First attempt at a maple forest -- any advice?

[Mithrandir]

Hi everyone,

I'm relatively new here, but not to the world of Bonsai. After a few years absence (lost my collection in a bad weather event and for the most part, broke my heart) I've plunged back in and realised that an old forum I frequented had shut down -- which is really, really sad. Anyway, i've decided to get back in slowly and limit my collection to a Chinese elm, however, I want to make my first attempt at a forest.

Maples are really, really hard to come by here (besides Jap's) and I managed to pick up an Amur (actual seedling) and Trident (cuttings) as well as having a go at a few Japanese maple seedlings. My plan for the spring which is about to start, is propogagate as many of the maples as I can, and let them grow for a year (at least).

So my question is, for those who have first-hand experience with maples as bonsai -- how do you think I should best attack this approach? Just propagate and let grow, and how likely are they the trunks to thicken up once in a pot? I don't have an issue waiting a few years, however just want to know what to expect with the maples once they're in the bonsai pot. Also, anyone done a forest with different types in the one set up?

 

[RKatzin]

I have been at it for a while and I've tried a few different approaches. Maples are very forgiving and will turn out nice in spite of your worst efforts.
I have worked a lot of seedling stock that I have found growing in landscapes around town. I would collect about 300 to start off with. They're quite fragile and the mortality rate is high. Plus they will vary a lot in color and leaf so you get a good look see.
Bare with me if I get long winded, it's a project of many facets, but I'll try to stay tight to the rail. LOL I'd figure one third will not make the first summer, and another third will not make the winter. So, collect thirty and figure on ten to start with.
I have planted all ten (as many as thirty) in a flat and let them grow together.
I have put them in individual pots. Three inch to begin. I take what seedlings I gathered in the spring, put them in small pots. When they show roots I bump them up. By fall they're in six inch one gallon pots.
I have planted my forest at this stage, putting it together the following spring.
Or grow them on. I have best luck keeping them contained for three seasons, graduating up to ten or twelve inch pots. By the fourth season you should have some good size trees about three quarters of an inch in diameter.
Anyway you go, when the trees are put together in your forest settings it will greatly curtail their growth. If you want big forest make big trees first. Do some developmental adjustment, branch selection, root work ect. with forest placement in mind.
Ok, that ought to get you rolling.

 

[VAFisher]

Also, anyone done a forest with different types in the one set up?

Not different types of maple, but I have a maple/sweetgum forest that's in its second year. Mine were all collected seedlings that I grew together in groups of 3 or 4 and then joined into the planting you see here. I think it's only ok as far as tree placement and could be much better. The forests I like the most have really variable spacing between trees with some almost touching. So do whatever you can to prepare the roots to be compact enough to allow total freedom when placing the trees in the final planting. And get some of them really close together.

I think I did a little better on this one, although they aren't maples. These are all cuttings that I grew in small pots individually for a year. It has a ways to go developing branches but I like the tree placement a ltitle better than the sweetgum/maple planting.



First efforts will probably suck but each additional try will get better.

 

[Mithrandir]

Thanks @RKatzin and @VAFisher .

Really appreciate your advice. Those photo's look great too!

One question I do have is around obtaining more (besides Japanese) -- they are very difficult to come by here and I literally snapped up the last Amur maple when I was at the nursery. It's about 15cm tall and just coming back to life after winter. How easy do cuttings strike? I'm thinking of cutting it to 3, give them a few months and then around december, repeat?

If i can find more, i'll use them but for now it's obtaining enough of them which is the hard part.

Edit: Just to preface, it is quite a small cutting so hoping that softwood cuttings will strike.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

What old site?

Where you at in SoHem?

Sorce

 

[Mithrandir]

Welcome to Crazy!

What old site?

Where you at in SoHem?

Sorce

It was the old BonsaiTalk(?) forums -- so many great people were there. Not sure what SoHem is?

 

[sorce]

It was the old BonsaiTalk(?) forums -- so many great people were there. Not sure what SoHem is?

Southern Hemisphere!

SoHem....

It's only the second time I used it but hopefully it will catch on!

Sorce

 

[BeebsBonsai]

@sorce I like SoHem. I'll use it. As for the OP's question, I would recommend reading Peter Adam's book "Bonsai with Japanese Maples." It's relatively old, so keep that in mind when reading, but as for development, I have not seen a better resource. He gives clear instruction and a lot of great drawings to illustrate his method.

Also, if you are looking for heavy thickening, the consensus would typically be to grow them in their own pots until desired thickness is reached. Best of luck.

 

[RKatzin]

If you want to generate more trees from what you have you must first get them well established and growing vigorously. If you can I would suggest planting them in the ground or a large planter box if you don't have garden space. Give them a few years and you can take as many cuttings as you like without endangering the trees. Once they get to a good size you can chop them back for bonsai and still keep getting cuttings as you train them. Get that long-term vision going and build your stock. Best of growing to you, from the NoHem, where we got Maples busting out the wazoo!