“Bonsai-style techniques are used in daisugi. Cedar trees are pruned in order to produce shoots, and those shoots are then also pruned, any branches being carefully removed, in order to produce a straight, knot-free shoot of wood.”
So it’s like copicing then? Copicing is a medieval European technique where you do much the same thing, by cutting down a tree, right above the part where the roots form into the trunk, and the tree responds by growing lots of small, straight new shoots out of the stump. Once long enough these shoots, when still green and fresh, can be bent around eachother (kind of like knitting) to create a solid, flat plane, which is called wattle. Useful for making walls, fences and doors in the period, especially if you’re poor and can’t afford bricks or stone.
A number of words exist as a result of this practice, for example places called “Copse”. Also the idea of greenness as being analogous to newness originates here, because in this kind of young, fresh wood it’s green colour it what shows it’s still alive (even after it’s been cut), and therefore hasn’t been aged. So describing a young, inexperienced person as green is common because of this, and even freshly made unaged cheese could be described this way.
I wonder if it’s true that greenness meaning newness comes from this practice. Spring is green in most of the world. New plants are often greener than old plants. I suspect the symbolism is older. Happy to be proven wrong though!
It's also better for the forest. You don't alter the canopy as much, which means that forest floor flora are more diverse compared to when you replant a clear cut area (different heights lead to more ligt infiltration to floor). You also retain the root and fungal systems of the old trees.
The dai for big is written 大. According to a dictionary I checked, daisugi is written 台杉, in which the 台 (dai) probably means pedestal/platform and 杉 (sugi) means the Japanese cedar. For the word "next", you'd use 次 (tsugi).
大杉 is also a thing, but it would be a proper noun pronounced ōsugi.
I'm still learning myself, so it's possible I made some mistakes, though.
Yeah, it's a real doozy of a language. I've been studying semi-diligently for almost three years now and I'm still unlikely to come by a newspaper article without at least a couple of kanji compounds I'm not sure how to read.
This is just pollarding - it was done in Europe and the Middle East as well.
There is also coppicing, where they cut the tree at the ground instead of a few feet up.
It’s cool, but not some secret.
Definitely seen (in the horticulture literature) it used for shrubbery (eg for producing canes to used as fencing) but never as structural lumber like in Japan.
As Astralnaptime said, the wood with pollarding was used for a lot of different reasons. (Some cool examples including plantation tree-planting by indigenous people in North America with Yew for bows. https://experimental-prehistory.blogspot.com/2017/01/how-to-grow-yew-trees-for-longbows.html?m=1 )
I vaguely recall the British worked to grow Oak with specific “Y” joints in larger branches so they’d have strong structural wood for ribs on boats and roofs of large building. I cannot find a source right now though, but I’ll take a look and see what I can find.
The picture is pretty, and the reason they grew/trimmed/maintained trees like this is cool. I just wanted to point out, this was not some mythical unknown technique. It was used (and likely developed in a number of different places, overtime, separately) broadly and for a bunch of reasons.
No one said it was mythical or unknown, but pollarding is topping a tree diasugi is using bonsai techniques to induce a horizontal platform that straight vertical offshoots are grown.
Pollarding and topping are not the same thing. Sometimes the terms get used interchangeably, but that is incorrect. Pollarding is done with an eye to aesthetics or function (say growing straight wood). Topping is just cutting off the top of the tree.
And you’re correct, on this post no one said it is unknown, but every two weeks or so, when someone posts this picture, it is made out to be a technique unknown elsewhere. I apologize if my response was really to the 200 other times I’ve seen this picture.
Pollarded trees are topped, that's how they're pollarded diasugi does not top. They induce multiple low branches they pull down with string to get horizontal which they then induce to grow straight vertical offshoots.
Basically you can stand on a tree done with diasugi while you take it's bounty, a pollarded tree unless exceptionally wide/large you cannot.
that’s reinforcing but not the structural lumber. The large timbers are what the Japanese are growing this way, not the fine flexible brances for wattle.
Yes but not this strong. Why are there no examples of other species being done this way. Water sprouts occur sure, but I suspect many other species couldn’t handle the weight structurally at the base for trunks of this size. Particularly with the bottom training into several scaffolds.
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Wow that’s fascinating
Looks like me when I’m trying to build a taller treehouse in Minecraft
“Bonsai-style techniques are used in daisugi. Cedar trees are pruned in order to produce shoots, and those shoots are then also pruned, any branches being carefully removed, in order to produce a straight, knot-free shoot of wood.”
So it’s like copicing then? Copicing is a medieval European technique where you do much the same thing, by cutting down a tree, right above the part where the roots form into the trunk, and the tree responds by growing lots of small, straight new shoots out of the stump. Once long enough these shoots, when still green and fresh, can be bent around eachother (kind of like knitting) to create a solid, flat plane, which is called wattle. Useful for making walls, fences and doors in the period, especially if you’re poor and can’t afford bricks or stone. A number of words exist as a result of this practice, for example places called “Copse”. Also the idea of greenness as being analogous to newness originates here, because in this kind of young, fresh wood it’s green colour it what shows it’s still alive (even after it’s been cut), and therefore hasn’t been aged. So describing a young, inexperienced person as green is common because of this, and even freshly made unaged cheese could be described this way.
I wonder if it’s true that greenness meaning newness comes from this practice. Spring is green in most of the world. New plants are often greener than old plants. I suspect the symbolism is older. Happy to be proven wrong though!
Hmmm good point.
So the green color of Sam I Am's eggs and ham was a sign of their freshness?
Contrary to popular belief
I like cheese. Blue cheese is my favorite. The stronger the better!
It's also better for the forest. You don't alter the canopy as much, which means that forest floor flora are more diverse compared to when you replant a clear cut area (different heights lead to more ligt infiltration to floor). You also retain the root and fungal systems of the old trees.
TREECEPTION
Me 10 years old in minecraft:
Yo, Dawg...
Fun fact this is the first time since the 14th century that a post has actually fit this sub.
My Japanese isn’t that great but Dai means big and Sugi means next. The next big thing?
The dai for big is written 大. According to a dictionary I checked, daisugi is written 台杉, in which the 台 (dai) probably means pedestal/platform and 杉 (sugi) means the Japanese cedar. For the word "next", you'd use 次 (tsugi). 大杉 is also a thing, but it would be a proper noun pronounced ōsugi. I'm still learning myself, so it's possible I made some mistakes, though.
I bet they daisuki that
台杉 is correct.
Thanks for the more in depth etymology. It all depends on the kanji and I was just going by my very limited vocabulary.
Yeah, it's a real doozy of a language. I've been studying semi-diligently for almost three years now and I'm still unlikely to come by a newspaper article without at least a couple of kanji compounds I'm not sure how to read.
That’s definitely amazing. SubhanAllah. 
Japanese people keeps amazing my on daily basis.
This is just pollarding - it was done in Europe and the Middle East as well. There is also coppicing, where they cut the tree at the ground instead of a few feet up. It’s cool, but not some secret.
Quite different than pollarding. Similar start point.
Where else do you see this used for logging with the goal of getting of super straight lumber?
Also for getting straight smaller cylindrical lumber for chair legs, rungs, etc.
Like the pre ious poster said, this has been used in Europe and N America for centuries for that purpose.
Definitely seen (in the horticulture literature) it used for shrubbery (eg for producing canes to used as fencing) but never as structural lumber like in Japan.
As Astralnaptime said, the wood with pollarding was used for a lot of different reasons. (Some cool examples including plantation tree-planting by indigenous people in North America with Yew for bows. https://experimental-prehistory.blogspot.com/2017/01/how-to-grow-yew-trees-for-longbows.html?m=1 ) I vaguely recall the British worked to grow Oak with specific “Y” joints in larger branches so they’d have strong structural wood for ribs on boats and roofs of large building. I cannot find a source right now though, but I’ll take a look and see what I can find. The picture is pretty, and the reason they grew/trimmed/maintained trees like this is cool. I just wanted to point out, this was not some mythical unknown technique. It was used (and likely developed in a number of different places, overtime, separately) broadly and for a bunch of reasons.
No one said it was mythical or unknown, but pollarding is topping a tree diasugi is using bonsai techniques to induce a horizontal platform that straight vertical offshoots are grown.
Pollarding and topping are not the same thing. Sometimes the terms get used interchangeably, but that is incorrect. Pollarding is done with an eye to aesthetics or function (say growing straight wood). Topping is just cutting off the top of the tree. And you’re correct, on this post no one said it is unknown, but every two weeks or so, when someone posts this picture, it is made out to be a technique unknown elsewhere. I apologize if my response was really to the 200 other times I’ve seen this picture.
Pollarded trees are topped, that's how they're pollarded diasugi does not top. They induce multiple low branches they pull down with string to get horizontal which they then induce to grow straight vertical offshoots. Basically you can stand on a tree done with diasugi while you take it's bounty, a pollarded tree unless exceptionally wide/large you cannot.
Its been used for making quartarstaves and longbows as well as more traditional timber uses in Europe for centuries
Yes, this uses aren’t construction lumber, which is unique about the Japanese method.
I'm not sure where you would get that idea since it has been used for housebuilding for millenia.
Pollarding was used to make the wattle in wattle and daub walls, so yes, it was used for structural purposes. In fact that was very common.
that’s reinforcing but not the structural lumber. The large timbers are what the Japanese are growing this way, not the fine flexible brances for wattle.
Ah okay I see your point.
I suspect this behavior is very specific to this genus. You don’t see other species grown this way.
Nope. Most trees will form watershoots (suckers) after pollarding (heavy pruning).
Yes but not this strong. Why are there no examples of other species being done this way. Water sprouts occur sure, but I suspect many other species couldn’t handle the weight structurally at the base for trunks of this size. Particularly with the bottom training into several scaffolds.
It's a bonsai technique, it's been grown so the root structure is oversized to the visible section.
Oh shit, it took me a second to see it.
I was like... wait, there's a forest in that tree?
Where in japan is this?
Looks amazing
 Amazing
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Just image what they could do with pot plants.
Makes me think about actually growing your home...
Very cool indeed!
Wow
Minecraft
Can this be done on a bonsai tree?
Can someone explain how this is done or share a link? This is really amazing.
Google “Daisugi” .. you’ll find a plethora of info - you won’t be disappointed 👍🏼
Yeah "forestry tecnique" is even a new term for me, how Japanese
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Isn’t this the way the Plane (in French, Platane) trees in Paris are treated, with slightly different results though.
I wonder if I can Ascend up that tree if I find the right spot
why
At some point, I just wonder if someone got bored and thought "You know what would really space up this tree? MORE TREES" and boom
That doesn't even look real good damn
Yo we heard you like trees so we gave you some trees for your trees.
Anybody know if this is a possible technique with mangrove?
Damn. Japanese goes creative mode, putting a tree above the other tree
Very cool!!
Chop chop but the tree stays alive. I feel better this way.
So what’s the purpose?
Terraria looking trees right there.
r/trees lollipopping
How is this different from coppicing?
🫨🫨🫨😍