Merriggioli “mighty trunk” - confused

[dbonsaiw]

One of the maple trunk formation techniques discussed by Merriggioli is the “might trunk”. I’ve attached the first page of the section of his book that discusses this technique. It involves making a low angled cut “down almost to the level of the foot”. I am not sure exactly how this is intended to work as the cut is so low that total dieback is expected by me (there’s nothing feeding the tree on one side). That has also been my experience in trying this technique (see attached pic). Any guidance on how to perform this type of chop without loss of one side of the tree is greatly appreciated. If I chop higher (as he alternatively suggests) I do not get buds low enough to perform this cut either.

So how does one grow a base that looks like a potato with nebari?

 

[rockm]

One of the maple trunk formation techniques discussed by Merriggioli is the “might trunk”. I’ve attached the first page of the section of his book that discusses this technique. It involves making a low angled cut “down almost to the level of the foot”. I am not sure exactly how this is intended to work as the cut is so low that total dieback is expected by me (there’s nothing feeding the tree on one side). That has also been my experience in trying this technique (see attached pic). Any guidance on how to perform this type of chop without loss of one side of the tree is greatly appreciated. If I chop higher (as he alternatively suggests) I do not get buds low enough to perform this cut either.

So how does one grow a base that looks like a potato with nebari?

This is otherwise known as as a “sumo” trunk. There are endless discussions on that topic if search on “sumo trunk”

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Perhaps it works better with the tridents over palmatums?

 

[bwaynef]

Also, that section and the pictures are very faithful reproductions from a similar section of Peter Adam's _Bonsai with Japanese Maples_.

 

[Shibui]

I am not sure exactly how this is intended to work as the cut is so low that total dieback is expected by me (there’s nothing feeding the tree on one side). That has also been my experience in trying this technique (see attached pic).

This is my experience also. I now reduce strong trunks slowly over several years while allowing the new leader to gain strength and for sap to reroute from roots to the new leader before making the final chop.

Many authors seem to quote previous work without fully testing the theory. In this case, Merriggioli seems to be directly quoting Adams as a respected source. We don't know whether Adams was just quoting another source or had proved the theory in practice, and, if so, what success rate he had.

 

[dbonsaiw]

I came across this video on Youtube. It's shows a multi-year development of what seems to be kind of a clump to sumo approach. Pretty cool.