Japanese maple #26

[my nellie]

I appreciate your reply.

I got slightly irritated (not insulted) because I have said everything that has to be said about it right in my first sentences for this thread. Otherwise you have to trust me that I know what I am doing. There are endless bonsai myths. This is not about opinions, this is about facts. Why are gardens being plante the year round all over the world by professional gardeners? Because ist is possible. Only in the bonsai world the myth is that it is impossible.

Mr. Pall I can understand your feelings... I have been following your course in bonsai from the very first years of my involvement in this art (?) and I am aware of the revolutionary techniques/approaches you have brought in the European bonsai scene and the negativity you have confronted...
In fact my personal viewpoint on bonsai styling is standing right at your side and your work proves that "you do know what you are doing"
And of course results or methods or growing technique is about facts and not about personal opinions. I often find myself applying what my late father was doing with his trees and which looks like a "not accepted" method for bonsai cultivation
Personal opinions come forward on the stage when talking about styling preferences, I think.

 

[TooCoys]

Personal opinions come forward on the stage when talking about styling preferences, I think.

That, and the written word is often interpreted differently by the reader, and the writer. It has no emotional undertones, no verbal ques, and no body language to relay to the reader what the writer intended. But it looks like this miscommunication has been cleared up!

 

[RobertB]

It doesn't look like the tree was bare rooted or anything. I dont really see any magic here besides a bad ass tree and planting. He even stated that he is placing it in the shade. It looks like basically a slip pot.

 

[Silentrunning]

A beautiful tree with a stunning presentation. I’m sure we will be seeing more of this tree in the future.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I got slightly irritated (not insulted) because I have said everything that has to be said about it right in my first sentences for this thread. Otherwise you have to trust me that I know what I am doing. There are endless bonsai myths. This is not about opinions, this is about facts. Why are gardens being plante the year round all over the world by professional gardeners? Because ist is possible. Only in the bonsai world the myth is that it is impossible.

I always wondered that. Being I do my own landscaping. You just put an end to my puzzlement.

 

[Aaronkslater]

If you are interested in critique, mine would be the rock, which, from the photos and the particular angle you have chosen for the front, the tree seems to be simply leaning against, not clasping or growing over... the design looks unstable to my eye. Thank you for sharing all you have shared! I have learned a lot from you.

 

[Tycoss]

I enjoy seeing a Japanese maple on a slab like that. It seems this method of presentation is done often with conifers, particularly larch and spruce. I think
It’s a great choice for this maple.

 

[Johnnyd]

The tree could be mounted on the slab by beginning of July because the root ball was not touched. On really old firm rootballs keto is not necessary, it will not dry out easily. The maple will be located in half to full shade.

View attachment 200066View attachment 200067View attachment 200068View attachment 200069View attachment 200070View attachment 200071View attachment 200072View attachment 200073View attachment 200074

Very nice tree. It doesn't look a day over 59.

The tree could be mounted on the slab by beginning of July because the root ball was not touched. On really old firm rootballs keto is not necessary, it will not dry out easily. The maple will be located in half to full shade.

View attachment 200066View attachment 200067View attachment 200068View attachment 200069View attachment 200070View attachment 200071View attachment 200072View attachment 200073View attachment 200074

moreView attachment 200076View attachment 200077View attachment 200078View attachment 200079View attachment 200080View attachment 200081View attachment 200082View attachment 200083

Amazing tree! How long would you keep it in the shade?

 

[Walter Pall]

Very nice tree. It doesn't look a day over 59.


Amazing tree! How long would you keep it in the shade?

It will be in shade until middle of August, when it will start to get cooler again and the days are shorter.

 

[MichaelS]

Walter (I hope I can call you by name), please be patient. People trying to learn, me included, read books and that is what we find there.
You rightfully so from your experience, try to present things from a different point of view. I thank you so much for that.
But when you go against "established truths" it should be no surprise people is puzzled. Then you explain and everything makes sense

He is not going against established truths. He said the root ball was not touched. - therefore you can do what you want even in summer. The problem with a lot of readers on this forum is that they do not understand what they read or don't read it in the first place.
I don't like the slab and I don't think it suits this tree. To my eyes the first pot was too shallow and the stone is worse. The tree...very nice.

 

[AlainK]

Hi,

To my eyes the first pot was too shallow and the stone is worse. The tree...very nice.

I don't have any problem with the slab, on the contrary, but like Michael, I don't like the rounded stone that much. Maybe replacing it with a more ragged one, or suppressing it altogether?...

I also agree with repotting at (almost) any time as long as you don't prune the roots too hard and take good care of the tree. You just have to be careful the following winter if it gest very cold.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

He is not going against established truths. He said the root ball was not touched. - therefore you can do what you want even in summer. The problem with a lot of readers on this forum is that they do not understand what they read or don't read it in the first place.
I don't like the slab and I don't think it suits this tree. To my eyes the first pot was too shallow and the stone is worse. The tree...very nice.

I’ll agree with part of this. However since it was posted on a public forum for all the world to see and comment, I’ll add that the slab works for me, but I cannot get past the rock visually attempting to compensate for the flawed, weak trunk. It is unfortunate to spend the time to build such a nice top on that base. This is why you build a tree from the bottom up.

 

[Vance Wood]

Walter (I hope I can call you by name), please be patient. People trying to learn, me included, read books and that is what we find there.
You rightfully so from your experience, try to present things from a different point of view. I thank you so much for that.
But when you go against "established truths" it should be no surprise people is puzzled. Then you explain and everything makes sense

I feel I have to jump in here just to make an ass of myself in some people's eyes, but to support what Mr. Pall is doing here. Sometimes we are so locked into doing something at some particular time we forget that the rules, as we have swallowed them and posted them on the walls of our memories, were made by people who were as flawed as we are. What some of these people did as a convenience to them, as to time and availability of material, have been taken by the rest of us mere mortals as a mandate from the gods. In short I have repotted/transplanted Japanese Maples in the summer with no ill effects.

 

[GailC]

I think it's perfect, rock and all. It looks so much more appealing on the slab, nothing to distract away from the tree its self.
Sometimes it seems the pot becomes more of a focus than the tree in it. Personally I want the pot to disappear in the background.

 

[Lorax7]

I feel I have to jump in here just to make an ass of myself in some people's eyes, but to support what Mr. Pall is doing here. Sometimes we are so locked into doing something at some particular time we forget that the rules, as we have swallowed them and posted them on the walls of our memories, were made by people who were as flawed as we are. What some of these people did as a convenience to them, as to time and availability of material, have been taken by the rest of us mere mortals as a mandate from the gods. In short I have repotted/transplanted Japanese Maples in the summer with no ill effects.

I, too, have repotted maples in summer successfully. I even bare-rooted a Japanese maple (which, admittedly, is significantly more risky and inadvisable for expensive material).
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/help-with-japanese-maple.33883/#post-564823

 

[MichaelS]

Sometimes it seems the pot becomes more of a focus than the tree in it. .

That's true but it's because of poor choice of pot. Usually we just don't have the right pot for the tree or we cannot find one or we cannot afford it if we do. I have seen Japanese tree/pot combinations which look ridiculous also. I think the stone planting here might look better if the tree appeared to by solidly anchored to the soil instead of just sitting on top of it. If more soil where added beneath the trunk and the sides built up to look more substantial it would improve IMO.

 

[Cable]

I like it. For me, it tells the story of a maple seed that blew against a boulder and took root. The tree grew and grew but the boulder wasn't budging. Unstoppable force vs immovable object.

 

[drew33998]

I’ll agree with part of this. However since it was posted on a public forum for all the world to see and comment, I’ll add that the slab works for me, but I cannot get past the rock visually attempting to compensate for the flawed, weak trunk. It is unfortunate to spend the time to build such a nice top on that base. This is why you build a tree from the bottom up.

A tilt to the right of about 20 degrees may help some. If you look at one of the photos in the old pot with the rock more rotated to the back it doesn’t seem as bad. Also looks like someone thread grafted seedlings sometime ago on that left side to try to help out with that flaw. Personally I hate the rock. Something about the color.

 

[drew33998]

This is my front. Rotate probably 35-40 degrees to the right on the y axis. And take out that ridiculous rock. Or that may be the objective? Of course I don’t have deep enough pockets to even go to a Walter pall demo much less buy this tree.

 

[drew33998]

I’ll even go full out asshole and say the slab looks like pizza dough. Love all your other stuff Walter.