Being a true nature lover, have you ever heard about the Japanese daisugi technique to prune upper branches for future generations? For more than 700 years, the Japanese have produced wood without cutting down trees.’ Trees and nature are fundamental to the Shinto religion, which holds that spirits dwell in trees over a hundred years old. The ‘Daisugi’ technique was invented in Japan in the 14th century CE, and it states that these trees should be planted for future generations rather than cut down and pruned as if they were enormous bonsai trees.
Sukiya-zukuri architecture was popular in Japan, but there were simply insufficient raw materials to build such dwellings for every noble or samurai who desired one, so the daisugi technique for implementing bonsai pruning techniques on full-scale trees came about. Daisigi enables the production of high-quality lumber from one tree, thus reducing the need to fall numerous trees; second, Daisugi trees can be reaped more often than regularly grown trees, increasing lumber yield per acre.
By applying this technique to cedars, the wood obtained is uniform, straight, and free of knots, making it ideal for construction. Numerous tree species, particularly Cryptomeria and Japanese cypress, such as the Hinoki cypress, C. obtusa, with which some of you may be familiar, were utilized to make Daisugi forests; only specific types of species developed ideal trunks, and specific varieties were chosen to form forests.
Pruning is a rule of art that allows the tree to grow and sprout while using its wood without ever cutting it down. Shoots from the base of the plant are pruned so that the trunk remains straight up. To keep the trees knot-free, workers climb the long trunks every three to four years and carefully prune any developing branches. After about 30 years, a single tree is finally cut down. It is thought that daisugi log creation began during the Muromachi period, when the tea ceremony became prevalent in part due to the use of daisugi logs in tea room setups such as the tokonoma alcove.
This was largely a technique cultivated in Kyoto’s cedar forests and planted in mountainous regions, and it remains to be observed surrounding temples like the Soren-Ji Temple. The Kitayama area of Kyoto became particularly known for its daisugi forestry. Therefore, daisugi is a pollarding technique employed on Cryptomeria (sugi) trees; the phrase approximately signifies “platform cedar.” The daisugi technique, which was initially a forestry management strategy, has found its way into Japanese gardens as an ornamental feature. Jomon Sugi, the largest and oldest tree in Yakushima, is thought to be between 2,170 and 7,200 years old.
Furthermore, as Japan industrialized and urbanized, consumer appetite for lumber fell, lessening the need for Daisigi. At the same time, technological advances meant that buildings no longer relied solely on wood for builders, and the requirement that had given birth to Daisugi was no longer existent.
Hiking in Japan often includes stumbling upon such treasures, since Japan is recognized for the beauty of its flora and tree life; cedars are just another distinct and remarkable feature of Japanese culture. If you are looking for Daisugi trees, then a colony of large cedars 700 to 1000 years old is found a little over an hour’s drive away from the city of Kyoto. Many visitors are shocked to encounter such a giant cedar tree so near the historic capital of Kyoto.
Being a true nature lover, have you ever heard about the Japanese daisugi technique to prune upper branches for future generations? Source
A similar technique is called tree copping, also known as coppicing, which is a traditional woodland management technique that entails cutting down trees to ground level and allowing them to regrow from their stumps. This process is repeated every few years, depending on the species of tree and the desired product. Coppiced trees are often used for firewood, fencing, thatching, and other purposes.
They can also be used to create a variety of wildlife habitats, as the open canopy allows sunlight to reach the woodland floor and encourages the growth of wildflowers and other plants. Coppicing has several advantages, such as being an environmentally friendly method to harvest wood products.
Also, it creates various kinds of woodland habitats for wildlife, and it may assist in avoiding soil erosion. Coppicing has been practiced most extensively in temperate Europe, especially within the United Kingdom, France, and Germany; it is also utilized to a lesser extent in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
A similar technique is called tree copping, also known as coppicing, which is a traditional woodland management technique that entails cutting down trees to ground level and allowing them to regrow from their stumps.
