Defoliating in January

[bonsai barry]

I'd like to defoliate this maple in order to work on branch structure. Would there be any ramifications of doing this in January? I live in a mild climate. I expect we'll get about ten days below freezing before spring. It stays outside all year.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

It hasn't dropped its leaves? I live in Southern Cal and all my maples drop their leaves...

 

[Smoke]

I would take all the leaves off right now. Cut them off, do not pull any. The buds will be right there and too much stress on pulling will break them right off.

This is a dicy time now. I seen Morro Bay was 70 yesterday.

In the future if the leaves have not fallen by Nov. 15th. take them off manually. These trees need to rest, and a defoliation on Jan. 17th with temps that high may stall the spring flush. If you don't defoliate you may not get a good budding as the tips won't produce the correct auxins to stimulate the buds.

 

[bonsai barry]

I would take all the leaves off right now. Cut them off, do not pull any. The buds will be right there and too much stress on pulling will break them right off.

This is a dicy time now. I seen Morro Bay was 70 yesterday.

In the future if the leaves have not fallen by Nov. 15th. take them off manually. These trees need to rest, and a defoliation on Jan. 17th with temps that high may stall the spring flush. If you don't defoliate you may not get a good budding as the tips won't produce the correct auxins to stimulate the buds.

Thanks, Al. I'll do it tomorrow.

 

[milehigh_7]

I would take all the leaves off right now. Cut them off, do not pull any. The buds will be right there and too much stress on pulling will break them right off.

This is a dicy time now. I seen Morro Bay was 70 yesterday.

In the future if the leaves have not fallen by Nov. 15th. take them off manually. These trees need to rest, and a defoliation on Jan. 17th with temps that high may stall the spring flush. If you don't defoliate you may not get a good budding as the tips won't produce the correct auxins to stimulate the buds.

Wow I guessed right! My leaves were not falling off of some my trees so I cut them off in Nov. Maybe all these years of reading and trying to learn is soaking in!

 

[bonsai barry]

Here is the same tree defoliated.