Daisugi, the Japanese technique of growing trees out of other trees (2020)

wxw

I don't quite understand -- what is it about this technique that makes the trees grow perfectly straight and why is > the lumber produced in this method is 140% as flexible as standard cedar and 200% as dense/strong, ?

operation_moose

Isn't this just Pollarding and/or Coppicing, which have been practiced for at least 2000 years in Europe (and probably many other cultures as well), with a healthy dose of orientalism added on top?

ksymph

The article is pretty light on details. Essentially, the tree is first pruned to create a wide and sturdy base; once that's stable, subsequent shoots from the branches are pruned to grow vertically. The technique relies on this particular variety of cedar which tends to grow vertically but can also be made to spread out a bit. It has some advantages in space-saving and efficiency but it's also very labor-intensive.

gordonhart

Interesting technique, horrible article. Manages to convey significantly less information than the X thread it mined for ad revenue. https://xcancel.com/wrathofgnon/status/1250287741247426565

rythmshifter

An ad or something on this page attempted to load a link in an app I did not have

ChrisArchitect

(2020) Some previous discussions: 2023: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37759366 2021: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26941631

cineticdaffodil

Im confused.. wouldnt this be suspect to a weight limit - as the full stem would weigh on the carrying "tree" - especially during wind and storms?

backlit4034

I thought this was the name of a new startup

nerder92

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37759366 Same discussion 3 years ago

wiradikusuma

It's cute because it's trees. Somehow I keep thinking Mad Max where women were kept just to produce baby and milk, or Alien where alien "subtree" sprouted from human "tree". I guess nature/human is cruel?