Query regarding technique to thicken a branch from Peter Tea

[Bananaman]

Why does not everyone involved and really into this thread start a like thread on a specific species. Bill V. Is talking about trunks and evergreens and removing branches for smaller scars, Adair it talking about pines. There’s tridents mentioned in this thread, hack berries with pics and all of these should be handled differently. There is so much going on and lots of confusion.

Just sayin.

 

[Lazylightningny]

Hi All,

I'm reading through old blog posts on Peter Tea's website. He makes a statement that if you want to thicken a branch you need to cut off all the side branches and leave just one main runner. I always thought that the best way to thicken a branch was to increase the foliar mass, which would involve leaving multiple side branches. Can anyone clarify?

Here is the link for reference: https://peterteabonsai.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/the-trident-maple/

Lars

I read this blog piece years ago and just re-read it. It makes more sense now to me.

 

[mrcasey]

Just for the sake of argument, how much benefit do I get from pruning off those secondary branches on, say, a jbp sacrifice?
Do I get an extra 1/8" per growing season? 1/4"?

 

[0soyoung]

Just for the sake of argument, how much benefit do I get from pruning off those secondary branches on, say, a jbp sacrifice?
Do I get an extra 1/8" per growing season? 1/4"?

You presume anybody here actually measures something.

 

[Adair M]

Just for the sake of argument, how much benefit do I get from pruning off those secondary branches on, say, a jbp sacrifice?
Do I get an extra 1/8" per growing season? 1/4"?

It depends.

 

[mrcasey]

Frankly, Adair, I believe that you're being a little cheeky. You know what I'm getting at.

 

[Adair M]

Frankly, Adair, I believe that you're being a little cheeky. You know what I'm getting at.

How can anyone answer that? So much depends on where you live, what species you’re growing, how much are you fertilizing, how much water, how much sun, what’s the soil like, how’s the weather? In the ground or in a pot? Are you growing something that does well in your zone or are you having to compensate because it’s out of zone?

Some years, you get more growth than others. Why? Who knows!!!

You’re asking a question that it’s impossible to give a precise answer.

 

[Deleted member 21616]

Just for the sake of argument, how much benefit do I get from pruning off those secondary branches on, say, a jbp sacrifice?
Do I get an extra 1/8" per growing season? 1/4"?

It depends.

Frankly, Adair, I believe that you're being a little cheeky. You know what I'm getting at.

. . .You’re asking a question that it’s impossible to give a precise answer.

@Adair M I don't think that @mrcasey was literally asking the question that his words read out. His question was sardonic, I think.

By referring to 1/8" and 1/4" measurements, I think @mrcasey was simply pointing to the fact that the benefit (if any?) of one practice as opposed to another would be quite small. He starts his questions with "how much benefit".

This is a point I had expressed elsewhere:

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/m...mmer-work-on-maples.34143/page-10#post-571561

If following one practice as opposed to another yielded overwhelmingly and consistently better results across the board, this wouldn't even be a topic for discussion. The benefits would be obvious to everyone, and easily demonstrable. However, it turns out that the benefits, if any at all, are dependent on species, cultivar, and environment, among other things (as @Adair M pointed out). In any case, the differences appear to be minimal.

It's also questionable--or rather situation-specific and subjective--whether doing things the 'fastest way', or the way that will get you the 'most' of whatever it is in the shortest period of time, is always desirable.

 

[Anthony]

Images are proof

 

[leatherback]

Images are proof

mwa. Only if you grow a hundred of a species under specific conditions. Then you know for that species, under those conditions. Replicate that for multiple conditions and species and maybe you get a generic truth. More likely, the results will become:

It depends.

 

[Adair M]

@Adair M I don't think that @mrcasey was literally asking the question that his words read out. His question was sardonic, I think.

By referring to 1/8" and 1/4" measurements, I think @mrcasey was simply pointing to the fact that the benefit (if any?) of one practice as opposed to another would be quite small. He starts his questions with "how much benefit".

This is a point I had expressed elsewhere:

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/m...mmer-work-on-maples.34143/page-10#post-571561

If following one practice as opposed to another yielded overwhelmingly and consistently better results across the board, this wouldn't even be a topic for discussion. The benefits would be obvious to everyone, and easily demonstrable. However, it turns out that the benefits, if any at all, are dependent on species, cultivar, and environment, among other things (as @Adair M pointed out). In any case, the differences appear to be minimal.

It's also questionable--or rather situation-specific and subjective--whether doing things the 'fastest way', or the way that will get you the 'most' of whatever it is in the shortest period of time, is always desirable.

And, it’s true, I was bring a bit cheeky.

I am the one who started the whole “it depends” thing.

 

[mrcasey]

Yeah - I was being kind of a wise ass. I got into some rot gut vodka last night and decided this thread needed some of
my wit and charm. Sorry about that. Anyway, this is a great thread. Very informative.

 

[Adair M]

Yeah - I was being kind of a wise ass. I got into some rot gut vodka last night and decided this thread needed some of
my wit and charm. Sorry about that. Anyway, this is a great thread. Very informative.

Life’s too short to waste it on rot gut vodka. I use vintage Bordeaux when I’m in the mood to rant on this site!

Lol!!!

 

[leatherback]

Life’s too short to waste it on rot gut vodka. I use vintage Bordeaux when I’m in the mood to rant on this site!

Me thinks I should go and visit Adair and do a ranting session with him. Hes got style he does!

 

[Adair M]

Me thinks I should go and visit Adair and do a ranting session with him. Hes got style he does!

Lol!!!

Unfortunately, I tend to piss people off when I tell them what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear.

I have nearly 50 years of experience of messing with little trees as a hobby. Finally figured out a few things. Stuff that works. Stuff that doesn’t.

What gets me riled up is when I see folks advocating “Stuff that doesn’t” like it’s brand new info! Or advocating “new experimental stuff” when we have a long history of “stuff that works” being rejected. No reason to have to reinvent the wheel. Just learn to turn it well.

<morning rant over. No wine involved! >

 

[Anthony]

Getting old Sifu.
Have some white tea and come take a sit in the hammock.
Rest your falsies in this cup.
Aaaannntttthhooonnnyyy

*just found shrub number 30 something - something new

 

[leatherback]

when I tell them what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear.

Universal problem with the fakebook crowd and all the other internet airballoons. You cannot be critical of anything or anyone or you are straight away put away as rude or unfriendly.

 

[Adair M]

Getting old Sifu.
Have some white tea and come take a sit in the hammock.
Rest your falsies in this cup.
Aaaannntttthhooonnnyyy

*just found shrub number 30 something - something new

I don’t even know what white Tea is! Water?

Hell, my doctor just told me to go on the Mediterranean diet. I can’t even spell Mediterranean! (I get kinda close and let spell check have it!)

Which reminds me, how are you supposed to pronounce “Caribbean”? Did I even spell that right?

Geez it sucks getting old!

I like this, though:

 

[Anthony]

Good Taste Sifu !

Enya forever.

Kuuh - rib - be - annhh, with a pompous, snobby. upper class English accent.

I live on high vegetable diet -------- with ------- MEAT
and cassava or eddoes or basmatti rice or potatoes.

Have a glass of oster-ized, tomatoes, green peppers, West Indian cherries [ high vit c],
mango, papaya, guava [ high minerals] and beet on me.

White tea is the highest form of tea, you can get, no tannin or other
yuckies in the black teas.
Respectfully
Anthony ------- Lord of the Guy Wires

 

[Lazylightningny]

Good Taste Sifu !

Enya forever.

Kuuh - rib - be - annhh, with a pompous, snobby. upper class English accent.

I live on high vegetable diet -------- with ------- MEAT
and cassava or eddoes or basmatti rice or potatoes.

Have a glass of oster-ized, tomatoes, green peppers, West Indian cherries [ high vit c],
mango, papaya, guava [ high minerals] and beet on me.

White tea is the highest form of tea, you can get, no tannin or other
yuckies in the black teas.
Respectfully
Anthony ------- Lord of the Guy Wires

Is it Kuuh - RIB -be - annhh, or Kuuh - rib - BE - annhh?
Still with the British stiff upper lip, of course.