree.

Trees aged around eight years and I will be repotting later this year hoping to expose some roots but reading up on this at the moment.

The Helpful Gardener · Tue Mar 14, 2006 11:18 pm

That crown breaking out was not your fault; there was an inclusion in the bark up there, probably when the primary cut was made. Bound to happen and not a bad thing really as it allows you to correct from here. I'd select a leader to restart the apex, growing it out to cevelop caliper for a few years and then keeping it to just a few internodes for a while to match it to the rest of the tree. I'd lose that branch just above the rock (a little visually cluttered), and grow out the branches at the outside of the two curves (second is just a twig, but hey give it a while). ANd see that twig right above the break? That's your new apex...

It's gonna be o.k. ...

Scott

william · Wed Mar 22, 2006 5:17 am

plenty of new growth and I am still leaving the dead / broken area to see how things develop.
a new shoot appears to be offering itself as a potential apex and I'm hoping it will develop as quickley and as well as the rest of the tree.

william · Wed Mar 22, 2006 5:22 am

lately I have noticed the development of larger leaves and the tree has always been adorned with smaller leaves, the larger leaves do not look good in proportion to the rest of the tree

Questions are:

why the sudden change in leaf size?

what can one do to keep leaf size small and in proportion to the tree?

Is there a link between root size, potting and leaf size?

Any thoughts, comments or advice will be appreciated.
William

The Helpful Gardener · Wed Mar 22, 2006 5:46 pm

Dwarfing is a function of fertility, root pruning, and watering...less of the water and fertility and more pruned roots helps keep leaves small...

HELPS is the operative word here; removal of larger leaves is a constant maintenance issue...

HG

william · Thu Mar 23, 2006 5:58 am

Thanks again for the advice,
Having read your aricles on the subject of watering recently, I have watering down to around once a week and I found soaking the pot for a few minutes was also helped by tipping the pot sideways to assist in draining much excess water from the soil and so helped to avoid overwatering, may be the pot itself was not a brilliant drainer and I will investigate further when I repot.
I have been reading up on re potting and intend to go for this in the near future, my intention is to reveal a little of the root area just around the surface of the soil to make for a more interesting and older look to my tree.
Thanks again and keep up the good work.

William

william · Sat Apr 15, 2006 6:37 pm

I see lots of folk come on here in desparation for some help and free advice, ( as I did) but it would also be nice if they would up date there posts and let the rest of us know of there success or failures.

[url=https://www.exoload.info/show.php?image=/uploads/406/1145139878.jpg&title=/uploads/406/1145139878.jpg][img]https://www.exoload.info/uploads/406/1145139878.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://www.exoload.info/show.php?image=/uploads/406/1145140163.jpg&title=/uploads/406/1145140163.jpg][img]https://www.exoload.info/uploads/406/1145140163.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://www.exoload.info/show.php?image=/uploads/406/1145140361.jpg&title=/uploads/406/1145140361.jpg][img]https://www.exoload.info/uploads/406/1145140361.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://www.exoload.info/show.php?image=/uploads/406/1145140406.jpg&title=/uploads/406/1145140406.jpg][img]https://www.exoload.info/uploads/406/1145140406.jpg[/img][/url]

as you can see the broken branch had no lasting effects, I have exposed some roots following a repot and intend to develop these further.
The light ring around the base of the tree indicates the deapth it was buried in the pot originally.
Id like to get the bark to develop and darken to blend in.......
Any Ideas out there please?

William

The Helpful Gardener · Mon Apr 24, 2006 8:06 pm

Time (and a bit of mud) will heal all wounds...

You did right to bring it up like that...

HG