Japanese Green Maple Trunk Chop

[QuantumSparky]

Quick update to my Acer p. after the trunk chop:

Its growing!!

It may seem like such a simple thing to happen but this is the very first time I've done major work on a tree and had it regain vigor afterward. New shoots everywhere and the leaves are turning a nice reddish color I'm really hoping that this tree does fine over the winter months so that I can start planning the next steps. The trunk chop itself was a bit nerve-wracking for me, yet very straightforward and simple. Now the more challenging part comes where I need to be making the right decisions that will leave me with a presentable tree in the future.

What kind of things should I be thinking about going into this first winter after the chop? I know the basics of taper and reverse taper but I don't quite know when I should start worrying about that. I'll be leaving all the shoots on (not that I was planning on cutting them any time soon) until I get some advice about the matter. Hopefully all goes well and then I can do the final chop just before spring of next year. I had a new leader in mind already but since I now have many more shoots to choose from, you'll likely see me updating this thread with questions about which to choose

 

[BobbyLane]

Unless youre going to ground layer, i would keep an eye on that one high root, it will cause reverse taper in the trunk over time.

 

[QuantumSparky]

Unless youre going to ground layer, i would keep an eye on that one high root, it will cause reverse taper in the trunk over time.

I've never heard of a root causing reverse taper, what's the reasoning behind that? I haven't repotted this tree yet so idk what the rest of the root system looks like. If this turns out to be a boring tree, I may just let it grow in the ground and use it for cuttings/air layers. That's worst case scenario though.

 

[BobbyLane]

from the pic it looks like there is more trunk under the soil, that root appears to be quite thick and the only root at that level so as it thickens it will cause a bulge in that side of the trunk.

 

[BobbyLane]

I've never heard of a root causing reverse taper, what's the reasoning behind that? I haven't repotted this tree yet so idk what the rest of the root system looks like. If this turns out to be a boring tree, I may just let it grow in the ground and use it for cuttings/air layers. That's worst case scenario though.

well now youve seen an example


in case there is more trunk under the soil, but it wasnt worth exposing. that root had gotten so thick and was important in feeding that side. you can see how removing it now would leave you a horrible bulge.

 

[Shibui]

Roots very definitely cause reverse taper. The trunk between a large root and the branches will thicken far more than below the root just as trunks thicken much more below the first branch. It is all about nutrient flow to and from.
One of the reasons I am so pedantic about getting the roots right from the start.

Has anyone else noticed that scars from root removal take far longer to heal than scars from a similar sized branch? I have a couple of trident maples that had large, high roots removed and still waiting for the hole to close.

 

[QuantumSparky]

Roots very definitely cause reverse taper. The trunk between a large root and the branches will thicken far more than below the root just as trunks thicken much more below the first branch. It is all about nutrient flow to and from.
One of the reasons I am so pedantic about getting the roots right from the start.

Has anyone else noticed that scars from root removal take far longer to heal than scars from a similar sized branch? I have a couple of trident maples that had large, high roots removed and still waiting for the hole to close.

Does it matter a great amount what the trunk does below that root? It's going to be buried regardless. I'm kinda accepting the fact that whatever nebari I end up with after repotting won't look amazing - it's just Home Depot garden center stock after all. Everything is practice material to me right now and if it ends up looking bad because of the root system, so be it. The next trees I work on will be cared for with that in mind, and hopefully a few years down the road I'll be able to look at the trees I have and be able to see a visible difference between my first attempts and the attempts I made when I gained more knowledge and skill.

 

[Colorado]

Quick update to my Acer p. after the trunk chop:

Its growing!!

It may seem like such a simple thing to happen but this is the very first time I've done major work on a tree and had it regain vigor afterward. New shoots everywhere and the leaves are turning a nice reddish color I'm really hoping that this tree does fine over the winter months so that I can start planning the next steps. The trunk chop itself was a bit nerve-wracking for me, yet very straightforward and simple. Now the more challenging part comes where I need to be making the right decisions that will leave me with a presentable tree in the future.

What kind of things should I be thinking about going into this first winter after the chop? I know the basics of taper and reverse taper but I don't quite know when I should start worrying about that. I'll be leaving all the shoots on (not that I was planning on cutting them any time soon) until I get some advice about the matter. Hopefully all goes well and then I can do the final chop just before spring of next year. I had a new leader in mind already but since I now have many more shoots to choose from, you'll likely see me updating this thread with questions about which to choose


View attachment 388749

Yes that is perfect response - now you have many options. I’d just fertilize heavily from now until winter. And keep doing whatever you’ve been doing as far as sun and water, it looks nice and healthy.

 

[QuantumSparky]

Yes that is perfect response - now you have many options. I’d just fertilize heavily from now until winter. And keep doing whatever you’ve been doing as far as sun and water, it looks nice and healthy.

I can't say that I've been 100% on point with this tree because I had been moving it between full sun and partial sun depending on how the leaves were reacting. Watering has been consistent (when soil feels like it needs water, not on a schedule). So when I notice the leaves losing a bit of turgidity I had just moved it under the porch which blocks direct midday sun but still allows sun after it drops a bit in the sky.

But to be fair, I don't yet have a shade cloth structure in place to have full control over the amount of sunlight reaching my trees, so I think moving it occasionally isn't a red flag of incompetence

Maybe I'll start to sound dumb now but tbh I haven't been fertilizing this guy since the chop - something was telling me to wait until I knew the tree was recovered before feeding it. Is there a certain type of fertilizer you'd recommend? I only have liquid concentrate at the moment, can't remember which brand but it's from Home Depot so...

 

[Colorado]

I can't say that I've been 100% on point with this tree because I had been moving it between full sun and partial sun depending on how the leaves were reacting. Watering has been consistent (when soil feels like it needs water, not on a schedule). So when I notice the leaves losing a bit of turgidity I had just moved it under the porch which blocks direct midday sun but still allows sun after it drops a bit in the sky.

But to be fair, I don't yet have a shade cloth structure in place to have full control over the amount of sunlight reaching my trees, so I think moving it occasionally isn't a red flag of incompetence

Maybe I'll start to sound dumb now but tbh I haven't been fertilizing this guy since the chop - something was telling me to wait until I knew the tree was recovered before feeding it. Is there a certain type of fertilizer you'd recommend? I only have liquid concentrate at the moment, can't remember which brand but it's from Home Depot so...

Without starting a riot…

I personally only use organic fertilizers. Biogold pellets on the surface of the soil and Neptune’s Harvest Fish and Seaweed liquid fertilizer for an extra boost every week or two. Very simple and very effective.

Chemical fertilizers - many have success with chemicals, but for whatever reason I’ve had very bad experiences. So I personally refuse to use chem fertilizer on my trees.

 

[QuantumSparky]

Without starting a riot…

I personally only use organic fertilizers. Biogold pellets on the surface of the soil and Neptune’s Harvest Fish and Seaweed liquid fertilizer for an extra boost every week or two. Very simple and very effective.

Chemical fertilizers - many have success with chemicals, but for whatever reason I’ve had very bad experiences. So I personally refuse to use chem fertilizer on my trees.

BioGold it is! I just ordered 2 bags of the stuff. I've never heard of the aquatic fert used for bonsai but that's interesting! Is there something special about it that makes it so effective?

 

[Shibui]

Does it matter a great amount what the trunk does below that root? It's going to be buried regardless. I'm kinda accepting the fact that whatever nebari I end up with after repotting won't look amazing - it's just Home Depot garden center stock after all. Everything is practice material to me right now and if it ends up looking bad because of the root system, so be it. The next trees I work on will be cared for with that in mind, and hopefully a few years down the road I'll be able to look at the trees I have and be able to see a visible difference between my first attempts and the attempts I made when I gained more knowledge and skill.

The final quality of your bonsai is entirely up to you. I recognize that we all have different levels and standards. I also remember starting out and building skills and trees.
There are other techniques that can improve rootage of a bonsai if you want to do so but if not, that's totally your decision.

 

[QuantumSparky]

So the growth on the JM has kept going and a few shoots are reaching for the sky! Should I now make the decision on the leader as well as branches to keep, and start light pruning? Or should that wait for early spring before tons of sap starts being a factor?

 

[rockm]

So the growth on the JM has kept going and a few shoots are reaching for the sky! Should I now make the decision on the leader as well as branches to keep, and start light pruning? Or should that wait for early spring before tons of sap starts being a factor?

Wait until spring to any major pruning.

 

[Colorado]

No, just let it gain strength now.

 

[QuantumSparky]

Alrighty, that's what I was leaning towards. I'm slowly adopting a mindset of

When in doubt, stop being such an impatient eager little **** and wait til the next growing season to do whatever unnecessary work that you *think* is super important to take care of immediately.

Maybe I should get that embroidered on a quilt or something