Japanese Male Trunk Chop Response

[AndyJ]

Hey folks.

I did a trunk chop on a Beni Maiko back in early summer and it‘s responded really well with lots of shoots up and down whats left of the trunk. When should I be looking at selecting a new leader from this growth and removing the excess I don’t want. I’ve heard of autumn pruning of maples - is this the time I should do this work? Or is this for something else?

Thanks all

Andy

 

[Johnnyd]

Hey folks.

I did a trunk chop on a Beni Maiko back in early summer and it‘s responded really well with lots of shoots up and down whats left of the trunk. When should I be looking at selecting a new leader from this growth and removing the excess I don’t want. I’ve heard of autumn pruning of maples - is this the time I should do this work? Or is this for something else?

Thanks all

Andy

Hi Andy I'm glad to see that you are working with Beni maiko. They are a great cultivar for bonsai. One thing I did when I chopped mine was let it grow for a year without trimming. They do not seem to grow long extended branches. They backbud well.
Did you take a picture?

 

[Smoke]

I used to be rather ruthless in pruning maples, any maples, during any time of the year. I have found that now I prune maples in Winter around Feb and wire for shape then. Set the tree up for Spring. I have found that fall pruning sometimes will allow a spur pruned branch to die back in the cold, and while not killing the entire area, it kills or retards the spur and sends out many shoots around the spur causing a do over of the area. What can happen now and later into fall is to remove unwanted growth, ( branches not to be used) and allow the wanted branches to remain long thru Fall and into winter. Then prune them back in Mid Feb, just before bud break and they will explode with new buds for extended side growth setting up branch formation. The branches kept should not be pruned back more than 50 percent before winter to allow any die back to happen out farther on the branch preserving the base of the branch for future growth. After a few years of doing this one will be accustomed to just how much can be removed and when, allowing you to look like a pro in a couple years.
Al

 

[AndyJ]

Yeah, I like the Beni Maiko - nice spring and autumn colours. Can’t really get in to get a decent picture of the tree, but here‘s a couple. In the ringed section, there are at least 3 maybe 4 shoots that have sprung from the same point - this is what I’m particularly interested in doing something before I get too much swelling.

 

[AndyJ]

Yeah, I like the Beni Maiko - nice spring and autumn colours. Can’t really get in to get a decent picture of the tree, but here‘s a couple. In the ringed section, there are at least 3 maybe 4 shoots that have sprung from the same point - this is what I’m particularly interested in doing something before I get too much swelling.

Thanks Smoke. So in my circled area, should I be removing those shoots now? I’m not sure what the best new leader should be though so was thinking I’d need to wait until leaf fall before selecting? Would you remove anything that you definitely won’t want now then?

 

[sorce]

Though Mrs. Bobbitt loves the title, after reading about Beni, my man Beni, please get the title corrected!
Eeee!

Sorce

 

[Smoke]

you mean wont want then, now?

Sure, you can always remove what you don't want. I would wait til Nov, though, many times things will swell this time of year for winter. Will leave large lipped scars, that will need work later. Prune in Nov when the tree is done bulking up. Large lips are wonderful on some things but not maples

 

[AndyJ]

Though Mrs. Bobbitt loves the title, after reading about Beni, my man Beni, please get the title corrected!
Eeee!

Sorce

Ha ha! Whoops definitely a typo!! Not sure how I change a title?

 

[sorce]

Ha ha! Whoops definitely a typo!! Not sure how I change a title?

It used to be I'd a had it done already, till grown men cried, now you gotta bug Greg.

Sorce