Acer Palmatum 'Kotohime' photolog

[markyscott]

C). Same issues can be seen from this angle. Everything above where the trunks split is straight and without movement or taper. That doesn't hold a lot of interest from my perspective.
A). The interest is down here in the lower trunk. It has taper, but from this perspective, not a lot of movement. A little bit boring from this angle



But this one is interesting. It has taper. It has movement low to the ground. The movement continues up the trunk. This trunk line could make a nice shohin. In fact. It's very reminiscent of another shohin I've seen somewhere.

 

[markyscott]

Of course - this is your tree to do with as you will and beauty is a matter of perspective. So this is just how I see things. But I don't recommend cutting 90% of the trunk away lightly. But I also don't recommend doing anything drastic now. As I said, see if you can keep it healthy and in a pot first. I'm not sure what your experience level is or how much you've worked with deciduous trees, but if you're just starting out, just learn out to repot and water properly and what kind of soil choices you have. Learn how to protect the interior buds on Japanese maples, how to wire and build branches. The design stuff will keep and may evolve presenting you some more choices over the next couple of years. And as you gain experience and grow in the art, your tastes will change too.

 

[discusmike]

I think you should just shorten the top n leave it as a broom,learn care n keep plant healthy,at least for now

 

[thumblessprimate1]

This has a nice looking trunk. Is Kotohime finicky like some maple cultivars? I only know that this is very vertical as far as growth habit, and I've heard that branches can be brittle. I think @markyscott 's various maple threads can be very handy in development of this tree. It's so nice to know that I was seeing the same trunk line as Scott and Brian.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Scott is right, but you need to follow the advice of people who have trees you admire. I happen to admire Scott's work.

Here's the reality: in this stock, you have a sweet shohin or a mediocre medium-size bonsai. Do you have the fortitude to make this material into the best bonsai it can be?
I didn't always...

But I do now...

 

[MACH5]

This has a nice looking trunk. Is Kotohime finicky like some maple cultivars? I only know that this is very vertical as far as growth habit, and I've heard that branches can be brittle. I think @markyscott 's various maple threads can be very handy in development of this tree. It's so nice to know that I was seeing the same trunk line as Scott and Brian.

T, Kotohime does not seem to be finicky at all. Back buds profusely, vigorous growth and from what I understand air layers with ease. I have a real nice one I purchased from Bill (thread to come) and it's a wonderful cultivar. Growth is very vertical and probably the only "drawback" but there are ways around this issue. Autumn color is not reliable but now and then it can be achieved. Spring color is beautiful!!

 

[Bolero]

Shun...,Here is a Link to a Master Koto Hime Gardener-Collector...Clive Taylor, and he assisted BV in his KH efforts...
Review this link and you will see many KH examples with multiple trunks going on and Variations of Foilage that you could experiment with...

I believe the advice you have received re Chopping the trunk is valid but only if you want to experiment with New trunk movement...and are willing to wait years to see what developes ...

My opinion is that you already have an excellent KH, you just need to refine somewhat to bring out the trunk lines and Foilage & develop a Look or Style that appeals to you...
Personally I prefer the Natural look....

https://valavanisbonsaiblog.com/201...maple-propagation-bonsai-training-techniques/

Here is another multiple trunked KH that I lifted from the InterNet...

 

[markyscott]

...Here is another multiple trunked KH that I lifted from the InterNet...

View attachment 130213

This is Bill Valavanis' Kotohime. It was developed from air layer taken off a rooted cutting struck in 1970. It's a nice tree - one of four great bonsai created from this single cutting. Actually, I think this might be the base from which the other layers were taken. You can read all about its development and see some of the development photographs in Classical Bonsai Art starting on Page 40. Compare that starting material to what you have for a clump style tree.

Look specifically at the trunk lines. They split down low. And the splits are V shaped. No cowboy legs. Taper was not there originally, but It was built over the years by successive cut backs of the three main trunks. I'd like it more if there was better taper on the center trunk, but the two side trunks have great taper. There is excellent movement down low where the trunk splits to form the trunks. It had a lot of these features from the start. Excellent example. Thanks for sharing this.

 

[Shun]

I really like Markyscott design and plans for a shohin.. That sure will make a fine bonsai over time and good care..! One thing that I wanted to say is that I'm all for the naturalistic style trees such as Walter Pall's maples.. But I can't see it being done to that shohin trunkline.. I just cant see branch placements to turn it more naturalistic and less "japanese tradicional bonsai" (weird because I am japanese decendant.. go figure.. hehehe)


I completely agree on the lack of taper and about the straightness of the branches... My idea was to cut all the branches short and rebuild it from there.. kinda like this:

My other concerns on leaving the current lower trunklike as is.. is regarding the uninteresting left trunk it has.. and I have three trunk/branches coming off of that left trunk (I thought about airlayering it and making a triple trunk/clump style bonsai in the future)


Thank you so much all, for the inputs!

I am really opening my eyes to all considerations and it is very helpful..!

I am new to bonsai, been playing with it for a year and my only experience with deciduous trees is my first tree ever bought.. a Prunus Serrulata I'm currently taking care of.. I'm familiar with repotting, defoliation and the very few basic techniques.. Anything more advanced I'm not very familiar with. I was interested in enrolling for the BonsaiEmpire courses and a book here and there but its still very expensive here.. 60 USD is a rather hefty amount of money here in Brazil, we are in the middle of an economical crisis..


And lastly, sorry about the bad English!

 

[0soyoung]

sorry about the bad English!

 

[Shun]

I can see something like this in the shohin trunkline..

I don't know if it is possible.. But i think so.. With enough time..

 

[Dalmat]

I am really opening my eyes to all considerations and it is very helpful..!

Or you can tilt that pot or put a wooden wedge under the one or the other side of the pot and a whole new world will open in front of you.

 

[markyscott]

I can see something like this in the shohin trunkline..

I don't know if it is possible.. But i think so.. With enough time..

Nice thought, Shun. With deciduous trees in general and kotohime in particular, you may want to consider building a more upright branch structure. That would be a bit more natural and take advantage of the trees natural growth habit. And this is just one thought. Others will come. Take your time and enjoy the journey. Strike a few cuttings, take a couple of layers and you'll soon have lots of material to work with.

 

[vaibatron]

I can see something like this in the shohin trunkline..

I don't know if it is possible.. But i think so.. With enough time..

I think you got it!

 

[Shun]

Nice thought, Shun. With deciduous trees in general and kotohime in particular, you may want to consider building a more upright branch structure. That would be a bit more natural and take advantage of the trees natural growth habit. And this is just one thought. Others will come. Take your time and enjoy the journey. Strike a few cuttings, take a couple of layers and you'll soon have lots of material to work with.

@markyscott A more upright branch structure being more in the lines like this? (I, personally, liked it better this way)



Or even more upright..?

Also, I feel from this projection something lackin on the lower right.. bellow the second branch... leave it like that or try to make a back branch to fill that gap? but the back branch would have to be very low to make it slightly upright and covering that spot.. How do you feel about it, overall?

Thank you so much for all the attention you are giving to a newbie like me!

I really appreciate it!

 

[markyscott]

@markyscott A more upright branch structure being more in the lines like this? (I, personally, liked it better this way)



Or even more upright..?

Also, I feel from this projection something lackin on the lower right.. bellow the second branch... leave it like that or try to make a back branch to fill that gap? but the back branch would have to be very low to make it slightly upright and covering that spot.. How do you feel about it, overall?

Thank you so much for all the attention you are giving to a newbie like me!

I really appreciate it!

Hi Shun. That's better. In the spirit of a study in design, I'll offer a couple of suggestions. First, when placing branches, try to not place them all at the same angle. It creates a parallel look and a sense of symmetry that is not that attractive. I like it organized, but not symmetrical. Often people will place branches so that they emerge slightly upward from the trunk, but are bent slightly downward on the lower branches and more upright in branches higher on the tree. Consider the second of these shohin examples from Walter Pall:

http://walter-pall-bonsai.blogspot.com/2008/12/two-shohin-japanese-maples.html

And here's another. This is a Korean hornbeam, but it's trunk line shares some characteristics with your maple.

http://www.artofbonsai.org/gallerie...us_turczaninovi_shohin_18_antique_chinese.jpg

See how the branches on these two examples start off slightly downward and then become more and more upright as you move toward the apex? Note also how the branches have movement right as they emerge from the trunk and branches start very close in. The branches are tapered, continuously along the stem from where they emerge from the trunk to the branch tip. In terms of scale, the length of the lower branches is about as long as the trunk is tall. Why is that? How does that influence your perspective or sense of scale? The canopy is shaped into a very broad dome.

Contrast that branch structure to this one:
https://johnarmitagebonsai.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/24.jpg

A beautiful JM shohin bonsai to be sure. One that many of us would be proud to have. But the main branches are pretty parallel and horizontal. I'd like it even better if the branches didn't convey such a strong sense of symmetry.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Something to consider if this is an expensive cultivar for you or rare for your location. Instead of just cutting off branches, consider air layering. That way you could have something to graft branches from when you might need that.

 

[Shun]

Oh... I get it... And agree completely yet again.!

The assymetry brings a sense of naturality that I'm looking for..! I really like that Korean Hornbeam look..! And I also see that it doesn't follow strict rules such as "no branches on the inside of the curve".. It has many branches which gives that little tree a sense of strenght that I also admire! It is now bookmarked as an inspiration to my own tree..! Maybe someday i can achieve something similar to it!


And yes, I plan on airlayering all branches that I cut off! Its is a "rare" cultivar in Brazil. And save some cuttings also if root grafting is needed. The best time to airlayer is in the end of spring? Or in the beggining of it?
Thank you!

 

[thumblessprimate1]

I air layer after leaves harden.

 

[Shun]

In all of its naked glory..
I plan on airlayering the left trunk as soon as more leafs pop up.. its just starting to awake. It looks from he picture to be a double trunk but its actually three trunks so I thought on making a triple trunk "clump"