The Japanese cedar trees can be pruned so that they produce lumber faster than the standard cedar, and without having to cut down any trees.
Arborists developed a method to grow trees faster on tops of trees that were already in existence in response to Japan’s lumber shortage.
The lack of suitable land and a shortage of saplings led to the development of a new method for raising lumber.
It is called daisugi. It works in a similar way to bonsai, but on larger trees.
They heavily pruned cedar trees instead of cutting them down, leaving only the straight-up branches.
These vertical shoots look almost like new trees and are tall. The result is straight, uniform, knotless lumber that is twice the strength and 140% more flexible than standard cedar.
It is denser than regular cedar trees and matures much quicker — in fact, it takes only 20 years.
Daisugi reduces the need to plant lumber and preserves old-growth trees while producing better lumber more quickly.
It’s a win-win situation for both the environment and the lumber sector.
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