chopping off straight branches off Kiyohime maple

[tanlu]

Hi,

I purchased a Kiyohime maple last summer at a regular nursery and I'm planning to repot it this spring into a bonsai pot. It has a massive base for it's size. I chopped off much of the foliage down to the most inner nodes that still have a bud. Some of the branches are still quite thick and straight, so I was wondering if I should just chop those off closer to the trunk? Is it best to make the chop at the internodes or can it be wherever I need it to be?

T

 

[Shimpaku]

A pic would be helpful, but just keep in mind that you can always take away, but putting back is a whole different story. God knows I have taken stuff off that I regretted....deeply.

 

[Bill S]

If this is the first whack at the roots you might want to think training pot / grow box. To grow roots and branches in a smallish pot will hinder it.

 

[tanlu]

Here are some photos of before (1st photo taken last summer) and after I chopped off the branches (chopped in November and repotted last week). Its buds are now opening into those beautiful red spring colors that Kiyohime are known for, which I take is a good sign. I don't have any plans to thicken the trunk any further. Right now I just want to develop better surface roots, and create a more twiggy structure. My main concern was that cultivars aren't as rebust as the species, so I decided to take it slowly. The idea that one can trunk chop these things still blows my mind. I'm so used to working with pines!

T

 

[raydomz]

Good work, although I must say this wasn't was I was expecting to see when I read the word "chop".
You're definietly lucky to already have a nice branch structure, the twiggy structure you want to develop won't take long from here. The surface roots however might take consideribly longer. Esepcially in a training pot.
I say, unless you REALLY have to have better surface roots and don't mind waiting the years then, just enjoy the tree! It looks great so far and from what I can tell, that includes the roots as well.
Keep us posted as the leaves open up, these always look so nice in spring color.

 

[Bonsaiforlife]

The branches still look small enough to wire and put some movement in them. Just a little movement will go a long way.

 

[tanlu]

Thanks everyone for the encouraging replies! The thing is, I can't really bend the thicker branches, which was why I wanted to chop them. I also read that Kiyohime are quite brittle.

 

[jk_lewis]

I think I'd try to wire some of those interior branches to try to hide that very distractive "V" crotch. It looks like the tree is going to split in half.

 

[tanlu]

jkl, that's a good point I had forgotten about. I'll see what I can do.

 

[Ang3lfir3]

I would use DSCF1272.jpg (the third image) as the front .... tilt the tree to the right a little ...

one of the secrets of bending larger more brittle deciduous branches is to work them slowly....and softly bending them back and forth... you want to slip the cambium loose this will allow you to bend them... slow is the key here and if it doesn't get easier you are likely to break them...

If you work to get some back budding going on as well you can use that to help restructure the tree... I see a few branches that should go and some that would look best worked back in closer...

there is a tree in there... just spend some time looking at it and maybe play with some virts.... you'll see it... getting there takes time...