'Bonsai Baby'

[CrisisM0de]

I received this for my birthday, ordered from Mr Maple, arrived today. It is a 'bonsai baby' and I am totally perplexed. I have no idea what the point of this tree is? It isn't a baby, it has not one low branch to work with, and appears to be FULL of brown spot? My amur has suffered from brown spot this year, but its been easy to remove a leaf here or there, this thing is covered in it.



I am hoping for some help with what to do here, or some ideas of what I am supposed to have done with this tree? Am I missing something?

I am just sort of surprised and confused and thinking perhaps I'm not seeing something? Is this meant to be just grown and airlayered off?

I know when you order online its at your own risk, I'm not trying to complain!! I am just very confused... I also have decided my best bet for anything good is to wait for local bonsai shows.

Side note: the dirt clod next to it is not from the maple, that was a fern in June.

 

[hinmo24t]

i hear you. air layer that thang next spring

 

[penumbra]

Send it back to Mr Maple. No excuse for all of that brown spot.

 

[rockm]

A few things here...

Did you specify this tree was destined for bonsai, or just order a landscape tree? Important since complaining about no low branching on a landscape tree is silly. they are grown with no low branches so mowers, weed whackers kids and animals don't break them off. Unless you ordered a bonsai-specific plant, the no low branching thing is on you.

As for the brown spot, yeah, I'd complain, get a discount. It's not fatal and the tree will likely be fine next year.

As for airlayering, I'd forget it. I'd plant this one out in the ground for five years, then trunk chop it once a decent diameter and nebari are present. This is not an "out of the box" bonsai by any means. This is a slate to start a tree with. Start by planting it out--BTW and initial trunk chop by two thirds and leaving it in ground, will result in low branching that might be used for the future apex and in some cases new branches that can be used in a bonsai down the road...

Also, is this tree grafted? Did you ask for a graft that will work with bonsai? "bonsai grafted" trees from some specialty nurseries are grafts placed low on the nebari and not three inches up on the trunk. The low graft swells less and is less noticeable down the road. This outfit offers such grafts on certain material apparently

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[CrisisM0de]

@hinmo24t That was my first thoughts after getting over my confusion.

@penumbra They responded to my email and said it is not brown spot and that it is just the tree in summer. They said it will clear up...

@rockm

Acer palmatum 'Bonsai Baby' Dwarf Japanese Maple Seedlings

You can buy Bonsai babies seedling Japanese maple trees online mail-order. Bonsai babies seedlings are a beautiful non-grafted dwarf green Japanese maple that is excellent for patio containers and bonsai. A purchase of a Bonsai babies seedling miniature Japanese maple is a true investment in...

mrmaple.com

I did not specify that it is for bonsai because they themselves have called these 'bonsai babies', describe them as perfect to start with, and show pictures of trees with low branching. And they tell me I had to double make sure that I told them that... just seems strange is all. I understand it is on me and I am sure Mr Maple is fantastic, it looks like they have a lot of great stuff, but I guess this just feels not good...

Anyway, questions for you: why would you forget air layering? I am thinking planting it over a rock in the fall here and then are you saying to do an initial 2/3rds chop next spring, or after the 5~ years ?

I linked the tree above, it is not grafted.

 

[Shibui]

I believe that 'Bonsai Baby' is a cultivar of Japanese maple, just like 'Bloodgood', 'Seryu' and 'Shishishagira' are cultivars. I can see that Mr Maple has even trade marked the name. The name can obviously lead to some confusion. They have specified that the variety is ideal for bonsai but have not actually said that every individual has been grown with bonsai in mind. There's even a statement toward the end about expected size when planting as a landscape tree. It is a pity but I guess they treat all their trees the same and prune them as for landscape trees. To me it looks a bit like they are sailing as close as possible to misleading advertising in order to sell stock without actually lying outright.

Sounds like you have already tried for a refund and been denied. You could try harder or look at options for using what you have.
Layering JM is easy and often recommended but, in my experience, the structure rarely results in good material. Even branches that look promising usually end up too stiff, awkward and with little taper. Really good JM bonsai take a lot of dedication growing right from the base.
Having said that I think I probably would opt for a layer in this case. The base should sprout and may give branch options with at least a few years' start on trunk and roots. The top section might possibly yield something immediately or it may take a number of years of cut and grow to achieve a good tree. If you are not quite as fussy about really high quality bonsai design the top should allow a quicker mallsai type bonsai even sooner.

Good luck with the development options.

 

[rockm]

@hinmo24t That was my first thoughts after getting over my confusion.

@penumbra They responded to my email and said it is not brown spot and that it is just the tree in summer. They said it will clear up...

@rockm

Acer palmatum 'Bonsai Baby' Dwarf Japanese Maple Seedlings

You can buy Bonsai babies seedling Japanese maple trees online mail-order. Bonsai babies seedlings are a beautiful non-grafted dwarf green Japanese maple that is excellent for patio containers and bonsai. A purchase of a Bonsai babies seedling miniature Japanese maple is a true investment in...

mrmaple.com

I did not specify that it is for bonsai because they themselves have called these 'bonsai babies', describe them as perfect to start with, and show pictures of trees with low branching. And they tell me I had to double make sure that I told them that... just seems strange is all. I understand it is on me and I am sure Mr Maple is fantastic, it looks like they have a lot of great stuff, but I guess this just feels not good...

Anyway, questions for you: why would you forget air layering? I am thinking planting it over a rock in the fall here and then are you saying to do an initial 2/3rds chop next spring, or after the 5~ years ?

I linked the tree above, it is not grafted.

"Bonsai baby" is NOT a designation for bonsai. It is a specific variety (or cultivar) of Japanese Maple, just like "fireglow," "Koonara Pygmy" and "Kotohime." It doesn't designate how its grown. The particular "bonsai baby" cultivar got its name because it has specific growth habits that CAN make it suitable for bonsai.

As for air layering, skip it because it's a blind alley for bonsai. You'd be air layering an uninteresting trunk and wasting mostly a year (or two or three if your air layers don't take), on developing the main trunk you paid for. Beginners often think air layering provides "free material" when it really doesn't. Costs you time and resources. Allow at least five years of in ground development (longer in a pot) to develop trunk diameter and roots. Chop the top two thirds off five years from now, start a new top leader with a new sprout towards the top of the tree.

Also forget the root over rock thing. It's a waste of time for you at this point. To look good, specific measure have to be taken with strapping the roots to a decent rock (which aren't all that common). If you want to go that route, get seedlings, not a tree this large. Roots are more pliable and the bottom of seedlings' trunks can develop closer to the stone, instead of perched on top, as larger trees look.