Further development of my Japanese Maple

[raffaelbaer]

Hi everyone,

I had a question about a project of mine that I want to continue on the way to becoming a bonsai, it's about an Acer Palmatum.
A quick note: I'm going to Airlayer off the top over the graft this spring to first get rid of this problem, next year (after Airlayering) it will be put on a stone slab to slowly build up the nebari.

Here is the current state of the tree:



And it should look something like this (at best in about 10-20 years):



Since the basic branch structure already exists to a certain extent, I asked myself the following question:

How could I get the trunk to the same thickness as my target tree?

Plan 1:
- let the tree grow freely for about 5-8 years
- when the trunk is the right thickness, cut it off at the "first cut point" and wire a new apex upwards
- extend this apex further and let it grow thicker again, when thick enough,repeat the same process as before
- When the appropriate final height is reached, start to refine and build up the branches further

Plan 2:
- Start developing the branch structure now, in the hope that the trunk will thicken over time
- Leave a long sacrificial shoot at the top and if necessary further down to thicken the trunk further
- In the meantime, continue to work on the actual branches and refine them

Which method would you choose and how can I achieve a better quality result?

Many thanks in advance for any help, no matter how small!
PS: does a grafting point like this actually grow over time, should I maybe even just leave it instead of removing it?

Best regards

And greetings From Munich, Bavaria
Raffael

 

[raffaelbaer]

Oh and just for better understanding, heres a image of the graft, which on my Image I provided before couldnt be seen as clearly...
Where exactly could I put my Airlayer, if I even should start it... Maybe it would heal over without having to remove the graft mark...

 

[PonderingSage:]

After the airlayer plant in with a tile under it in a large grow box or the ground. Then kinda forget about it for a few years as it grows out. Eventually, reduce it to build in taper buy trunk chopping it and regrowing it for a while.
There are Lots of good threads on this site about growing out trees.