Acer palmatum Koto no ito (3 trunks from cuttings)

[clem]

hello, here's a projet (long term project) with a palmatum cultivar that i gought because i liked the leaves very much. Very feminie and light looking.

I plan to have bigger and higher trees so that they can fuse together at the base. I don't know the cultivar Koto no ito at all.







The curves are repetives, but i did my best, and didn't want to break the trunks


The nebari are nice because the pro who did the cuttings is very good (the cuttings have produced many roots)


In the green house (opened for aeration) to prevent the agressive Wind blow i have in my place, near to the beach.


I will remove the wires in a few weeks

 

[clem]

Unfortunatly i lost 2 trunks this spring.

Here is the last one but it grows well. Maybe i'll add 2 cutting this spring, or maybe i'll make a literaty style tree.

 

[clem]

I worked a little on the nebari, after removing the soil.

Here is tree now, after a season of growth ->


A root has grown under the clips ->


The nebari uncovered ->


An ugly big root has grown too much, i will cut it next spring ->
Seeing this big root, i think i should have checked the nebari earlier, i could have cut this big root earlier, and the nebari would have been better


The clips removed to free the roots ->


I changed the position of a few roots to give movement and to put them in abetter place ->



I cut 2 big roots to try to developp more the weak ones ->

 

[clem]

The nebari after the work ->





the nebari covered with akadama and sphagnum moss ->

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hi @clem
Bummer about losing the two trunks.
I am familiar with planting on a board but I am confused as to why the tree(s) were not planted in the middle of it. Are you trying to grow the weaker roots stronger?
Charles

 

[clem]

Hi @clem
Bummer about losing the two trunks.
I am familiar with planting on a board but I am confused as to why the tree(s) were not planted in the middle of it. Are you trying to grow the weaker roots stronger?
Charles

Hello Charles, i think i lost 2 cuttings because i did a lot of work on them, as they were already active (with leaves). I wired them, and i transplant them, and i fixed them on a piece of wood, without any soil between the roots & the board : that's a lot for cutting, which is a weaker plant than older trees with bigger rootball.

I put the 3 trunks on the side because i just started to fix the 1rst trunk on a side of the board, to let some place for the others. After that, I fixed the 2 other trunks next to the 1rst, so at the end there was a bigger space in the major empty space. It's just a coincidence, but anyway, IMO, it isn't bad that the nebari grows more in the major empty space (in the same direction of the tree because your look will go on this side and because the trees are supposed to be planted shifted in the final pot so that the major empty space is bigger and the trunks direction is obvious).




thanks for your interest in my trees

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hi Clem,
Um, sorry to disagree as I can see your intentions but...I think your roots into the empty space is backwards/wrong side.
So with the lean to the left you have, there are minimal roots to stabilise/balance the tree on the right.
If you have a look at trees in your area/gardens, you will notice that the bulk of the main roots would be stronger on the right. If a wind prone or leaning tree, the roots are on the opposite side to your picture.
Just looking at the picture, not trying to be rude or anything.
By the way, with Spring here now, I am getting excited to try out the techniques for JM cuttings you so kindly provided via blog.
Charles

 

[clem]

no problem ! i enjoy to discuss about aesthetics
In Kokufu albums you'll mostly find some trees with very well balanced nebari, but you also can find trees like you describe with big anchor roots on the opposite side of the movement. When you have a tree with a strong inclination ( = shakan style), i agree with you that it is better to have some big roots on the opposite side of the inclination, in order to have the feeling that the tree will not fall down, to have a good stability... ->

You can also find many trees going more or less in one direction, with roots going the same direction. I prefer those trees because the major empty space is more interesting when you have roots emerging on the same side of the tree's direction. You have this way more interesting focal points on the same side ->

 

[clem]

After a trimming yesterday, a little sapp bleading appear ->

 

[clem]

A few days ago, i added 2 Koto No Ito cuttings on the tree, to get the 3 trunk again.

A big & ugly root to cut ->


The big root cut and covered with paste ->


The wire to fix the new cutting in the good position ->


With the cutting in position ->


I added another little cutting in the back, to give more depth ->



The rootball of the 3 cuttings/ I tried to position the roots correctly ->


The repotting finished ->



I plan to cut the trunks like this later ->

 

[clem]

some news. The trees grow (pics taken on the beginning of July) ->


A small tree lost many roots (expect one) so i'm not sure i'll keep it later (i dunno yet) ->

The green line shows the living part ->

 

[clem]

Hello, i repotted this tree ->






Comparing to my other JM cultivars, it didn't grow very much and this Koto No Ito cultivar, in my experience, tends to lose roots for no reason... IMO, it isn't the best JM cultivar for Bonsai. I will see how it grows/evolves in the years to come