A neighbor friend of mine let me dig up a unique tree from her back yard.
.. I believe it is an American Ash. As of now the tree is too tall, it has a 1 inch trunk. The part I wish to keep is app 20 inches up the trunk.

Is it possible to shorten the tree by using the tourniquet method over the years. Trim the roots next spring, get larger pot, place the trunk below the dirt, then tourniquet? :blink: Has this ever been tried?

Here are some pics of the tree I acqured. I plan on just letting her grow.



I practiced a jin at the top -- Practice Makes Perfect



The tree already has some excellent shari as you can see.



This is the shari I want to keep in the tree. If I am unable to lower the tree - I will just have to be patient until the trunk is 3 inches. These trees live about 200 years so I have time.

Hi,

why do you think you have an american ash there? I do not know the tree but when I look here it looks very much like you need to have compound leaves (Leaves that exist of multiple little leaf.lets). Your tree does not seem to have this.
I cannot place the tree, which might mean it is a species uncommon in Europe, or because it has grown up in a dificult spot and has grown very elongated.

I am not sure what you would like to do when you say tourniquet method. I am assuming it is the same technique as air-layering? Normally pretty much all plants can be stimulated to create roots that way. I see no reason why this would not.

I agree with leatherback...don't think that's an Ash.

Angie...you may have caught it however it took me several minutes to figure out that the word *here* in the first line of lb's post is actually a link... :whistle: (?)
First you need to accurately identify this tree. The tourniquet method is recommended for slow growing trees. www.bonsaiempire.com/grow/air-layering If this tree is a faster growing species I would probably use the ring method as it is faster. I successfully air-layered a very tall rubber tree once many years ago using the *wedge-cut* method however, I don't see that one being often used anymore. :huh:

Jelle, didn't you recently post an "underground air-layering" method here on the forum? I searched endlessly last night for that post to share with Angie but, could not find it. If it was your post could you please share the link? If it wasn't your post, do you remember who's it was or where it might be please? :blink: Thanks!

Hi Leslie,

I don't think I did. I did do an airlayer on my ficus elastica ( remember this post ?) but I don't think I did an soil air layer. I do know there was a post at some point, someone who burried 80% of the plant to create a top-air layer under the soil. Keith maybe?

As for the link not visible.. Maybe we can ask Oscar to adjust the settings for link color.

Root Flare is the type of tourniquet I am thinking about -- sorry, didn't realize there were different types.

Still researching the tree type. It would be easier if it was spring. So I could see the flowers.

Honeyballs

This is one of the names for the Buttonbush Tree. Cephalanthus Occidetalis is considered a shrub in some areas, tree in others. Probably won't know what it is for sure until spring when it gets flowers, seeds -- whatever. :blush:

I will check around Pauline's backyard to see if I can find a larger specimen.

I took some close up picks ot the leaves. It will be interesting to see how this treeshrub develops. Some sites I read said the Buttonbush Tree can reach 20', others say 7-10'.







I will work on that limb cut once I recieve my concave cutters.

Hi Angie,

I'm not making the connection at all between the *root flare* and the *tourniquet/air-layer* method.
The rootflare or nebari are the surface roots of a tree. In bonsai it is very much admired when one can develop a rootflare or nabari of substantial size which is pleasing to the eye.
Did you check out the link I shared in my last post?...is this what you want to do?

Hmmm...I think we need to identify that rare bird in your tree!

I linked Root Flare to the location under train that explains it. There are three pictures that show the method I am thinking about to create roots further up on the trunk.

I have decided to go in a different direction. I am going to keep the top portion of the trunk straight up and keep the leafy portion lower. Create a jin out of the top of the trunk.

aklister71 wrote: I linked Root Flare to the location under train that explains it. There are three pictures that show the method I am thinking about to create roots further up on the trunk.

I have decided to go in a different direction. I am going to keep the top portion of the trunk straight up and keep the leafy portion lower. Create a jin out of the top of the trunk.

Right...okay, now I understand. The tourniquet method you are looking at is for creating more surface roots at the base of the trunk where the wound is covered with soil. If you want to create roots further up on the trunk however, the procedure changes somewhat by wrapping the wound (that has been dusted with rooting hormone) with damp sphagnum moss then wrapping that in plastic. This is done with both the tourniquet and the ring technique. See the difference? www.bonsaiempire.com/grow/air-layering

leatherback wrote: Hi Leslie,

I don't think I did. I did do an airlayer on my ficus elastica ( remember this post ?) but I don't think I did an soil air layer. I do know there was a post at some point, someone who burried 80% of the plant to create a top-air layer under the soil. Keith maybe?

As for the link not visible.. Maybe we can ask Oscar to adjust the settings for link color.

Hey kids,
It was me that buried the top of the tree....my privet. I can't wait for spring to cut off the top and start that journey with the tree .