Acer Palmatum 'Kotohime' photolog

[Shun]

Hello guys.. I always wanted an Acer Palmatum and ended up finding this Kotohime cultivar here in Brazil which is pretty uncommon.. Luckily I live in a place in Brazil on which we get autumn colours of deciduous trees.. So this is my first maple ever and I REALLY don't want to mess it up... I bought it yesterday and the bonsai shop which I got it from repotted it this season on pure inorganics so I think I better not touch it for one whole season... That will give me time to think about the next steps on the development of the species.. I am NOT familiar with Acers and any advice regarding caring for it and aesthetic development on my tree is more than welcome..! I guess I would even say its necessary!

She is sitting at 14 inches tall and about 3,5 inches on the base.. nebari aint perfect but Im not familiar with airlayering..

Thanks for any input... here comes the pictures!

















I was thinking on trying to airlayer one of the two trunks and grow a shohin from whats left or making it into a larger double trunk chuhin.. What are your thoughts?

 

[quietobserver]

Enjoy it for the first year or so and its future will come to you while you're caring for it. But I don't do much with new acquisitions for 2-3 years, except things health related like repotting or spraying. Slow and sready wins the race as the saying goes. Good luck and nice find!

 

[Bolero]

Hello, your KotoHime is a beautiful example with an outstanding Double Trunk, Very Dense Foilage and overall good
look...
Here is what I would suggest, Prune out some of the bottom foliage exposing more of the Double Trunk...
The tree has several Pad looking groupings of foliage Lightly Prune out inbetween the Pads giving them more definition Prune the top to more of a Flat look...I don't see any need for Wiring at this point...
Re-Pot to a shallow maybe 2 to 3 inch high at least as wide as the foliage width or more, same ground cover soil as shown presently...
When you re-Pot take the entire Soil/Tree mass out in one mass wire into the pot and go from there, you can do all this Now, just don't get into the Root system yet and keep the soil always Moist water at least every other day...
Beautiful KotoHime...you are fortunate.

 

[markyscott]

Here's some info about kotohime from the master. They're not known for their fall color, but they can develop beautiful tiny leaves. There's a nice shohin trunk line in there, but you might want to take your time and learn how to grow them first. According to Bill, cuttings strike easily and you can air layer them also. So you can propagate this also as you develop it.

 

[Shun]

Hello guys thanks for the inputs! I've seen that video from Mr. Valavanis but it is kinda short on the species.. I feel I need more literature on it to feel safe with it.. hehehe but thank you anyhow, Markyscott!


Mr. Bolero I have a pot that I'm really wanting to slip pot the maple onto.. Its about the same measurements but its oval, unglazed with a cream colour to it..

Its total height is about 3 inches but thats counting the feet and lip... I have about 1 inch of soil to fill it in... Is it safe to slip pot into it? Has 10 inches from front to back and 11 inches side to side


Oh... Pricing.. I paid about 60 USD on this pre-bonsai(???) material.. I feel thats a great value also! thanks again and keep the recommendations coming, please! hehehehe

 

[Shun]

..."They're not known for their fall color, but they can develop beautiful tiny leaves..."

"There's a nice shohin trunk line in there, but you might want to take your time and learn how to grow them first.."

That's too bad about the fall color.. Whats with it? They do not turn red? Just yellow? I'm in love with those bright red leaves contrasting with the whitish trunk photographs i see on the internet..!

And about the shohin trunkline.. Where exactly do you see it? could you show it to me?

 

[LanceMac10]

Learn how to keep it healthy first, however. And then....

a nice shohin trunk line in there, but you might want to take your time and learn how to grow them first.

 

[Shun]

hahahahha ok! i got it!

I was just curious..!

 

[markyscott]

...And about the shohin trunkline.. Where exactly do you see it? could you show it to me?

Certainly



No chopping necessary. But you have to build some low branches.

 

[Shun]

That looks great..! I contemplated that for a while also.. And thought of doing an airlayer on the left trunk to make a triple trunk maple (despite the bad photo there are three trunks).

And to build low branches the best way is to make loads of cuttings and thread graft them onto where i want it, right? but then also i would have to wait quite a few years to close the wound when the time comes to remove the left trunk. That is certainly a great option to keep in mind.. Maybe someday... Or maybe I will try to make it into a larger double trunk tree.. Time will tell!

Thank you very much for your opinion!

I've searched for pictures of Kotohimes in Fall to chek on their color but haven't been able to find.. Anyone ?

 

[markyscott]

That looks great..! I contemplated that for a while also.. And thought of doing an airlayer on the left trunk to make a triple trunk maple (despite the bad photo there are three trunks).

And to build low branches the best way is to make loads of cuttings and thread graft them onto where i want it, right? but then also i would have to wait quite a few years to close the wound when the time comes to remove the left trunk. That is certainly a great option to keep in mind.. Maybe someday... Or maybe I will try to make it into a larger double trunk tree.. Time will tell!

Thank you very much for your opinion!

I've searched for pictures of Kotohimes in Fall to chek on their color but haven't been able to find.. Anyone ?

Doesn't Bill show one in the video I linked? I think the fall color is nice - I didn't mean to say it was no good. It's just that on the spectrum of fall colors for Japanese maple, I don't think it's the nicest.

 

[Bolero]

Don't you dare cut or saw that trunk it's Classic Bonsai as is,,,
My KotoHime turns a beautiful Orange-Red in the Fall...
On getting it into the new pot, just get in there and then start raking it out, you don't want it more than about 2" above the Rim edge, trim out the bottom to accomplish this or use a 4" pot,,,

 

[vaibatron]

Hello, your KotoHime is a beautiful example with an outstanding Double Trunk, Very Dense Foilage and overall good
look...
Here is what I would suggest, Prune out some of the bottom foliage exposing more of the Double Trunk...
The tree has several Pad looking groupings of foliage Lightly Prune out inbetween the Pads giving them more definition Prune the top to more of a Flat look...I don't see any need for Wiring at this point...
Re-Pot to a shallow maybe 2 to 3 inch high at least as wide as the foliage width or more, same ground cover soil as shown presently...
When you re-Pot take the entire Soil/Tree mass out in one mass wire into the pot and go from there, you can do all this Now, just don't get into the Root system yet and keep the soil always Moist water at least every other day...
Beautiful KotoHime...you are fortunate.

Don't you dare cut or saw that trunk it's Classic Bonsai as is,,,
My KotoHime turns a beautiful Orange-Red in the Fall...
On getting it into the new pot, just get in there and then start raking it out, you don't want it more than about 2" above the Rim edge, trim out the bottom to accomplish this or use a 4" pot,,,

I'm not going to address these posts head on, but only say @Shun....don't do this.

 

[markyscott]

I'm not going to address these posts head on, but only say @Shun....don't do this.

I agree Shun. Do not prune away interior foliage. That's the stuff you want to keep. Japanese maple maintenance can be learned here.

http://www.bonsaiempire.com/courses/intermediate-course

Don't repot now and don't mound the soil above the rim of the pot. Proper repotting of a Japanese maple can be learned here.

http://www.bonsaiboon.com/pages/shopping/shopping-mpl-repot-retail.html

In one mans opinion, it's not a classical bonsai as is. It has some potential, it looks healthy, and I think it's a great tree to learn on. There are a number of directions you can take with it. Take the intermediate course on maintenance and watch boon's repotting video and you'll have a good start.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

View attachment 130141

Yes! If folks were forward-looking and bold enough to do this, the quality of bonsai in the US would be greatly improved.

 

[markyscott]

Yes! If folks were forward-looking and bold enough to do this, the quality of bonsai in the US would be greatly improved.

Or in Brazil even. Lol!

 

[sorce]

Or in Brazil even. Lol!

And for $60 bucks!

I think BVF was the only other gonna see that trunk line!

Friggin dope!

@Shun friggin dope!

Sorce

 

[BunjaeKorea]

Don't you dare cut or saw that trunk it's Classic Bonsai as is,,,
My KotoHime turns a beautiful Orange-Red in the Fall...
On getting it into the new pot, just get in there and then start raking it out, you don't want it more than about 2" above the Rim edge, trim out the bottom to accomplish this or use a 4" pot,,,

I agree....all it really needs is branch development and then refinement

 

[markyscott]

I'll explain the issues as I see them with the current trunk shape from the fronts you showed us. Of course, this is a matter of taste. But this is an important lesson I've painfully relearned many times over the years - start with the trunk first.


A) The split is shaped like cowboy legs. Not good for bonsai, but the Duke would be happy.
B) Also cowboy legs. But with dislocated hips. Not good for bonsai or the Duke.
C) All stick straight without movement or taper.

 

[markyscott]

C) All these sections are ramrod straight. No movement or taper
A) There's a good V-shaped split at A, but it's too high for twin trunk from this perspective. And the trunks above the split are straight and have no taper. Really, everything above this level is straight. No movement or taper. You can tell the grower just let it grow wild from this point. It's all young branches - some of them might only be a couple of years old. But nothing above A is usable in your final design.