Coax new branches lower on trunk

[Barzalou]

Hello everyone,

I'm exploring the idea of having more new branches showing up below existing branches. In a way, my question has to do with how to trick or coax the tree to concentrating it's efforts into growing side branches instead of the top most.

My thoughts on this is, in early spring, as energy from the tree is preparing to transfer to spring bud creation in top most branches, how about trimming back those branches to trigger a response by the tree where it will consider redirecting this energy somewhere else. This is when I would make small, not too deep, puncture holes in key spots along the trunk and then apply root hormones to the wound. In this case, this energy will be redirected to those wounds and produce new buds, leeding to eventual branches.

Any thoughts on this stategy?

Thank you

The idea or technic is inspired by this "short video" on youtube.

 

[eugenev2]

Hello everyone,

I'm exploring the idea of having more new branches showing up below existing branches. In a way, my question has to do with how to trick or coax the tree to concentrating it's efforts into growing side branches instead of the top most.

My thoughts on this is, in early spring, as energy from the tree is preparing to transfer to spring bud creation in top most branches, how about trimming back those branches to trigger a response by the tree where it will consider redirecting this energy somewhere else. This is when I would make small, not too deep, puncture holes in key spots along the trunk and then apply root hormones to the wound. In this case, this energy will be redirected to those wounds and produce new buds, leeding to eventual branches.

Any thoughts on this stategy?

Thank you

The idea or technic is inspired by this "short video" on youtube.

So there are existing techniques people use. But i would suggest narrowing down your search criteria to specific trees, as some techniques work better on some trees than other. But in general techniques that are successful for people are Grafting, harsh cutbacks on species like elms sometimes result in decent back budding. But many will tell you it's extremely hard to get buds where you want them via backbudding, hence why grafting is so popular.
I wouldn't put rooting hormone on the location though, as this will have the opposite effect and in some species that root extremely easy like chinese elms, you might even create an accidental airlayer.
And drilling holes is not needed unless you are grafting. I haven't had success with scoring myself but i've read it works, so you can give it a try if you want. But species like japanese maple you can see the distinct areas where buds will form, so grafting will be the only option at some places.
Also be careful of this guys videos, i've personally seen him do some strange things to trees. Case in point the cuts he made...nothing wrong with it, but did you notice how dirty/rusty the tool was, you never ever do operation such as this with tools such as this, you always make sure the tools are extremely clean as you do not want to introduce any unwanted nasties

 

[Barzalou]

Good point on this guy. Finding video resources on this subjest of scoring the tree is not easy to find. But thank you for your input.

 

[LuZiKui]

Hello everyone,

I'm exploring the idea of having more new branches showing up below existing branches. In a way, my question has to do with how to trick or coax the tree to concentrating it's efforts into growing side branches instead of the top most.

My thoughts on this is, in early spring, as energy from the tree is preparing to transfer to spring bud creation in top most branches, how about trimming back those branches to trigger a response by the tree where it will consider redirecting this energy somewhere else. This is when I would make small, not too deep, puncture holes in key spots along the trunk and then apply root hormones to the wound. In this case, this energy will be redirected to those wounds and produce new buds, leeding to eventual branches.

Any thoughts on this stategy?

Thank you

The idea or technic is inspired by this "short video" on youtube.

I'll echo @eugenev2 and add that back budding and lower branch development is radically different depending on the species of tree. Apical dominant trees, by nature, want to send all of their energy upwards to develop a tall tree, to access the better sunlight at the top of a forest canopy. There is no way to "rewire" a plant to grow in a different manner, you basically have to understand it's natural growing characteristics and work within those limitations.

You might add what type/s of trees you are going to be focusing on and people can probably point you in the right direction for that species. Bonsai has been practiced for a very long time and at this point I'm leery of most "hacks" or tricks that act as a shortcut. For the most part time, and consistent development are the only ways to achieve the goals that most of us desire.

 

[Barzalou]

Thank you for your input. Mine is a Siberian Elm.

 

[Gabler]

Bonsai Heirloom is rife with bad information, and I'm not just saying that because there was a recent thread about how bad it is.

Regardless, any type of elm will respond well to a hard cutback. If the tree is healthy prior to the chop, you'll see new buds all over the place. If you have a long section of lower trunk without branches but a well-developed apex, then air layer the top off of it if you don't want that growth to go to waste. Then you'll have two good trees for the price of one bad tree.

 

[nuttiest]

This is when I would make small, not too deep, puncture holes in key spots along the trunk and then apply root hormones to the wound.

It's better to stop the other hormones, the ones coming DOWN the stem stopping the bud from elongation. Nick the cambium above a bud and that will stop the growth suppression hormones coming from top of tree.

 

[M. Frary]

Thank you for your input. Mine is a Siberian Elm.

Cut it back hard in the spring.
Siberia elms will push buds out of the trunk.
Just watch for it trying to push them out right underneath existing branches. It will abandon them for the new ones.

 

[Dabbler]

My elms just feed hard and cut back hard in spring and the bud all over the place.

 

[rockm]

The branch he's working with has "died off". Trying to induce branching or new shoots with such a half-measure approach by nicking the bark is mostly ineffective. Hard pruning the branch back to living tissue--which would probably remove most of it, would be much more effective. The removal of the entire branch back to where there is green cambium will probably result in an explosion of new shoots on the remaining. That's the way elms work. All the branches on the tree in the video are too long with no close ramification near the bases, with long bare patches ending in tufts of foliage at the ends. That's a mark of mis-care and what happens when you don't hard prune and allow branches to extend too much.