Gingko chop question/clarification

[MGTT]

I’m trying to emulate the work of @Brian Van Fleet on a Gingko I’m growing out inground (I.e., I’m going for a ‘flame’ type).

It started out as a 1-2 yr old seedling set in the ground in 2021 (spring) in Michigan’s climate.

It’s doubled its height/diameter in both years, and is now about 5.5’(1.75m) tall and 1.25”(3cm) dia at the base.

Based on discussion in other threads, I’m thinking of chopping back next year, but looking for input:
-Should I wait another year for it to grow more?
-When it’s chopped, should I still go down to 2-3”? The lowest current branches are ~10-11” from the ground.

As a side note, echoing Brian’s comments, here’s a pic of a container grown Gingko a couple of years older than the ground grown - no comparison!

 

[Cadillactaste]

You want that chop scar on the back.

Some inspiration on a chop. Notice the movement from the chop Scott Lee did on mine. Ground grew 6 years before collecting and potting up in 1015.

If you search my older posts. It has a photo of the backside when I first shared it. Of the scar.

 

[snowman04]

I will be watching this one. I have one in the ground that is doing well and I am hoping to pot it up next year.

 

[Shibui]

When it’s chopped, should I still go down to 2-3”? The lowest current branches are ~10-11” from the ground.

Ginkgo are really good at growing new shoots from the trunk. More so than maples so chopping below any branches is generally OK. If it cannot activate any dormant buds on the stump it will definitely throw some suckers from the base of the trunk and possibly even from the roots. Pretty confident you can't kill a ginkgo by pruning no matter how low you go.

Should I wait another year for it to grow more?

After the initial chop any regrowth will take off and will definitely add more thickness to the trunk so I'm always in favour of chopping earlier than later. Growth of the emerging new leaders will add almost as much thickness as the current trunk but will also start the taper and matching new trunk to old base.
Here's one I dug up this year.

Can't remember if I chopped the original trunk last winter or the one before but the new leaders have grown well since that chop.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

If you want it to fatten up, wait another year. But it is a delicate balance between a fat trunk quickly with a big scar or more taper over time, so I wouldn’t wait much more than another year to make the first chop. Some ginkgos heal scars well, and some don’t. Mine happened to heal well.

 

[Cadillactaste]

If you want it to fatten up, wait another year. But it is a delicate balance between a fat trunk quickly with a big scar or more taper over time, so I wouldn’t wait much more than another year to make the first chop. Some ginkgos heal scars well, and some don’t. Mine happened to heal well.

My Tschi-Tschi does not heal scars well at all. I always make sure to prune wisely...so thru for the most part remain hidden from view. The back of my tree...has a scar. I don't see it ever healing up in my lifetime. That said...I love what it brings to the trunkline. Well, worth the sacrifice of a scarred back view...for the fluid movement in the trunk that I love where the scar is.

 

[MGTT]

Leaves are off, so I’m zeroing in on where to cut for the first chop.
Based on @Shibui I’m really leaning towards cutting at/near the red line with a horizontal cut and seeing what happens (the risk is that it’s below any branching - fwiw, my growing conditions would be more similar to Brian’s Iowa conditions (where his tree originally was grown) than Australia, ie, we’re going into Winter, and we will definitely have a couple (or more) months zone 5/6 temps).
The ‘safe’ option would be to cut at the blue line, but that’s not really what I’m looking for in terms of design (am I trying to force the tree to my vision vs working with what I have??? I’m definitely leaning towards forcing the design, it’s young so there’s not much invested in it).

Any thoughts on digging it up and trimming roots at the same time? Or should I wait another year for root work? (It’s been in ground about 18months at this point).

Also, I’m in no rush to pot it, I’ll continue to follow Brian’s example and see what happens with years of inground growth.

 

[coachspinks]

What time of year is best to do the chop?

 

[Shibui]

I don't think there's a 'best' time to chop most trees. Chop in spring and summer for a quick result. Chop in Fall and winter is also safe but new shoots won't show until the following spring growing period.

Based on @Shibui I’m really leaning towards cutting at/near the red line with a horizontal cut and seeing what happens (the risk is that it’s below any branching - fwiw, my growing conditions would be more similar to Brian’s Iowa conditions (where his tree originally was grown) than Australia, ie, we’re going into Winter, and we will definitely have a couple (or more) months zone 5/6 temps).
The ‘safe’ option would be to cut at the blue line, but that’s not really what I’m looking for in terms of design (am I trying to force the tree to my vision vs working with what I have??? I’m definitely leaning towards forcing the design, it’s young so there’s not much invested in it).

It's a ginkgo. Despite sharing a name with a flimsy fern these are really resilient trees. Almost unkillable. I've chopped to stumps and they still shoot. Your tree is young. I can still see nodes on the trunk below red line so it will almost certainly shoot down low. Even if worst case and the trunk doesn't bud it will almost certainly shoot from the base and from the roots.
This year I have shoots growing from root cuttings so ginkgo really try to stay alive.

I have often pruned top and roots in one operation. Does not seem to worry these trees.
As they are slow to grow I left some in the grow beds around 5 years with a trunk chop after 4 years then another year of fast growth in the ground to help thicken the new leaders. They came out of the grow beds last winter and are now growing well in pots.

 

[MGTT]

Great, thank you for the info.

Yes, there are definitely nodes below the red chop line - I was hoping you would think it would sprout given that.

 

[MGTT]

So, I’ve decided to chop based on the above input.
But, the tree is starting to push - I’m thinking of waiting until the first growth hardens, but any thoughts that I should chop now?

 

[RKatzin]

I'm not sure about the chop question, but just wanted to mention that the piece you remove will likely make a good cutting. I've started pieces of ginkgo 1/2"-3/4" in a pot of pumice.

 

[MGTT]

Thanks, I didn’t think of that.

 

[Shibui]

So, I’ve decided to chop based on the above input.
But, the tree is starting to push - I’m thinking of waiting until the first growth hardens, but any thoughts that I should chop now?

It won't matter. The base will still grow new shoots either way.
Later will mean lower chances of striking cuttings though, unless you have misting or humidity control. Best success with ginkgo cuttings appears to be autumn/winter dormant cuttings unless you have specialised cutting conditions.

 

[MGTT]

Here’s post chop. I went ‘in between’ high and low cut, below existing branching but above the lowest nodes. I’m hoping to have some trunk showing before the flame branching, but we’ll see what the tree does.

I did super easy cuttings - various branches chopped and popped into the ground. The buds are continuing to open, but we’ll see if any develop roots.

 

[MGTT]

Two months on, and here’s the progress.
I have trimmed off some lower shoots, and I’m continually removing growth at ground level.
Hopefully the next few months of growth will be more significant, but I’m happy to see growth at the node I wanted.



Unfortunately it looks like all the cuttings didn’t make it. A few just died off, but the remainder recently got a visit from the local deer. They didn’t eat the leaves, but they trashed them on the way to the maples

 

[mkg]

I'm not yet a specialist but maybe you should let these ground level growth go freely for a while in order to create taper.

 

[MGTT]

I wanted to push the energy into the upper shoots, hoping that trimming lower shoots would do that - however, I don’t know that this is actually how the growth works. It seems common sense, but I don’t know that it’s factual.

Regardless, I see your point, and now that the upper growth is accelerating, it makes sense to keep some/all of the lower shots to create more ground level thickening.

 

[snowman04]

It looks like it is responding well. I would put up some wire mesh to keep the deer away for a while.