Acer palmatum deadwood

Driftwood

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Hi, I'm in south UK zone 9 and recently bough a neglected Acer palmatum over rock repoted 2-3 years ago on river pebbles? I'm thinking to continue strengthen it and repot in early spring on akadama and kiryu removing the fern but I'm afraid is beyond salvation! What would you do? particularly with all that twisted dead wood? How to shorten the trunk?
Help plz.IMAG0419.jpgIMAG0420.jpg
 

AlainK

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Not sure what you call "dead wood" on this one but the roots are very nicely wrapped on the stone.

When properly treated, maples can heal rather quickly: that's why a Japanese maple with "dead wood" looks very un-natural most of the time (except perhaps in some parts of Britain, in which case it can become a "style").

If the "dead wood" is what I outlined in yellow (1), I'd carve out this part and repot it in a bigger pot to let it develop next year: the wound will heal, and the tree will have a better taper. Don't know if the dotted line is a dead root (2), I'd keep it for the moment. Numner (3) is definitely to be removed.

Only when the tree has been cleaned that I think you can imagine a future for it.

IMAG0419.jpg

You wrote: "repoted 2-3 years ago on river pebbles". Here, they're very calcareous, and yours looks like that too.

Japanese maples resent basic soil, so be careful...

But to me, it has a great potential, I wish we could live near enough for me to take the ferry, drive to your place and help you work on this one.
 
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Driftwood

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Thank you AlainK, I'm afraid the deadwood area extends your outlined yellow line all the way to the back top bended end (second picture) and yes the dotted lines contain dead roots also on that picture on the second pic bottom right roots and trunk you can see deadwood twisting to the front which can't be seen well on the first photo but will upload a better photo this weekend. What substrate will you recommend on a bigger pot? Will you put substrate up to the trunk where dead roots are to develop new roots?
 
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AlainK

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What substrate will you recommend on a bigger pot? Will you put substrate up to the trunk where dead roots are to develop new roots?

Again, that's a very good question :)

Er...

OK.

First : Now, I'd get rid of the rotting parts, and get to the sane wood. Protect the wood one way or another.


What substrate will you recommend on a bigger pot? Will you put substrate up to the trunk where dead roots are to develop new roots?

In late winter/early spring :

I'd put it in a round, wider pot, and a bit deeper too. I'd like the tree to heal first, so enough space to be commfortable, but not lost.

where dead roots are to develop new roots?

Dead roots are dead: they won't develop new roots.
But :
If you cut down dead roots, or branches, to where the cut shows some light green before the bark, then you've come to the place where cells are alive.

From there, new roots can grow.

What substrate (...) ?

For air-layering ?

80% coarse granite sand (3-4 mm)
20% sphagnum moss or long-fiber peat


What (...) ?

What? o_O

:cool:

 
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Driftwood

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Thank you AlainK for your generosity, your suggestions make sense to me and I also thought about air-layer but at this point is my last choice.. I'm not sure if carving and repoting in one season is a good idea on a weakened tree though? Again what substrate will you recommend for repoting this tree?
 

ysrgrathe

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Cutting back to live wood (I.e. removing dead wood) doesn't really stress the tree.
 

AlainK

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I'm not sure if carving and repoting in one season is a good idea on a weakened tree though?

Sorry, I couldn't resist - really love that one, brings me back some 30 years earlier, and I have "ants in my socks" (an unresonable urge to move along) now that my sons live their own life.

My younger one is just back from over a year in NI, couldn't bear another winter in Belfast, even if the people there was nice and friendly. I mean, most of them :rolleyes:

Frankly from the few days I spent there, some are so "deformed" from a young age by religion - whichever it is! - that I'm very pessimistic for the future of Ireland, and Europe. It some of brought me back to my teen years, when I was a "Rousseauist" and believed that "Man" was good at the core.

I'm so stupid probably, but I will, with others I'm sure, keep a few places where Fraternity is a reality.

 
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Driftwood

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Sorry for late reply but I was making a new bench at the back of my north facing garden for the bonsai's to get a bit more sun light. I'm attaching new side and back pictures of the trunk and deadwood, also the last pic is to share the way I secure the bonsais to the bench using cable ties and wood pegs.image.jpg
Right image_20181030111315471.jpg
Left
IMAG0449.jpg
Back
thumbnail.jpg
Bench tie down system
 

Driftwood

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Cutting back to live wood (I.e. removing dead wood) doesn't really stress the tree.
If carving does not affect the tree, does leaving it as it is affect it? I'm not ready for carving it yet and hopefully in the mine time the tree will improve.
 
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