advice wanted for this JBP

[baturb]

I just picked this JBP up, found it in a corner of an old nursery and got it real cheap, its about 4 1/2 foot tall at the moment, I would like to hear ideas everyone has, I am planning on layering it and getting another tree from the top but that is about it for my ideas at the moment, so fire away with ideas or virts

[bodhidharma]

G'day Baturb, look honestly, i would think of taking it off at the lowest branches and wire a new leader to create movement in the tree and then get it into the ground or large grow box and leave it there for 5 years or more. that should fatten it up nicely. Make sure it has plenty of feeding. If you want to layer it you can still wire up a new leader and plan the tree while the layer is on.

[baturb]

maybe layer it in stages to get a couple out of it, something like this perhaps

[Scott Roxburgh]

My advice would be to fertilse it like mad, let it grow and then sell the seeds to everyone!

[baturb]

there are many posts and I have read so many articles on layering, but what is the best method people on this forum are using to layer a JBP? and when should it be done?

[Asus101]

I wouldn't think its worth layering. You would only layer if there was some reason, some desirable feature you can use to form a new tree.

[Jamie]

i tend to agree with Ben on this one mate, its not a super large trunk and its rather straight, nothing really worth layering it would be just as easy to go and get a couple more than layering as pine will layer but it can take some time the quickest i have seen is six months, some say it can take a couple of years

i would chop of at the lowest branches like Bodhi said and then wrap in bike tube, heavy wire and bend and twist some great movement in, then get it in a grow box or the ground for at least 5 years!

jamie

[Jarrod]

I would strip the top of the tree back to one leader, and let it get tall, really tall, this will thicken the base of the tree. While the leader is growing start to build a tree out of the bottom two branches. Balancing energy between the leader and lower branches is the tough part, but it is possible. I would also try to get some movement into the lower section of the tree below the first two branches.

[baturb]

the top is still quite flexible, so I was thinking of layering the top and wiring in some good movement and feed it and let it grow on for a while, as for the rest Im not sure how I would go wiring the bottom, its quite thick and rigid already, and on a side note, it is hard enough to find JBP in Adelaide as it is, so no point in just chopping and throwing away what could possibly be turned into something

[Jamie]

ahh ok mate, now i understand! air layer will be good practice aswell

what i would reccomend is the wrapping and heavy bending like i said before, there are a fair few threads on it recently! on the lower section and then apply the layer

[baturb]

over the weekend I might make up a trunk bending jig and slowly start to introduce some movement, any tips on treating the trunk with anything to soften it or just go slow over time tightening it a little each week? and any advice on which way to start the movement, which direction, how far up, etc?

[Jamie]

here ya go mate, it shows what i did to bend this juni viewtopic.php?f=131&t=4857&p=55580&hili ... ted#p55580

another thing you could do is drill holes in the trunk with a 3mm drill bit, this will releive the pressure on the wood and make it more pliable. alos minimising water for a couple of days help to, basically the way that works is when a tree is constantly watered basically its veins are full of water, making them tight and hard, when you have minimal water in the trunk it will be more pliable and easier to bend as these veins will have less pressure on them.

jamie

[baturb]

still not sure how well it will bend, it is about 90mm around the bottom

[baturb]

looking at the tree a little more, maybe I could tie one of the longer lower branches down and try an approach graft and fuse the branch lower for a leader

[Bretts]

What about a Skippy Literati
viewtopic.php?f=121&t=3517