Acer Palmatum Newbie

[CarsonH]

Hey guys, I have been interested in Bonsai for 5yrs now and have decided to join a community to grow and learn. I bought this Maple in San Fran in Japan Town last year. I am great at keeping trees alive I just would like some guidance on the next move with this tree.

Any comments or suggestions are very welcome!

Ogden, utah

 

[just.wing.it]

What is your end game?
What are you looking to end up with?
Got any drawings or virts?

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Looks like you have some looong internode runs.

I would take some cutting/layers with close internodes and get a proper start.

Looks like a pretty tree.

Sorce

 

[0soyoung]

I presume that you know that you'll have to shelter it over the winter. Roots cannot get much colder than about 15F or you will have a dead palmatum.

In the long haul of making a bonsai of this tree, I think you will likely want to eliminate the root graft. It may actually improve with age, but most likely is that it will become increasingly unattractive. So I expect air layering above the first branch (and maybe again higher up) is in the future. You could also air layer lower, but you risk loosing the whole tree if it goes wrong.

Regardless, enjoy your new tree.

 

[CarsonH]

I presume that you know that you'll have to shelter it over the winter. Roots cannot get much colder than about 15F or you will have a dead palmatum.

In the long haul of making a bonsai of this tree, I think you will likely want to eliminate the root graft. It may actually improve with age, but most likely is that it will become increasingly unattractive. So I expect air layering above the first branch (and maybe again higher up) is in the future. You could also air layer lower, but you risk loosing the whole tree if it goes wrong.

Regardless, enjoy your new tree.

I should start to Air Layer at the yellow line?

 

[CarsonH]

I presume that you know that you'll have to shelter it over the winter. Roots cannot get much colder than about 15F or you will have a dead palmatum.

In the long haul of making a bonsai of this tree, I think you will likely want to eliminate the root graft. It may actually improve with age, but most likely is that it will become increasingly unattractive. So I expect air layering above the first branch (and maybe again higher up) is in the future. You could also air layer lower, but you risk loosing the whole tree if it goes wrong.

Regardless, enjoy your new tree.

I have a cold frame that is heated when the temp drops below 35. Nothing is freezing and dying on me this year!

 

[CarsonH]

Is this a good example of Air Layering?

 

[0soyoung]

Is this a good example of Air Layering?

Yes, that is pretty much how it works. IMHO, it pays to wait a day or two after you've ringed the bark (girdled the stem) as insurance that you won't get bridging - there really isn't a reason to be in a hurry.
I doubt that the layer harvested in this video made it. You should expect roots to be obvious on the surface of the sphagnum so that your layer roots look something like this before you harvest and plant it.



Even though you can cut the girdle most anytime, wait until spring because not much of anything productive will happen until the tree has leafed out.

I should start to Air Layer at the yellow line?

Yes or maybe somewhat higher - imagine the part above the layer as a new tree.

Photosynthate (sugars) and the hormone auxin (aka 'rooting hormone') are produced by the foliage and deccend downward toward the roots in the inner bark (aka 'phloem'). You've stopped this flow when you have girdled the trunk, just like you chopped the trunk instead. Usually this will result in buds being released below the girdle/chop, but sometimes it just doesn't happen. The roots then must live on starches stored from the previous season - when these run out the roots die and so does the tree. If you don't have a layer with viable roots yet, you've lost everything. This is why I suggest that you layer at the yellow line - foliage below to feed the roots. In 2018, you may want to try to layer the lower part of the tree off the grafted roots - if so, and it fails, you've still got the good part of the tree you bought for bonsai; if not you will have two or three trees (the root stock is likely a generic red or green palmatum that actually is a good species for bonsai - just chop of the remnants of the grafted variety).

There's a lot more stuff about layering here on BNut you should read over the winter - just use that search box on the right side of the menu at the top of every page (take note of the check boxes in the drop down).

 

[CarsonH]

Are we able to air layer any type of Japanese maple?

 

[0soyoung]

Are we able to air layer any type of Japanese maple?

Pretty much, though some cultivars are extremely difficult: Higasayama in particular, for me.

Do you know the cultivar name of yours?
I can only tell that it is green-leafed, not variegated, and not a dissectum. So, I expect it readily roots.

 

[CarsonH]

Pretty much, though some cultivars are extremely difficult: Higasayama in particular, for me.

Do you know the cultivar name of yours?
I can only tell that it is green-leafed, not variegated, and not a dissectum. So, I expect it readily roots.

The tree pictured I am not sure of it but I have others I would like to try this with. My favorite tree by far is the Acer shirasawanum.

 

[0soyoung]

Acer shirasawanum is considered to be another species, separate from acer palmatum. They are most easily distinguished by samaras are borned above shirasawanum foliage, below palmatum foliage. Some shrasawanum cultivars that I am familiar with are full moon 'aurem' (aka golden full moon), autumn full moon, and 'Green Cascade'. Green cascade leaves are too large and don't reduce appreciably, whereas the other two are quite nice as bonsai (though all three can be layered fairly easily).

Regardless, try layering anything you have as it interests you.

I chose (and still choose) branches on my landscape specimens that I would otherwise lop off and throw away. So the only harm is that the 'eyesore' is still on the tree for an extra summer.