Sugar Maple defoliated

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Here's a little Maple project, from a seed my mom planted a while back.
My maples have had a habit of shooting off great growth in early spring then just stopping and doing little more than grow some new buds. So I gave it a pretty hard prune hoping to initiate another growth period this summer. Then I guess the gate was left open, one of those deer came in, pruned it some more and ate nearly all the remaining leaves. Oh well, I always wondered what defoliation would do for the large leaves on this tree. The next trunk section will be one of the two upper twigs that still have a couple leaves left.IMG_20150811_190018916.jpg IMG_20150811_190648187.jpg
 

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I never did update this because nothing happened, maybe the plant was afraid of the upcoming fall, I just looked up the thread to check the date for reference.
New buds appeared on the trunk, existing buds swelled up, by the time a few tried to open it was already frosting. Slow response to the pruning the tree seemed perfectly healthy and strong before hand.
Now I'm left wondering if it will have the juice left to get through winter and grow next spring? Hope so, I'll be disappointed if I lose it, closest thing I have to a decent trunk from seed right now.
Was planning repot and rootwork next spring, not sure now, if it grows may just leave it be.
 

sorce

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nothing happened,

Maybe that giant ass weed drank up all its water!

Seriously.....I'd fear the roots that thing has, especially in what seems to be straight pumice?

Seems a 3 a day water.

Sorce
 

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Maybe that giant ass weed drank up all its water!

Seriously.....I'd fear the roots that thing has, especially in what seems to be straight pumice?

Seems a 3 a day water.

Sorce
Ah, the soil is not as chunky as it appears, big old pumice nuggets on top left over from winter mulch.
The big ass weed, a wild pansy, pretty little flowers. Actually I don't really believe that allowing a bit of company with the tree is always such a bad thing. This one may be a bit much agreed, right in the nebari zone too eh? Perhaps though helpful to have something moving some moisture around in there while the tree is leafless and not transpiring?
 

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Not such a bad start to a trunk though right? Nebari should be getting quite good I expect, been selectively pruned twice now in the past.
 

sorce

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Not such a bad start to a trunk though right?

What? Don't be so modest!

That's a bitching ass trunk!

That why I hope to Paris it's ok!

It shouldn't be the weed right?
But what the helse? Hell/else!

Sorce
 

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What? Don't be so modest!

That's a bitching ass trunk!

That why I hope to Paris it's ok!

It shouldn't be the weed right?
But what the helse? Hell/else!

Sorce

Maybe the weed, maybe the organic ferts.

Weed and hippy food stunting my growth!
 

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What? Don't be so modest!

That's a bitching ass trunk!

Sorce

No really, honest question, I like it too, but I never see anyone else's trees in real life, no one who knows bonsai ever sees mine. (Almost, both those thing happened once.)
I may be on entirely the wrong track with this, it's a sugar maple will have to be large in the end. I've been taking it the slow steady route of small chops, maybe I should have let'er get much larger then started chopping. Just an example you know, I think it's coming along alright but that's just me.
 

sorce

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along alright

I think if you keep it in a wide, real wide, shallow container......your flare will keep.
That's most important IMO.

Of course low back branches will help....but I don't think the chop killed you by any means.

But I know syrup better than maples!

Sorce
 

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I think if you keep it in a wide, real wide, shallow container......your flare will keep.
That's most important IMO.

Of course low back branches will help....but I don't think the chop killed you by any means.

But I know syrup better than maples!

Sorce
Thanks, let's just hope me and the deer didn't kill it and I can keep updating.
I need more maple seedlings, they're fun and good not to have all the eggs in one basket when one goes wrong.
I had some Douglas maple seeds come up this summer, 2 seasons to germinate, don't even know why I kept watering that little pot, it was just there on the bench.
 

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Curious to see if this species can make a decent bonsai.
Keep us updated with progress on this one.

I figure the species can be alright if the tree is big enough.
Large leaves and petioles.
I think I'm heading for a sort of informal broom with this now, at least three times the size, probably more. I'm at least ten years from where I think I'll need to be, probably more.
I'd rather grow tridents and palmatums, but don't have the climate without having to protect more than I want to at this point.
These seem to grow faster, heal better and die back less than Amur maples.
 

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I'd rather grow tridents and palmatums, but don't have the climate without having to protect more than I want to at this point.
Same here. But I don't screw with native maples and since the last Tet offensive by the V.C. no more Amur left.
 

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More imaginary work.. But I've had a rough plan and thought I'd do a scribble test to check it.
Used the last spring image above as a base to scribble on.
I've thought I might try grow it so that when the trunk forks both sides almost become upward trunks but one side stronger and the pattern just keeps repeating roughly. First branch is already set up for that. Wind up with informal broom I think it would be called.
Scribbled it up here. image.jpg image.jpg

It will need to be bigger than the drawing since it's a sugar maple but could shoot for that kind of pattern but bigger. Hopefully the trunk girth keeps up with the height gain over time. Planning lots of small chops, run it a season or two chop back etc... It will take a very long time.
So anyways, got a plan don't know if I'll pull it off but given'er a shot. Maybe a lower branch too, seems to work. It would help thicken the lower trunk as well. I probably still have a bud there, the pruning site I drew it on was the original trunk from the first chop, there's been 4 so far. image.jpg
I think the scribbles are quite alright actually, unfortunately the tree itself was something like this last I saw it so you know, long ways off if ever but fun to try. image.jpg
 
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