Most ginkos are grown in the 'flame' style. You might want to research that style while you're letting your tree grow tall to gain caliper in preparation for the chop.

Al

Due to the 'look' of the bark and foliage most Ginko appear better as larger Bonsai, normally 24" or more. Growing in the ground for a number of years will speed the process of both trunk girth and surface root display. Most of us who field grow allow the tree to attain as much vertical growth as is needed to fatten the trunk to the desired size then cut it back to the size wanted for the finished tree.
This is done (normally) with a slanting cut, hidden at the back of the tree, allowing a central leader to take over near the front or side to help hide the cut.

Most are grown as Al suggested out of convenience. I have seen many older trees with a strong central trunk and a nice broad head of foliage much like the old examples in China.

Bob

Is there any thing you can do to promote branching?

And thanks for the input.

Pinching or hard pruning forces back-budding and more branching. If you mean a multi-trunked style, chopping very close to the ground once the trunk caliper you want is reached will produce multiple breaks from the stump and you can select the number you want.

Al

No I'm talking about the first one back budding and branching. My tree is straight up for 28" with leaves on the thin "trunk" in many places but no actual branches.

Google "The Gingko Pages" for a wonderful site all about them, plus lots of info about bonsai-ing them.

Thanks Tapla that's some great info. Is it safe to cut off the top couple inches of my plant, I think that it's a year or maybe 2 year old cutting.

You only need to remove (pinch) the very tip of the leader to force secondary branching from the main stem if none appears now.

Al

cool I'll try that once the first set of leaves harden off thanks.

Hello. I am interested in this same subject and have a few years of experience with gingko bonsai. Although I think these responses meant well, my experiences with gingko lead me to believe they do not react and grow as any other tree. Especially true regarding branching. Are you still interested in more information on the subject? I see this post was in 2010 so you probably have more information and experience on this matter. I would like to share, if you would. Best regards, Jeff

Jeff, I almost wonder if you're selling something - why not share your info right now, rather than waiting for an invitation? None of the rest of us feel the need - just jump in and do it :0). If I'm all wrong - very sorry.

This post was edited by moochinka on Fri, Mar 7, 14 at 21:22

No, not selling anything. Just my first post ever in this forum and I didn't want to step on anyone's toes.

In my experience topping a gingko will not necessarily result in side branching as the spurs do not act like any other tree's lateral buds or branches. It might but I have not been happy most of the time I have rolled those dice. The most luck I have had with encouraging lateral branching or any kind of ramification has been by waiting for bud break, then removing the apical growing point with tweezers. Topping a gingko too far back has often encouraged shoots appearing from the base but no lateral branching....in my experimentation, anyway.

Thanks! They are funny growers and sometimes remind me of Norfolk Island pines in that way. Of course as the post is from 2010 they're probably not going to hear what you said, but others will... this forum's really sort of fallen down in the last few years - used to be a lot busier.

De nada, moochinka. Is there no way of contacting the folks from 2010 thread? It would be interesting to know how it all progressed.

Not that I know of - you can click on their (blue) names, but unless it goes to an e-add, ???

Thank you. I will try that.

Jefferseed I am very interested in finding a way to get specific axiel buds to turn into long shoots on ginkgos. Hoping ti have a conversation with you.

This site came up first when I asked the question "How to get a Ginkgo tree to branch". However, my Ginkgo tree is several feet tall, "very" tall with few branches" (for the first few years it grew in a very shady spot) and has lost two branches on one side because of a storm. I know very little about trees but attended a class that talked about making a cut on a fruit tree to get a new branch. Wonder if anyone can help with a suggestion. Thank you Liz C.

Notching a tree in an attempt to induce lateral branching is not as effective as chopping it back. Chop/ chopping is a common term among bonsai practitioners and describes the practice of chopping the trunk of tall trees back to only inches from the soil line.

Most would never expect this tree could possibly live or ever become a bonsai. but note below the explosion of growth stimulated by the chop.

Same tree - note the wounds are closing ^^^

Other examples of trees which were chopped hard:

Progression of tree immediately above (center) with the large whit scar:

Next 3 photos represent 1 year of healing at the point it was chopped:

Tree progression:

and, today:

You didn't mention if the tree was in the ground or in a pot. Trees in the ground normally respond with much more enthusiasm than trees in a pot. An image of what you're working with and something about what your objective is would be very helpful.

Al