Daisugi

Daisugi (台杉) is a Japanese technique related to pollarding, used on Cryptomeria (sugi) trees.[1][2][3] The term roughly translates to "platform cedar".[4]

Daisugi trees at Ryōan-ji

Shoots from the base of the tree are pruned so that the trunk stays straight.[5] It is believed that the production of logs by daisugi began in the Muromachi period. At that time, the tea ceremony became popular in part because daisugi logs were used in tea room construction, for example for the tokonoma alcove. The Kitayama area of Kyoto became especially known for its forestry of daisugi.[6][7]

In the 14th century, a form of very straight and stylized Sukiya-zukuri architecture was highly fashionable in Japan. However, there simply were not enough raw materials around to build these homes for every noble or samurai who wanted one. Hence, the daisugi technique of applying bonsai pruning techniques to full-scale trees was developed.[8]

The technique results in a harvest of straight logs without having to cut down the entire tree.[5] Although originally a forestry management technique,[9] daisugi has also found its way into Japanese gardens as an aesthetic feature.[10]

References
  1. Nōrinshō, S (1926). Forestry of the "Sugi" (Cryptomeria Japonica, Don) and the "Karamatsu" (Larix Leptolepis Gord). Department of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. p. 27.
  2. Numata, M. (1974). Flora and vegetation of Japan.
  3. Ohba, K. (1993). "Clonal forestry with sugi (Cryptomeria japonica)". Clonal forestry II. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer. pp. 66–90.
  4. "A Japanese Forestry Technique Prunes Upper Branches to Create a Tree Platform for More Sustainable Harvests". October 27, 2020.
  5. "Daisugi, the 600-Year-Old Japanese Technique of Growing Trees Out of Other Trees, Creating Perfectly Straight Lumber | Open Culture".
  6. "Apparently, This Ancient Japanese Technique From The 14th Century Allows People To Produce Lumber Without Having To Cut Down Trees". 30 July 2020.
  7. "Daisugi, The Ancient Bonsai Technique That Can Prevent Deforestation". July 10, 2020.
  8. Harry (2022-09-03). "Daisugi: Technique to Produce Wood without Cutting Down Trees". Thought Might. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  9. Toda, R. (1974). "Vegetative propagation in relation to Japanese forest tree improvement". New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science. 4: 410–417.
  10. "Daisugi: The Japanese Forestry Technique of Creating a Tree Platform for Other Trees". October 20, 2020.
  • Media related to Daisugi at Wikimedia Commons
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