Building Taper

[Bunjeh]

The good news is that all four of my yamadori hawthorns survived harvesting and potting and are now in budbreak. The bad news is that I had to lob them all off and have no real experience in building taper on large material. I dug through this site and there are some good threads. However, is there a comprehensive "building taper for dummies" out there that someone can recommend?

 

[jeremy_norbury]

This:

https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/trunks.htm

 

[Adair M]

Grow out, cut back.

Grow out, cut back a little farther out.

Grow out, cut back even farther out.

Grow out, cut back....

See where I'm going with this?

 

[JudyB]

Actually there is a decent year by year how to chapter with illustrations for Japanese Maples in the Peter Adams book. I'm sure it can be used on basically any D tree.

 

[Bunjeh]

Grow out, cut back.

Grow out, cut back a little farther out.

Grow out, cut back even farther out.

Grow out, cut back....

See where I'm going with this?

Now that is about my level of understanding. I am the Forest Gump of Bonsai! I got it.

 

[sorce]

Let it Run Forest Run!

Then chop it like Lt. Dan's Legs!

Sorce

 

[Paulpash]

Branches thicken the trunk at their point of attachment. Branches close to the soil line are important for building taper - let them grow rapidly to get a fat base.

 

[Smoke]

Branches thicken the trunk at their point of attachment. Branches close to the soil line are important for building taper - let them grow rapidly to get a fat base.

This is the most important sentence said in this thread. Frame it, memorize it to rote.