Field Maple

[wwtigraww]

hi guys. have this pretty field maple that we saved from the building site. it's been in the pot outside for a year now, meant to repot and chop the top of it last autumn, but broke my leg and just about walking now, to do anything about it.
is it too late? it's just starting growing leaf buds no leaf opened yet, I'm in Ireland.
Please help can I still do either repotting or chopping or is it too late?

 

[Woocash]

I don’t want to give false advice ‘cause I’m a noob too, but if the leaves aren’t out yet then repotting can still be done. If it’s only been in the pot for a year you can wait til next year to regain some more vigour first though. FYI it’s a sycamore, Acer pseudoplatanus, not a field maple. They’re not commonly used for bonsai because of leaf size so this probably needs to do some growing to create a larger bonsai really.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Looks like a field maple to me, and it's grafted so maybe a special variety, too. There are varieties and varieties.

 

[wwtigraww]

definitely not grafted because I found it growing on a side of the building site hole lol. it definitely looks it, not sure did it get a damage there or how. these are last year photos it's just budding now. where would you think I should cut? thinking just over the wave part and leave the side sacrifice?

 

[BrianBay9]

First thing you want to do is get a trunk that's the size you want. If the trunk is smaller than you'd like then just let the thing grow, unpruned, until the trunk thickens up. If the trunk is as thick as you want, then consider pruning back the center trunk in that last pic. Looks like buds are moving but leaves are not out. You could prune now.

 

[Forsoothe!]

I'm usually in for the long haul, so I don't insult twice close together. I wouldn't trim the top until after foliage hardens off, mid June in SE MI, then cut hard to your final main architecture before second flush.

 

[wwtigraww]

I'm usually in for the long haul, so I don't insult twice close together. I wouldn't trim the top until after foliage hardens off, mid June in SE MI, then cut hard to your final main architecture before second flush.

after washing and basic trimming what you think

 

[wwtigraww]

I'm usually in for the long haul, so I don't insult twice close together. I wouldn't trim the top until after foliage hardens off, mid June in SE MI, then cut hard to your final main architecture before second flush.

forgot the photo going to go with your recommendation and leave it alone until mid summer. found two tiny buds in under the top branches so hopefully future leader unless better even lower appear.

 

[Woocash]

Nope, sycamore. Spent my childhood climbing them. They grow like weeds over here.