$35 Trunk

[ColinFraser]

I picked up this japanese maple at a landscape nursery on my way home from work this evening . . . at a reduced price because it's damaged
So am I - we should get along fine.

 

[sorce]

Hell yeah.

That's kinda nice.

Sorce

 

[ColinFraser]

For that price, if it entertains me for just one weekend, it's money well spent. I plan to start two air layers right away to remove most of the top. I see an upcoming chop, probably near the height of the top of the very first picture.
Here's the whole thing:

Don't mind my crappy side yard/soil sifting pit.

 

[ColinFraser]

Hell yeah.

That's kinda nice.

Sorce

Thanks. I'm kind of tempted to hollow it out, just since I don't have any hollow trunks yet . . . and it would sure make thread grafting some branches on easy.

 

[sorce]

Thanks. I'm kind of tempted to hollow it out, just since I don't have any hollow trunks yet . . .

All that is still there now?

I'd be trying to preserve the dead roots, and keep the base "stable".

I could see you using the whole trunk all the way to the end of the deadwood.

I think you're gonna get more than a weekend oughta that!

Specially with then airlayers!

Sorce

 

[Cadillactaste]

Very sweet score! That base has character written all over it.

 

[Saizan]

That's a very unusual base for a japanese maple.

It's shouting "hollow meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee"

 

[Wilson]

Nice score! I love the trees that have been beat up, and just keep Pushin on! Enjoy the work ahead!

 

[ColinFraser]

Here's the other side - all alive.


The foliage on the branch near the base seems to match the rest of the tree, so if there's a graft, it's pretty low and not really visible. I'm inclined to think it's just on its own roots . . .

 

[Stickroot]

Here's the other side - all alive.
View attachment 100409

The foliage on the branch near the base seems to match the rest of the tree, so if there's a graft, it's pretty low and not really visible. I'm inclined to think it's just on its own roots . . .

What cultivar is yours, doesn't look grafted?
I just chopped one very similar.
Select Red JM

 

[Jarath]

Damaged my arse. Nice grab

 

[barrosinc]

Damaged my arse. Nice grab

when a "," makes a huge difference.

 

[AaronThomas]

SCORE!!!

Don't mind my crappy side yard/soil sifting pit.

Join the club!

 

[Handsome John]

Damn man you always end up finding the coolest stuff! super jealous of your finds

 

[Nwaite]

Very nice fined. Can't wait to see were you take it.

 

[ColinFraser]

What cultivar is yours, doesn't look grafted?

Ah, that's the trouble with a bargain like this - it's been sitting around the nursery so long, no one knows what it is, and the tag is long gone. They stock quite a few grafted cultivars; I compared foliage before I bought it, and it didn't match any of them.

It has nice small leaves, so that's a bonus:

 

[ColinFraser]

Here are a few more leaves - if it looks to anyone like any cultivar in particular, I'd welcome suggestions.

 

[Stickroot]

Here are a few more leaves - if it looks to anyone like any cultivar in particular, I'd welcome suggestions.

View attachment 100436 View attachment 100437

I'll ask the doctor tomorrow, retired MU Woodies professor.

 

[ColinFraser]

So much for air layers! I had a buddy over at the house who wanted to learn a little about bonsai and maybe help out with a project - I decided making him decapitate a perfectly good tree would give him a pretty good feel for what bonsai is about . We did, at least, start a bunch of cuttings from the top . . .


As you can see, I decided to leave a little bit of foliage on each of the forks, to hopefully guard against dieback - I'm not sure yet how much of the trunk I want to use, so I'm keeping my options open. Let the backbudding begin!
This should be fun . . .

 

[M. Frary]

give him a pretty good feel

That's what friends are for.