Cmd5235
Chumono
I’ve got a few that I decided to try out, including one that I think might work due to the overall size. I’m not trying to go any smaller, but figured I’d give this guy a shot:
Acer Negundo- Boxelder
- Thread starter Cmd5235
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Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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Use the site search function, to find a "pretty good" Acer negundo.
It is a species that is difficult to do well. Best as a larger scale bonsai. You have a decent size trunk for a start. Excellent.
It is a species that is difficult to do well. Best as a larger scale bonsai. You have a decent size trunk for a start. Excellent.
Cmd5235
Chumono
Thanks. The only reason I decided to give it a shot is the overall size that I have. Any smaller and I would have passed it by.
Cmd5235
Chumono
Growth update:
TN_Jim
Omono
wonder what would happen if you continually cut compound three leaflets to one on a healthy tree...? just thoughts
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
I got to worryin about all that growth at that junction of what seems 3. Thinking about cut it.
But then I thought, let it bang out this and maybe next year, and nekkid it to just the trunk to restart branching.
What is current looks odd.
It matters with these, only because if we are to convince the general scissor holding public that they are good enough to use, we must make them as Excellent as possible.
And the trunk you have, is excellent.
I am a fan of tall trees with smooth even taper.
Sorce
But then I thought, let it bang out this and maybe next year, and nekkid it to just the trunk to restart branching.
What is current looks odd.
It matters with these, only because if we are to convince the general scissor holding public that they are good enough to use, we must make them as Excellent as possible.
And the trunk you have, is excellent.
I am a fan of tall trees with smooth even taper.
Sorce
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
Water spouts. You reduce foliage SIZE by increasing the number of buds that some amount of root supplied energy can inflate. Reducing the number of buds should have the opposite effect. One really, really big set of leaves on the end of a really long, fat stem. If you do all this so close to the end of the season that the new buds for next flush do not have time to mature before growth ceases... silent spring. Also, the amount of energy stored in the roots is finite and only renewable by leaves working over some time period.
Cmd5235
Chumono
I agree, but I wanted to let it grow out this year and get some strength. It really took a beating root-wise, so I’m giving it a shot at restoring some strength.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
Makes sense, but by removing singular leaflets from the compound leaves, you arent actually reducing buds, just regulating the amount of photosynthesis and growth the tree will put on. On my boxelder, doing this is one way Ive found to reduce the internodes on the tree. On a tree like the op's recently collected with no branching, all that pent up energy in the trunk will just send long internodes everywhere. In this case, I would let the tree gain as many buds as possible this year, as you say, in the hopes that next year the OP can see some slowdown on internode extension.
TN_Jim
Omono
Exactly. By reducing leaflets, you do not reduce buds at all.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
Hypothetically, on trees with large compound leaves, you can may have more control over the tree's growth because, to use a Ryan Neil phrase, you have so many more gas pedals; each leaflet allows just such an ever small adjustment to growth and balance.
Cmd5235
Chumono
Both trees have filled in nicely so far
