Chop more?

ArtistWolf

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Japanese Maple, unknown variant. Just opening spring leaves. This fun tree has been in my possession for... Perhaps eight years. Was about a foot tall in a pot. I put it in the ground way back then. Anyways, the pic shows a branch I just chopped. Should I go even further down the length of it? I don't want a leggy, overly tall bonsai tree. But the trunk is pretty cool in the way it curves. Nice bark, too. Also, I pruned its root system more sparingly than I probably needed to... But I am trying to be gentle. Should I clobber the rest of this tree down as well? I live in Washington state zone 7.
 

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sorce

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Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce
 

ArtistWolf

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This picture shows the curve that I want to preserve. Would lose it if I cut that branch down any more.
 

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ArtistWolf

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I have made some crazy decisions with my other bonsai trees. I don't learn with plants very well unless it is the hard way. lol
 

ArtistWolf

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I read 'put it in the ground, leave it alone for a few years. It will gain some trunk girth.' So that is what I did.
 

0soyoung

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I would say more, but that is a bit superficial.
Unless you just like buying trees, I suggest
  • air layering the vertical part
  • cut back the nice sweep to the right and up to the just above the first node after it turns up
  • And I would also get rid of that little horizontal stub out there on the curve.
chopMore.jpeg.jpg

I think you can then choose whether this trunk you will be growing loops/spirals back around or does something different. IMHO, this is a great start for an interesting trunk - let your creativity loose!
 

ArtistWolf

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Thank you for the reply, very helpful! I need to buy root hormone to do the air layering. I am familiar with the process, but have never done it before. Is that area too thick to airlayer? I have read that airlayering is done to widths less than an inch. That spot is much thicker than that. I could measure the width there...
 

ArtistWolf

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Ok I just bought the hormone online. I am nervous to airlayer for the first time, but excited as well. This tree has been on my bonsai mind for many years and I don't want to mess it up!
 

ArtistWolf

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Ok just measured, the vertical, thicker trunk is exactly five inches in girth. Too thick to airlayer??? My pruners can't even cut that bad boy. Need circular saw from in-laws. Hehe
 

0soyoung

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Thank you for the reply, very helpful! I need to buy root hormone to do the air layering. I am familiar with the process, but have never done it before. Is that area too thick to airlayer? I have read that airlayering is done to widths less than an inch. That spot is much thicker than that. I could measure the width there...
The only issue related to thickness is that more tree will require more roots. There is not a lot of foliage on a thin stem, so the roots that would fill a quart bag of sphagnum will be plenty to support the tree. A 5-inch stem is likely a lot of tree that will require a whole lot of roots - it might take two or maybe even more seasons to grow enough roots before harvesting to have the layer survive.

We're birds of a feather! This season is the 10th anniversary or my first air layer. I then became an air layering maniac for several years and leaned enough to look back and thank my lucky stars that I didn't encounter any trouble at all with my first one. I still make air layers, every season. I don't need the trees, but I just cannot help myself.

If that is a standard green acer palmatum you've got, rooting hormone isn't a must-have. But if you do, 0.2% NAA (RooTone) or 0.3% IBA (Hormex) will get them kick started nicely. I've found RooTone at Home Depot. Hormex powder is available on-line at hormex.com

Read 'The Science of Air Layering' here on BNut.
 

ArtistWolf

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Ok, so weeks with a tiny twig are going to be seasons with the five inch hulk I am working with.
 

ArtistWolf

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But if for any crazy reason I loose my graft of don't obtain one, it is the main start that I am most enamored with.
 

0soyoung

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But if for any crazy reason I loose my graft of don't obtain one, it is the main start that I am most enamored with.
The 'main start' being that straight taperless tube I suggest you layer?

BTW, this isn't twitter. You can put more than 140 characters into a post.
 

ArtistWolf

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No, sorry, by main start I was meaning the original root system, everything below my airlayering. Typing on iPad without keyboard causes me to type terribly compared to usual.
 

cbroad

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@ArtistWolf
Just for a comparison, I started a Bloodgood JM airlayer on Father's Day of last year and it is ~3 inches wide and the section has about a 4x4' canopy. I have a lot of swelling going on but no roots yet. I do have a lot of ball like callousing going on and it's actually growing corky wings. Expect it to take a couple seasons at least and make the two horizontal slices pretty far apart so it doesn't bridge the gap within a couple seasons. I have pictures if you want to see mine.

Good luck!
 

0soyoung

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So, what you are after is the roots, then up, then swing to the right and up-ish - the same part I focused on in my suggestions. You could just get a saw now and cut off the part I suggested you layer instead. Go ahead, if that is what you want to do.

But, supposing you try to layer it like I suggested and you get to September of this year and find out you don't have any or enough roots. You have a choice to keep it and try again in 2018, or saw it off. What's the problem?

As far as the part you want to keep and develop is concerned, it doesn't matter whether you layer or saw it off. If you are wanting to get it out of the ground this year, though, all that tall tree will be very difficult to stabilize in a pot/grow-box. I'm assuming you are going to keep it in right where it is in the ground this year.

Regarding the air layer girdle, I suggest that you remove the ring of bark and scrape away all hints of green on the wood that you've exposed. Then walk away --> leave it open to the air for a few days. Assuming you are a working guy wait until the next weekend to 'bag it up'.

The standard thing to do is to pack damp sphagnum around the trunk and cover it with plastic. I use 1 gallon zip-lock bags that I split down two sides. I secure the bottom with a piece of wire, pack in the sphagnum and pull it all closed with a wire around the top. After 2 or 3 weeks, take the wire off the top and genty pull back the sphagnum. If you see little white rootlets, close it back up and look forward to September (you will see lots of white roots in the bag, without opening it, well before you harvest).

If you don't see little rootlets, continue pulling the sphagnum back until you can see the girdle. Make sure there is no growth on the wood. Remove any growth you find. Then close it back up. You're good to go.
 
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ArtistWolf

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Wow thanks so much. That gives me a good idea of what I can do. It is great to hear that a larger area of airlayering can be done. I am getting excited at the prospect! @cbroad Your pictures would be helpful, especially if they are of a thicker branch. Bonsai is an awesome journey!
 

cbroad

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I'll see what I can do, my pictures are on my tablet and I only have data for my phone, this will take some finagling...
 
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