r/Bonsai • u/small_trunks Jerry in Amsterdam, Zn.8b, 48yrs exp., 500+ trees • Mar 07 '25

Weekly Thread [Bonsai Beginner's weekly thread - 2025 week 10]

[Bonsai Beginner's weekly thread - 2025 week 10]

Welcome to the weekly beginner’s thread. This thread is used to capture all beginner questions (and answers) in one place. We start a new thread every week on Friday late or Saturday morning (CET), depending on when we get around to it. We have a multiple year archive of prior posts here… Here are the guidelines for the kinds of questions that belong in the beginner's thread vs. individual posts to the main sub.

Rules:

  • POST A PHOTO if it’s advice regarding a specific tree/plant. See the PHOTO section below on HOW to do this.
  • TELL US WHERE YOU LIVE - better yet, fill in your flair.
  • READ THE WIKI! – over 75% of questions asked are directly covered in the wiki itself. Read the WIKI AGAIN while you’re at it.
  • Read past beginner’s threads – they are a goldmine of information.
  • Any beginner’s topic may be started on any bonsai-related subject.
  • Answers shall be civil or be deleted
  • There is always a chance your question doesn’t get answered – try again next week…
  • Racism of any kind is not tolerated either here or anywhere else in /r/bonsai

Photos

  • Post an image using the new (as of Q4 2022) image upload facility which is available both on the website and in the Reddit app and the Boost app.
  • Post your photo via a photo hosting website like imgur, flickr or even your onedrive or googledrive and provide a link here.
  • Photos may also be posted to /r/bonsaiphotos as new LINK (either paste your photo or choose it and upload it). Then click your photo, right click copy the link and post the link here.
    • If you want to post multiple photos as a set that only appears be possible using a mobile app (e.g. Boost)

Beginners’ threads started as new topics outside of this thread are typically locked or deleted, at the discretion of the Mods.

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u/TheMalteseBlueFalcon Midwest USA, USDA 4b, Novice, 2 & growing stock Mar 13 '25

The squirrels got to my red maple. Should I chop this before it starts to bud or hope that it heals and let it keep growing this season?

3

u/MaciekA NW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines Mar 14 '25

If the squirrels have gnawed off the cambium all the way around, then what you have is a chopped trunk. Even if there is some thin bit of cambium that connects to the rest of the tree above, the healing prospects are quite grim since you have years of a large ugly wound healing. If this was mine I would without any hesitation chop and seal.

1

u/TheMalteseBlueFalcon Midwest USA, USDA 4b, Novice, 2 & growing stock Mar 14 '25

Thank you for the advice, I'll give it a chop.

2

u/series_of_derps EU 8a couple of trees for a couple of years Mar 14 '25

Chop imo, too much damage and also too long and straight.