Good find or waste of money?

Rateeluck

Yamadori
Messages
83
Reaction score
137
Location
Maryland
USDA Zone
7a
I found these regular green Acer pals at Home Depot for $30/each. They have 1" to 1.25" trunks and are shaped to be garden trees. I've never seen just plain ol' un-grafted Acers at nurseries or big box stores around here.

I went ahead and purchased 4 of them with the intent of air layering the tops and to see what sprouts from the trunks when I chop em back. Good practice for a newb like me. Thoughts?

20210512_160832.jpg20210512_161026.jpg20210512_160921.jpg20210512_161100.jpg

Also snagged this kornus kousa for $60. Has a 1.5" trunk and low sprouts. I'm a sucker for dogwoods. I've seen kousas at nurseries half this size and for 2x or 3x the price.

20210512_161210.jpg
 

Rateeluck

Yamadori
Messages
83
Reaction score
137
Location
Maryland
USDA Zone
7a
Didn't waste any time and 2 days after I brought them home, I started the air layers on the Acers. If they root, I'll chop them at the end of next winter

20210515_115857.jpg20210515_125200.jpg20210515_125237.jpg20210515_131419.jpg20210515_132033.jpg20210515_132041.jpg
 

Paradox

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
9,338
Reaction score
11,405
Location
Long Island, NY
USDA Zone
7a
I cant see the branch structure because of the leaves so cant really tell what the potential is for a nice tree out of them.
However they are good for learning trees for doing the air layers.

*EDIT after second post*. Looks like you might get a decent tree or two out of them and one looks like it might make an interesting clump

Dogwood might have leaves that are a bit too big for convincing bonsai unless its a large tree. Not sure how well the reduce
 
Messages
1,502
Reaction score
3,139
Location
Eastern MA
USDA Zone
6B
I figured it would be safest for the stump and layered section. Would the stump survive a summer chop?

My understanding is that you'd want to remove the air layered section this fall, but any further chop may wait to the next spring. The air layer is already separate from the tree based on the bark being peeled off, so it's basically already been "chopped" if you will. I think all that bit will already be "healed" when you remove it in the fall, whereas any additional chopping would wait til spring so that it can heal as it heads into warmer months.

On this tree I'm trying a "pre-air layer" where I'm trying to get the base of where I will layer to swell before I make the cut. In this scenario, I'll leave the tubing and wire til next spring, and then cut the bark and pack it with moss or akadama to get the roots to grow before removing it in fall 2022. Goal is basically to encourage it to swell over the wire, so that it will already have a bit of a "nebari" to start with when I get to slicing off the bark and air layering.


0cmaWuj.jpg
 

Shibui

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
7,545
Reaction score
15,210
Location
Yackandandah, Australia
USDA Zone
9?
Would the stump survive a summer chop?
Usually no problem. The lower trunk may even sprout some shoots as a result of the layers.
good luck with maple cuttings I can grow lots of species but not AP cuttings.
It is worth adding a location to your profile as timing and technique can vary between different locations and zones.
 

Bnana

Chumono
Messages
641
Reaction score
672
Location
The Netherlands
USDA Zone
8
I have Cornus sanguinea in training and they reduce very well. The leaves are less than a fourth of their normal size. I don't know about C. Kousa but expect it to be similar.
 

Bnana

Chumono
Messages
641
Reaction score
672
Location
The Netherlands
USDA Zone
8
This is a prebonsai that started as a shoot in my garden. The big leave is from the same shrub that's still in the garden. So this is not only the same species, these are clones, parts of the same plant. So obviously Cornus sanguinea does reduce in leave size quite well.
IMG_20210901_123410.jpg


This is the same tree in a better perspective. It was pretty much a stick a year and a half ago. So it's not there yet but it's developing quite well (nebari is buried). This species does seem to have quite some potential.
IMG_20210901_123355.jpg
 

Rateeluck

Yamadori
Messages
83
Reaction score
137
Location
Maryland
USDA Zone
7a
Why wait? Just separate and do not look back
I did! All are currently surviving. 1 of the 4 stumps didn't survive but the rest branched out. All in all, turned the 4 trees into about 10. Will follow up with pictures
 

Rateeluck

Yamadori
Messages
83
Reaction score
137
Location
Maryland
USDA Zone
7a
3 stumps a few years later. Not sure they will be anything. Maybe the one with 2 leaders if I lop one off

20230316_170947.jpg20230316_170943.jpg20230316_170935.jpg
 

penumbra

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
9,377
Reaction score
15,841
Location
Front Royal, VA
USDA Zone
6
You should be very happy with the results. You may or may not be newish to bonsai, but you apparently come to it with either knowledge, intuition, or likely both.
 

Rateeluck

Yamadori
Messages
83
Reaction score
137
Location
Maryland
USDA Zone
7a
I am very new. I appreciate your kind words.
 
Top Bottom