deshojo maple

[barrosinc]

I just got my hands on a deshojo maple. Very very hard to find in Chile, they aren't even up for sale... I was even asked not to reproduce to sell them, only give to people that really live bonsai.

I started loving these trees since I saw red leaved seigens in peter adams book, then Walter Palls deceased deshojo and BVFs shishio (thanks for showing the whole process Brian, daily inspiration).

Do I treat these as regular maples? Or is there anything else that should be noticed? I am picking it up on Wednesday, pics as soon as I can.

I might be just in time to airlayer the top

My teacher got this for me and she was able to repot it about a month ago into a larger 5 gallon pot I believe in pure volcanic scoria (good idea, bad idea... don't know).
Here is the "as received"

I might do a 360 of it now but I am thinking in airlayering the top, choose a new leader and let it grow some 2 or 3 years, it is actually like an inch thick. Get it to heal and give it a bit more taper.

Pics in a couple of days XD (super excited!!)

Edit: here is the now:

 

[0soyoung]

Congratulations, Max.

 

[M. Frary]

Yes congratulations! You got one!

 

[Eric Group]

Congrats on getting what you wanted! I feel similar as I recently FINALLY got a little Arakawa Japanese Maple a couple weeks ago... Really excited about it too...

You mentioned Walter Pall's Deshojo.. Personally I have always loved these trees as well bt it is funny you mention his... That Maple and his info on the tree is the reason why I have a NOT gotten a Deahojo.

http://walter-pall-bonsai.blogspot.com/2008/01/maple-fungus-problems.html

Bonsai is a longevity practice and a tree known to have a relatively short lifespan is not favorable for Bonsai. I have seen him talk about this before, and this little bit of info mentions the fungal issues, how it requires protection from rain... Don't live much past 25 years... So IOW, by the time one develops into a quality tree it is likely to be close to the end of it's life... Kind of sad. I hope you do not have this issue with your tree! It does make you think about how there are not many great examples of aged, really mature Deshojo bonsai though... None I have seen anyway, where there are numerous examples of spectacular aged Japanese Maples in multiple other varieties... Kind of seems to reinforce what Pall is saying about their short life span...

 

[Derek91]

There are improved varieties for both deshojo and chishio.however I can't find any info on what actually improved. I have both the improved varieties and haven't had any issues as of yet with either. Are the improved varieties more resistant to fungus? I dunno but if anyone does I'd love to know.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

My Chishio is the Improved cultivar as well, though I've never seen another Chishio, improved or not, as a comparison. Mine came from Gary Wood, maybe he will weigh in.

Congrats Max.

 

[barrosinc]

Thanks everyone, the truth is even if it lives 25 years, I want to look at it while I am alive hehheehe

I am working on regular palmatums none the less.

Please do not expect the greatest of trees, it needs work!

 

[M. Frary]

All trees need work Max. These are great trees. I wouldn't mind getting one for myself. Of course it wouldn't be nearly as hard for me to obtain one as it is for you. I'm thrilled you found one that didn't have to be smuggled in to you. Getting caught with contraband sucks.

 

[sikadelic]

it needs work!

Dont we all?

Congrats and enjoy it!

 

[barrosinc]

All trees need work Max. These are great trees. I wouldn't mind getting one for myself. Of course it wouldn't be nearly as hard for me to obtain one as it is for you. I'm thrilled you found one that didn't have to be smuggled in to you. Getting caught with contraband sucks.

Smuggling trees can get me into jail! So although it isn't a shindeshojo o shishio... I am better off that way.

Dont we all?

Congrats and enjoy it!

Thanks guys! By work I mean more than just ramification, it needs years in the ground to thicken still... it won't be close to a mature bonsai in at least 8-10 years.
I actually like that it needs a lot of work... I don't like paying a lot for a tree, I like to turn it into something nice by myself (with help)

 

[barrosinc]

this is it:

4oz superthrive for scale

 

[0soyoung]

Nice, acer palmatum, Max.

I don't think your pictured baby is a deshojo or shin deshojo or chishio, though. Spring leafs should all be solid coral red. Nevertheless, it should make into a nice bonsai for you.

 

[barrosinc]

It was completely red like a month ago! First leaves came out in august (28 or so)
The color of the little shoot 1 inch from the soil


Let me see if i can hunt down a picture.

 

[barrosinc]

Nice, acer palmatum, Max.

I don't think your pictured baby is a deshojo or shin deshojo or chishio, though. Spring leafs should all be solid coral red. Nevertheless, it should make into a nice bonsai for you.

I'm gonna use the ancient bonsai technique to discover if it is or not a deshojo... waiting.

It looked like this as bud swell:

 

[tmmason10]

Hmm tough call, but it looks like regular palmatum to me. It would help to see what it looked like fully leafing out. I don't have a deshojo so I'm certainly not an expert.

 

[barrosinc]

I saw it at my teachers bonsai yard. Color wise it looks nothing like the regular palmatums right next to it but that happens on some regular palmatums. I hope you guys are wrong

 

[barrosinc]

I don't know what to think anymore...

Brian or any other, approximately how long do the red leaves last for in spring after leafing out?

 

[Derek91]

The colors on my deshojo change pretty quickly.a month after leafing out in the spring and mine are almost entirely green like yours. it's gonna be impossible to tell if yours is a deshojo or not
Unless it's in peak color and even then it's gonna be tough to call it with certainty.

If I have a maple question unrelated to bonsai I'll look on the ubc botanical garden forums.go to http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/ then click on maples. seems to be the place where all the maple junkies are. I think that would be your best bet to identifying if it's a cultivar.

 

[barrosinc]

lighting conditions were really bad, so I am going to work the tree the same as what I was going to do anyway.......... and wait.

 

[Derek91]

The tree's leaf size,shape and color seems to be pretty consistent with mine a month after leafing out from what I can tell. Your new growth seem to have the coral color as well.nothing that I'm seeing screams that says it not A deshojo.