Acer Koto Hime development

BobbyLane

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This is a recent garden centre purchase, i was drawn to the tree by the trunk movement, trunk line options, root flare, leaf size....

ive seen some stunning examples, although this variety isnt very common. i think it could be very nice in a few years. ive also read this dwarf variety has an upward growth habit and is slower growing....

20190405_135059 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20190405_135551 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

2 weeks ago
20190405_160348 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20190405_160431 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20190405_160442 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr


think the graft is here
20190405_161917 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20190405_160453 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

i decided that to enhance the movement and get the most natural flow, i would need to cut off two of the three leaders
20190405_161904 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

20190405_162814 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

a biggish scar was inevitable, but choosing the current leader meant that the scar would be barely visible at one side of the tree, so removing 2 of the leaders was the best option when you weigh up the pros n cons, more movement, less visible scarring, changes of direction in the trunk line
20190405_164808 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

20190405_164827 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20190405_164917 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
 
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BobbyLane

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i also worked on the roots:)

teased everything out, i dont think this particular tree was in the pot more than a year or so, so the soil wasnt too hard to dislodge with a root hood, by hand and a light misting with water n sea weed solution. still i dont bare root, some of the old soil is still on the roots

a couple of high roots were removed
20190405_183353 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20190405_183403 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20190405_183440 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20190406_130920 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20190406_140507 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20190412_173416 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
 

BobbyLane

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BobbyLane

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20190422_115459 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

i wont be needing all these buds, so over the next day or so will be doing some bud selection
20190422_115941 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20190422_115934 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

what the tree doesnt have in taper it makes up for in trunk movement and change of direction. i think the taper can be improved though, so this is why it went into a shallow pot and the roots laid out, to get some spread/swell at the base.

baring in mind this species is a slow grower i think the bud selection is essential as i want to direct all the energy into the keeper branches and design the tree in an informal broom image. i will look to build the canopy from the current basic structure.

update soon
 

Nanuk

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Bobby one of my maples is a Koto Hime.
One of the first things I noticed was how it constantly throws buds out everywhere.

The buds you don't want, do you just rub them off, clip them or what?
Mine sort of caught me off guard with all the budding.

I really love the tiny leaves but dang it buds like crazy.

Good looking tree, I'll be following, maybe I'll learn something.
 

BobbyLane

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Bobby one of my maples is a Koto Hime.
One of the first things I noticed was how it constantly throws buds out everywhere.

The buds you don't want, do you just rub them off, clip them or what?
Mine sort of caught me off guard with all the budding.

I really love the tiny leaves but dang it buds like crazy.

Good looking tree, I'll be following, maybe I'll learn something.

hi mate,
well i usually rub out buds i dont need during the growing season.deciduous trees in general will tend to throw out multiple buds after hard pruning.saying that, im trying out the hedge pruning method on a few this season, some adventitious buds have been left on select trees.
however for this material, being that its a slower grower, i dont see any benefit in letting multiple shoots run??
they can be rubbed off with the sharp edge of a small scalpel
koto hime is notorious for throwing out clusters and its easy for the tree to just look a mess with vigorous whorls at the ends of branches.
some diligence is required.

this one seems to back bud well up n down the branches.ive seen some koto hime where all the growth is situated at the tips, which leaves me scratching my head seen as how well they back bud.?
 
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unexpected movement down low for a garden centre! good eye!
 

BobbyLane

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some basic shape forming.just had a little prune.slightly defined the primary lines by thinning foliage that became very dense.
20190610_164315.jpg20190610_163545.jpg

all branches you see are keepers.
 

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BobbyLane

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thinned out again, trying to focus on the keepers.some new roots have grown under the moss, so will keep the base covered for now.
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BobbyLane

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i decided it was a good time to make a slanting cut in the apex maybe a week ago now, this has created some subtle taper in the trunk, will be more visible over winter...

i also snipped back the first left branch, its never going to be as thick as the first right branch. its purely there for aesthetics....
20190807_110548.jpg20190807_110354.jpg

over the weekend i may slip this into a plastic bonsai pot similar size. i may sell this tree...
i think it has great potential tho, sort of in two minds20190807_110431.jpg
 

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BobbyLane

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i downsized the pot late summer.
obviously has some growing to do.we can see that the primary lines are set and the wound has began to callus.
ive discovered for myself that at this time of year the branches on this species are very brittle, unlike my other deciduous trees so no wiring.
the tree is at a stage where it can just be left to grow out now and clipped back peri20191122_113425.jpgodically
 

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BobbyLane

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This one is moving again...
@ConorDash as showed some interest😉

Going to be a great little tree....imo its a bit difficult to see that it was even chopped, from this angle and with all the branches there, will just callus over, i mentioned to Conor that it can be left to grow out while keeping the upper branches in check and rubbing out unwanted buds.this cultivar is a prolific back budder, no need for grafting😉
20200227_125608.jpg

there is indeed a chop...
20200226_195629.jpg
look at all those buds.its like a bloody elm
 

BobbyLane

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i sold this one to Conahdash i know its in good hands!


@AndyJ just another example of how i treat maples. or nursery/garden centre trees in general. hornbeam or maple they get the same treatment. one small difference, i will only chop maples while they are in active growth. but i did another chop on that katsura in the middle of aug....it was a V cut. it did fine!
 

AndyJ

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Thanks @BobbyLane this is another good pictorial demonstration of that transition from raw material and into its journey as a bonsai. This is one part of bonsai that I really struggle with - I find it hard to picture the “finished“ tree when I’m looking at incomplete material. I’ve got a kashima that was probably ready to begin its journey this spring but I bottled it and put it in a grow box!🤣

To be honest, I’m a bit tired of trees in the ground and in development - I want some proper bonsai trees and that Arakawa of mine is probably the closest I’ve got at the moment!

Thanks again for sharing this kotohime Bobby👍
 
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What soil do kotohime like? I just picked up 2 young seedlings and I’m not sure if I need anything special other than slightly acidic watering and Akadama
 

Kanorin

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Thanks for sharing your rationale as to why you performed each step during the progression. Very helpful to this beginner!
What kind of tool or saw do you use to make such a clean diagonal trunk cut?
 
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