Young Sango Kaku

[MJL]

Hey - just after a bit of advice please.

I have had this for a few years and nearly chucked it out a few times - especially when I accidentally knocked what was the first branch off the tree a couple of years back.

My questions are....
- Does the sacrifice branch do anything to widen the base or it is too high now and if I leave it - it will just create an ugly scar?
- Closer to the top, that first main branch - is it too think and should I start again with one of the small branches nearby?
- Perhaps I should thread graft the sacrifice branch into the first curve so it comes out where I broke off a branch? If so - I imagine I should did it this weekend before the sacrifice starts to bud and therefore too hard to thread?

Thoughts welcome.

IMG_0479.jpeg

IMG_0480.jpeg

IMG_0482.jpeg

IMG_0481.jpeg

[shibui]

Yes, Yes, Yes and yes. I think that covers all the questions?
Sacrifice branches will thicken whatever is below. In this case the bottom few cm? will get fatter faster than the rest of the trunk. One of the down sides of sacrifice branches is the scar when they are cut off. JM do heal over but it will take some time after the branch is removed. Growing lots of branches at the top will help it heal so best to cut while you are still developing branches above. The only alternative to scarifice branches and scars is time but most of us don't want to wait all those years for a thicker trunk and extra taper. Conifers are easier because we can convert the sacrifice to dead wood and not worry about the wound.
The thick branch is nearly the same size as the trunk and it will continue to get thicker as it grows so unlikely to get better proportions as time passes. Replacing it with one of the smaller ones is a great idea. Not only are they thinner but they usually have a shorter initial internode. Remember you will not get buds on any internode sections so branching will always be well out on that branch. I now tend to grow the new branch alongside the existing strong one. The strong branch will take more resources so the replacement growing next to it will usually have shorter growth and better ramification then when the replacement is going OK take off the stronger branch - maybe 2-3 years.
You can use the sacrifice branch to try thread grafting to any useful spot. That first curve looks good if you want to keep a shorter tree.

[MJL]

Well Neil .... can’t say if my listen. and I’ve just completed my first ever thread graft! First fat branch is fine too - albeit left a stub in case of die back. I think o got the angles about right too. Was I supposed to strip any of the bark on the branch that runs through the trunk? To help fuse the two together - I didn’t but easy enough to remove putty and carefully make a few nicks if needed.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[terryb]

Well done on the thread graft. I haven't tried one myself yet but an observation if I may. Is that how long you want the internode on the first branch? If you slide it back a bit (if possible) then you can get the first node of that branch much closer to the trunk, which will give you more choices down the track, especially if you want a smaller tree.

[Matt S]

That's a good job all round. When I've done thread grafts I didn't scrape the donor branch, they quickly thicken and fuse with the trunk without any problems. I've found thread grafts to be cleaner and more successful than approach grafts, but they're more fiddly to do initially.

[MJL]

Thanks Terry and Matt.
Good to know I don't need to strip the feeder branch Matt.
Terry good idea and will be easy to do. That said it is only 1 cm from the trunk now so so I can bring it back but at the same time I probably don't want ti right at the junction - I'll look at some reference pictures and check. Thanks for the idea - appreciated - having done it, I want to do it right. On that note - the top twig will come off too - the internode on that sprout is way to long but I'll let some buds that are emerging develop first.

[shibui]

It is not necessary to strip bark from a thread graft. Stripping bark does speed up the graft but taking bark off really thin twigs can kill them so best to take the longer, safe way.
Not every thread graft is successful. Occasionally I have had them graft on the opposite side rather than where I want the join so if this one fails that's just part of the experience.
1cm from the trunk should be ideal for the first node. Given the next one is a further 3 cm away it is likely you will need to cut back similar to the opposite thick branch at some stage. That process makes better looking branches than wiring
I guess the trunk is only about 1 cm thick so there is a lot of growing to do before this one will be show ready. Anything could happen while that growing occurs.

[terryb]

That said it is only 1 cm from the trunk

Excellent. Fooled by the perspective