Daisugi, the Japanese technique of growing trees out of other trees (2020)
47 points by MaysonL 2 hours ago | 18 comments
https://x.com/wrathofgnon/status/1250287741247426565, https://xcancel.com/wrathofgnon/status/1250287741247426565
wxw 2 hours ago
I don't quite understand -- what is it about this technique that makes the trees grow perfectly straight and why is
reply> the lumber produced in this method is 140% as flexible as standard cedar and 200% as dense/strong,
?
rdiddly 2 hours ago
This article is just a rehash or summary. Check out one of the sources it links to (since the other is broken) for details on the technique:
https://mymodernmet.com/kitayama-cedar-daisugi/
replyThe strength & flexibility I would guess are attributable to the lack of knots and the straightness of the grain.
One thing both writers keep doing that's annoying is calling it a cedar. The tree is cryptomeria japonica, known as sugi, which in English is sometimes known by various misnomers such as "Japanese cedar" and "Japanese redwood," both of which should be taken as more poetic than scientific.
Fwirt 2 hours ago
It’s exploiting the natural tendency of trees to create “waterspouts” through a technique called pollarding. When a tree suffers an injury it creates a bunch of new twigs that tend to grow straight upwards if the injury is on the upper branches. The waterspouts grow more slowly and so in this species of cedar they develop those desirable properties.
replyksymph 2 hours ago
The article is pretty light on details. Essentially, the tree is first pruned to create a wide and sturdy base; once that's stable, subsequent shoots from the branches are pruned to grow vertically. The technique relies on this particular variety of cedar which tends to grow vertically but can also be made to spread out a bit. It has some advantages in space-saving and efficiency but it's also very labor-intensive.
replycineticdaffodil 47 minutes ago
Im confused.. wouldnt this be suspect to a weight limit - as the full stem would weigh on the carrying "tree" - especially during wind and storms?
replyrythmshifter 2 hours ago
An ad or something on this page attempted to load a link in an app I did not have
replyChrisArchitect 2 hours ago
(2020)
replySome previous discussions:
gordonhart 2 hours ago
Interesting technique, horrible article. Manages to convey significantly less information than the X thread it mined for ad revenue.
reply
“It is a little different, more like pollarding, and it doesn't work with any other conifers than saplings from one specific mutant cedar in a shrine near Kyoto.”
https://xcancel.com/wrathofgnon/status/1250287741247426565
Also known as 'Thing, Japan'. HN eats up articles like this every single week.
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/thing-japan