Hedge Maple (Acer Campestre) 3 Year progression

[cheap_walmart_art]

Thought I would post a small progression here to share the moves I have mad eon this tree. This is a hedge maple I got when I first started the hobby in fall of 2017. I purchased it from www.evergreengardenworks.com. Here it is on arrival with a salix and acer palmatum.



I immediately put all of these trees into grow boxes, I believe I used bonsai jack soil at the time.




I kept it in the grow box and fertilized using 9:1 cottonseed to kelp powder in tea bags with weekly feedings of fish emulsion. Here is the tree in summer 2018:



I kept up with the feeding in the grow box and by 2019, I decided I'd pull an air layer off of here. Here it is with the air layer set up (the layer was a huge success - I will be raising it as a more naturalistic styled maple)
Pic from June 2019



By March of this year, the grow box was coming apart pretty bad and I wanted to step the tree down to a mica training container. Here are some pics from the repot back in March:

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Which brings us to Spring this year. I had allowed it to grow out and harden off - but I don't have pics of that. However, here is the tree as it is set up for its second pruning of the spring today:



And here we are after pruning today. I'm really pleased to see the difference in this tree in just a few years of work. I will be working on building ramification in the canopy this year and maybe select some good branches and put some wire on after leaf drop in the fall.

 

[Paulpash]

Which brings us to Spring this year. I had allowed it to grow out and harden off - but I don't have pics of that. However, here is the tree as it is set up for its second pruning of the spring today:

View attachment 302046

And here we are after pruning today. I'm really pleased to see the difference in this tree in just a few years of work. I will be working on building ramification in the canopy this year and maybe select some good branches and put some wire on after leaf drop in the fall.

View attachment 302047

Hedge maple will bulk up massively if you are lucky enough to have space in the ground. I've enjoyed hanging a branch structure on mine but the internodes are still a pain.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

And here we are today. Long internodes and big leaves, bit I'm still growing out structural branches so I just kinda let everything go and then pick and choose in the fall what to keep.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Been a minute since my last update. Lots of work to this tree and a digferent pot, but it’s working out nicely!

 

[Cajunrider]

Been a minute since my last update. Lots of work to this tree and a digferent pot, but it’s working out nicely!

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Very nice.
It's good to see you posting a bit more often. You've been missed.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Very nice.
It's good to see you posting a bit more often. You've been missed.

Thanks! I stepped away from posting and discussing bonsai for awhile as between working on the board for the Nashville club and selling trees for a couple years I got a little burnt out. Not selling anymore and planning on stepping back from club duties the end of this year and lo and behold it’s rekindling my passion for bonsai as a hobby!

 

[FreshAirSunshine]

Thanks! I stepped away from posting and discussing bonsai for awhile as between working on the board for the Nashville club and selling trees for a couple years I got a little burnt out. Not selling anymore and planning on stepping back from club duties the end of this year and lo and behold it’s rekindling my passion for bonsai as a hobby!

All a balance. I remind myself that bonsai started as meditative act. I try to keep that in focus and avoid letting it become anything else.

 

[Hartinez]

Nice to see ya posting Clay!