”Yakekomu” refers to a trunk that is dying toward the root from the wound mark after a thick branch is cut out or runs dry due to trouble. Such a phenomenon sometimes hits ”shohaku” evergreen pines. But it is seen mainly in ”zoki” deciduous trees, such as ”zakuro” (Pomegranate) and ”satsuki” (Macrantum Azalea). If a trunk falls into such a situation, it would serve a fatal blow to the tree itself. So, growers need to carefully select the place of a branch to be cut. It is better to cut a thick tree that is followed by a lower branch, in order to prevent the ”yakekomu” phenomenon from hitting the tree. The lower branch is called ”yakedome-no-eda.”

translated by Kyodo News