Crepe Myrtle: Decisions

[Michael_Marinelli]

Hello friends.

I dug up this young purple crepe myrtle from a friend’s yard that they didn’t want. It’s relatively long and skinny for bonsai so I’m deciding whether or not to chop off the majority of the top. My plan is pictured below. Seem like a good idea? What would you guys do?

 

[penumbra]

Yep! That's what I would do. Be sure to leave a larger nub to allow for dieback.

 

[sorce]

That branch doesn't seem like it will be interrupted by shade from higher any time soon.
So you can keep it to utilize for trunk thickening, safer repots, sacrifice health, etc, for at least another x years.

Sorce

 

[Michael_Marinelli]

Yep! That's what I would do. Be sure to leave a larger nub to allow for dieback.

Thanks! I was unaware that crepes were prone to dieback upon cut, but I’ll look into that.

Also would there be any reason to wire this branch if it will be cut again later to add more taper?

 

[Michael_Marinelli]

That branch doesn't seem like it will be interrupted by shade from higher any time soon.
So you can keep it to utilize for trunk thickening, safer repots, sacrifice health, etc, for at least another x years.

Sorce

I’m not aiming to get the tree massive, probably something tiny I could bring to college. So I don’t need the main trunk much thicker in the short term.

Also wouldn’t keeping that big top prevent the new leader from getting any thicker?

 

[penumbra]

I wouldn't wire it. I would take advantage of the movement the cut will add to the trunk of the final product.

 

[VAFisher]

Plan looks good to me for a small tree. Hard to tell for sure but I think I see aphids in that 2nd pic. I would treat with an insecticide or manually get rid of them (depending on how you feel about such things).

 

[Michael_Marinelli]

Plan looks good to me for a small tree. Hard to tell for sure but I think I see aphids in that 2nd pic. I would treat with an insecticide or manually get rid of them (depending on how you feel about such things).

That was just the flash from my camera, lol. No aphids present on the tree

 

[VAFisher]

That was just the flash from my camera, lol. No aphids present on the tree

This is what I see:



That doesn't look like camera flash, but obviously you're the one looking at the actual tree. Just thought I would mention it.

 

[Michael_Marinelli]

This is what I see:

View attachment 380082

That doesn't look like camera flash, but obviously you're the one looking at the actual tree. Just thought I would mention it.

Thanks for pointing it out, I see what you’re looking at. It’s just white sand from digging it up earlier today. Nothing with legs

 

[Michael_Marinelli]

I have another question:

If I were to do the trunk chop soon here, would this drastically slow the thickening process of the main trunk? Or would it continue to thicken still in a larger container?

 

[VAFisher]

If you want the trunk below your planned chop to thicken, then don't chop, and let the whole thing grow. Its probably already thick enough for a mame or shohin sized tree, but that will require getting really agressive with the roots at some point to fit in a small pot. The good news is that crapes can handle a good root whacking without a problem in my experience

 

[sorce]

Also wouldn’t keeping that big top prevent the new leader from getting any thicker?

Doubt it. But I don't know them that well.

What I know, is you can keep yourself a whole lot of health there without making the future cut much bigger, which is the only real drawback to leaving it.
Worrying about how fast the keeper part grows is just impatience well disguised.

Cutting it off and not having the health for it to grow at all is more risky.

I'd bet you can create and style 2/3 of your final tree before finding that health sacrifice detrimental to design.

Sorce