I just pruned my new Japanese Maple rather hard...

[Fonz]

Earlier this week I purchased a Japanese Maple witth a big trunk on an auction. The trunk and nebari looked awesome but the branches were all big straight “sticks”. So basicly the tree looks great in summer but rather poorly in winter. I want a tree that looks good the entire year.

Not entirely sure what to do with this big boy I took it to my bonsai club. Once there my mentor suggested what I also had in mind (well, kind off) and that was cutting back all the big straight branches so the tree could rebuild all of it’s branches in a better looking way. With a bit of help from me ofcourse.

Here’s the tree before my mentor Huub Behets went crazy on it, sorry for the blurry picture…



And here is the after picture:



It will take some years before the branches are rebuild but this tree really needed the drastic cutback.

 

[0soyoung]

It will take some years before the branches are rebuild but this tree really needed the drastic cutback.

Nice start. Now the fun can begin!

I'm not sure what is going on, but this thing(s) in back looks to be trouble (visually/artistically), IMHO.



Are you sure about this being the front? In the end you want heavier branches in front and thinner/lighter ones in back to affect perspective/depth. A bit around toward the right might be better and it might take care of my 'worry'. Nebari looks good here but possibly is just as good when viewed from a bit toward the right.

Regardless,
congratulations on your new acquisition
enjoy!

 

[just.wing.it]

Nice!
I hope it doesn't die back a bunch on you, over winter.

 

[baron]

I saw this one on the auction too but decided not too bid on it as I already my eye on 6 other trees
Good looking beefy trunk!

I would have done the same thing and maybe even more... Looks like Huub had a good afternoon. Too bad I couldn't be there..
Did he say anything about repotting it any time soon?

I did this with Danny today.

 

[Fonz]

Nice start. Now the fun can begin!

I'm not sure what is going on, but this thing(s) in back looks to be trouble (visually/artistically), IMHO.

View attachment 216988

Are you sure about this being the front? In the end you want heavier branches in front and thinner/lighter ones in back to affect perspective/depth. A bit around toward the right might be better and it might take care of my 'worry'. Nebari looks good here but possibly is just as good when viewed from a bit toward the right.

Regardless,
congratulations on your new acquisition
enjoy!

Thanx!
Not sure about the front either. This side looked the best at first sight. The nebari looks best when it's turned a quarter turn counter clockwise but then the "split trunk" isn't visible anymore.
But something tells me I have some time to think about the best front

 

[Ruben Bouwmeester]

Damm, why is this place not around the corner.

 

[RobertB]

Seams like a pretty hard cut back before winter. I chopped one of my maples last year at christmas but my winters are very mild and i protected from anything under 30F. The results were fantastic. It budded out all over trunk and really grew strong this yr. Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[Dav4]

Good, aggressive cut back... now seal those cuts!

 

[Fonz]

Good, aggressive cut back... now seal those cuts!

Already sealed on the pic. But then again I take lousy pics

 

[Cadillactaste]

Nice potential there!

 

[defra]

Sometimes first one step backward to be able to go forward
Now your in control of anything that will grow on Nice

 

[Fishtank307]

Nice one! Where was the auction?

 

[Djtommy]

What is the vision on this tree? Broom style? To be honest, I think it will definitely be better then it was however with what you did now but in the long run it still looks like it will be difficult to keep good looking.
A broomstyle maple, I haven’t seen many yet I think was nice. If it was my tree , I’d try to make 1 main trunk ( the right one, and focus the growth around that)
But yeah a broomstyle maple like this is quite rare so maybe worth a try.

 

[Fonz]

Nice one! Where was the auction?

Japanese Garden Center 't Veerle in Brecht (Antwerp) http://www.vijvertuinen-tveerle.be/BonsaiSite/Page_index2/index2.html
They sold almost half of their inventory.

 

[leatherback]

Good tree but.. As you are cutting anyway.. You should really consider getting rid of the big fat branch on the ottom right and grow a new side-branch. Accentuate the movement in the trunk.

 

[BobbyLane]

Good job, there is actually many broom style maples, i think this one has a good start, you did the right thing

Walter pall

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/japanese-maple-26.34516/

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/japanese-maple-27.34972/

Trident

i wont clutter your page up with maple broom images, have a google you'll find lots.

see the way that trident has a main trunk that splits into two, then many branchlets......yours has a similar twin subtrunk. i always say look at what pros do with similar material. i wouldnt do anything drastic now.

 

[starlord]

Omg all the trees in the post look sweet!