🔵 Ginkgo Biloba, #2417

More mature pre-bonsai, strong vigor, numerous branches. SBBK Show $60.

Chi-chi' is an upright male ginkgo selection that has globular protrusions on the bark that are said to be "breast-like". Fall color is a bright golden yellow.

Reverse side reveals dead branches—to prune in late winter and hope to bud back

Apr 2025 Careful Rootwork

Per JT & Val, carved 1/3 of the diameter of the root each year. Applied cut paste.

Mar 16, 2025 Repotted

Same pot, but raked out broken down akadama. Replaced with 2:1:1. One big root to deal with—will ask if I prune it back.

Wired branches more balanced and circumferential.

[Val]

Peter Tea would reduce roots over a few seasons, cutting a third or half of the diameter each year before removing.
Ginkgoes can be tricky and sometimes you will lose entire parts of branches or trunks unexpectedly.
They also don’t heal well (bark).
So for this tree it will be an experiment.
I do think the root you want to remove needs to come off.
The next time you repot, dig around to see if you can find roots on the other side; that will become your future nebari level.

[JT]

Since you just repotted the tree, I would wait for the foliage to completely harden off and strengthened the tree, probably late June or early July.
You shouldn’t transplant but you could tease the soil from the upper root area down to the point where you can see if there are roots underneath the one you want to remove. The soil particles look to be large enough to gently do this recon. If you have functional roots underneath then make the cut.
But remember that ginkgo roots usually tear rather than cut cleanly so do a finished cut with a grafting knife and apply cut paste as this will be above the soil line.

Anytime there is diseased, dead or damaged branches, they should be removed, regardless of time of year.

https://www.ginkgoltd.com/proper-pruning-techniques/

Partial defoliation, reducing to two leaves per bud. Result was a multiple array of smaller leaves. Hoping to encourage back-budding or more branches over time.