Collected amur maple

DaveV

Shohin
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Hello bonsai enthusiats,
This is an amur maple that I collected from my garden this spring. The tallest branch on the right was further reduced to match the one on the left. My question is, do I let it grow out this year or should I start cutting back now and how much. Any other suggestions or comments are very much welcome. Thanks!

Dave

P.S. How do I submit photos as smaller files ?
 

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amkhalid

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Nice tree Dave, you have the makings of a nice natural looking maple there.

If it was my tree, it looks healthy enough to start with branch selection and maybe some light wiring, then reduce the stumps in the late fall/winter.

I might consider removing the second heavy branch on the left (fall/winter)... looks to be directly above the one below it? I also might shorten the tallest one a bit and start a new apex.

Amurs are tanks, but they have a reputation of dying back now and then. Keep it healthy, dont let the apex dominate, and start working on the primary branching.

Hows the nebari? Any pics from other sides?

Cheers!
 
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DaveV

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Thanks amkhalid, I agree, the left heavy branch should be removed -will do in the late fall. The nebari is questionalbe. I bought this tree at a nursury 1/2 off because it did not look to be doing very good - I liked the double trunk that why I bought it. I planted it in the ground for the first 2 years and dug it up this spring. It was then that I noticed that the root close to the surface died and new roots started down below. I was afraid to cut off all the lower roots seeing that the ones higher on the trunk did not look good. To make the story short most of the root mass is below the nebari - there is not much root mass immediately below the soil line. I might have to keep it in a deep pot.
 

Tiberious

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Dav,
Nice start on this amur! This is a really good species to work with; it is definately one of my favorites. I have a thick trunked amur I am working on branching at the moment. If you can you want to wire bends in the branches right as soon as they harden off. Then let the lower branches grow out quite a bit to gain girth (probably for at least 2-3 seasons in a pot, less in ground. After you obtain thickness, cut back to thick stubs to produce forking and ramification. Keep the top in check while or else the branches up top will be thicker than the lower ones. Adventageous buds will keep appearing at branch crotches and throughout the trunk; rub these off and also any ones you dont want. Amur can take a heck of alot of root pruning, in addition, it is very cold tolerant. You will have yourself a fine tree in just a few years if you don't let it get away from you as they are prolific growers. Heres a good link on developing amurs if you haven't already seen it.

http://rgbonsai.com/amurearly.htm
 

DaveV

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Thanks Tiberious. I will follow your advice. I do have two question.

1.Do you feel the second top branch on the left should be removed. If so, this fall?

2. Should I start removing unwanted branches now ( only keeping the ones for the final design) ?

The reason I asked the second question is that I was thinking more growth above would produce more and stronger roots below.

Thank you.

Dave
 
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Tiberious

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Thanks Tiberious. I will follow your advice. I do have two question.

1.Do you feel the second top branch on the left should be removed. If so, this fall?

2. Should I start removing unwanted branches now ( only keeping the ones for the final design) ?

The reason I asked the second question is that I was thinking more growth above would produce more and stronger roots below.

Thank you.

Dave

There are many different styling directions you could take for this tree depending on personal preference and style. Whatever you decide, you should chop off where indicated by the red lines in pic 1 because of the swellings above these areas. If it was mine I would probably choose a single leader; preferrably the one you are opting to chop off and I would cut the rest outside of the branch collars shown in pic 2. I say this only because the all the branches look pretty thick relative to the trunk.
To answer your other question; I would remove any branches in mid summer because you will get rapid thickening growth of the new leaders at this time and they will heal faster. I have had good success doing this with amur. Good luck!
 

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DaveV

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Thanks for your advice, Tiberious!

Sincerely,

Dave V.
 

elroy

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similar amur maple

I have a similar amur maple. I left three upright "sub-trunks" to get a natural maple shape. My problem is following the chops last spring, most of the new bud break and branch growth was near the top of the sub-trunks. How can I push the growth down the full length of the sub-trunks? Any suggestions?

Elroy
 

TheSteve

Chumono
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keep cutting the new foliage back to one or two sets of leaves. Sooner or later it will back bud.
 

Tiberious

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I've had no trouble at all getting buds esp lower on the trunk. When it is happy and established, it will give you more buds than you know what to do with!
 

Tiberious

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Do you have any pictures of your amur maple, Tiberious ?

Ok here is one of my amurs in early development. Last season was spent growing out the small branches and the top trunkline. The problem in my experience with amur has been too much budding at the expense of rapid branch thickening. The 3rd photo shows buds on lower trunk and all around existing branches; thats why I am trying to be more diligent this year about removing all the ones I don't want early on. It is just starting to bud cause its still in the 30s at night here. My camera is horrible so please excuse the bad photos!
 

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