Garden Japanese Maple and ugly graft

[ForThemWhatCare]

I cleaned up this garden Acer palmatum var. dissectum Japanese Maple and saw that huge ugly graft. I don't know if it can ever be beautiful but is it worth keeping to shape? And if so are there any choices still okay to do today or wait a season? I've already removed ~25% of the mass.

 

[Apex37]

I mean what's your plans with it? Are you wanting to bonsai it or keep it as a decorative yard tree? Usually grafts, unless done really well, aren't ideal in bonsai. I made the mistake when I was first starting out of buying a garden center JM that was grafted, but decided to keep it and have it in a really big pot to plant when we move into our first house.

If planning to bonsai, you could always air layer above the graft later down the road. Either way, beautiful tree!

 

[ForThemWhatCare]

Well, I'd love it if I could make it something that I could call "Niwaki". Can one follow Bonsai principles for developing a garden tree into something that already exists in the garden? And I agree about avoiding buying nursey stock for JM. My actual JM bonsai tree I'm working on was grown from seed.

 

[Sunwyrm]

If you're just planning on niwaki-ing it, I would just hide it with some well placed branches, that can at least take the eye away from it. Looks like you already have branches in place for that so keep on doing what you're doing!