Japanese maple #5 progression

[MACH5]

That's honestly one of my favorite things about this tree. I'll let Sergio answer for himself, but that lower branch is what I call a "conversation branch"... one that sets the tree apart from other similar trees and gets people talking about it.

I agree that the grafted second trunk is what gives this tree its value. For fun I am posting a photo of the tree before the branch was grafted.

 

[AlainK]

What a great evolution, a good eye, a good hand too.

 

[Cosmos]

I agree that the grafted second trunk is what gives this tree its value. For fun I am posting a photo of the tree before the branch was grafted.

Thought experiment:

Someone posing as a beginner, first post on the forum, posts this picture and says "I was given this maple bonsai by my old uncle who cannot take care of his trees anymore. What should I do with it?" and I betcha that something like 5 of the 10 first posts of advice would say "cut back to the first branch on the left, trunk is too straight, not enough taper" etc.

This second trunk and its low, crawling branch, makes the whole design. It’s a stroke of genius.

 

[Traken]

Hey @MACH5, out of curiosity, how long will the white coloration last on the bark from the lime sulfur? I assume it will fade at some point, correct? The reason I ask, is that I know you were concerned about the white color of the new pot, but wouldn't that color and the whitened bark color work nicely together? Or is the issue more that it just won't stay bleached out for very long? Sorry for the stupid question. I don't have a firm grasp on pot/tree pairing yet and the semantics involved, and I have absolutely no grasp of lime sulfur. Heh.

 

[MACH5]

Hey @MACH5, out of curiosity, how long will the white coloration last on the bark from the lime sulfur? I assume it will fade at some point, correct? The reason I ask, is that I know you were concerned about the white color of the new pot, but wouldn't that color and the whitened bark color work nicely together? Or is the issue more that it just won't stay bleached out for very long? Sorry for the stupid question. I don't have a firm grasp on pot/tree pairing yet and the semantics involved, and I have absolutely no grasp of lime sulfur. Heh.

Yes I think you may be right in the whiteness of the bark picked up by the pot would be a good thing. The LS typically lasts several months but also dependent on the strength of the solution that was applied.

Really the issue is simply that a white pot is too bright of a color for any tree. However, the difference here in the pot I bought is that is full of patina and the glaze is crackled which does significantly tone down the effect of the white. Also, in this case I am sure the quality of the original white glaze applied is much nicer than the ones you find in cheap pots.

 

[Traken]

Yes I think you may be right in the whiteness of the bark picked up by the pot would be a good thing. The LS typically lasts several months but also dependent on the strength of the solution that was applied.

Really the issue is simply that a white pot is too bright of a color for any tree. However, the difference here in the pot I bought is that is full of patina and the glaze is crackled which does significantly tone down the effect of the white. Also, in this case I am sure the quality of the original white glaze applied is much nicer than the ones you find in cheap pots.

Gotcha. That makes sense. It can be hard to tell from pictures as well, but with the age and crackled glaze, it looked like it wasn't too bright and kinda projected some of the same age the tree has as well. Glad I wasn't completely misunderstanding. Thanks.

 

[MACH5]

Maple #5 now in its new pot. I was happy to see when I received the pot that it was actually not white but more of an ivory. In the process of potting the maple, I turned it a few degrees counterclockwise to improve the movement of the trunk line.

 

[Traken]

That pot is going to look especially striking come winter silhouette time. What a beautiful tree.

 

[barrosinc]

nice pot!

 

[Dav4]

The new combo looks great… And I really like the foliage of that Lowest right branch cascading down off the side of the pot?.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Looks like a good match Serg!

 

[C-Jewel]

That pot is awesome! I can’t wait to see the updates! Been following this tree since your first posts!

 

[MACH5]

That pot is awesome! I can’t wait to see the updates! Been following this tree since your first posts!

Thanks @C-Jewel. This maple is on deck to be worked. Most likely I won't touch it until late February. Will be sure to update this thread at that time with new pics.

 

[MACH5]

The new combo looks great… And I really like the foliage of that Lowest right branch cascading down off the side of the pot?.

Sorry a very late reply Dave. That cascading branch is doing it all by itself. It was not intentional. The tree started to grow that way and deciding if I just let it be... or how much I let it be? There have been just a handful of maples where I have seen this happen. Normally things want to go up. But I have seen a few where branches just droop naturally. And these were not weeping maples.

 

[MACH5]

Recently cleaned and readied this maple for another growing season. It was wired lightly and only where needed and replaced some thicker branches in favor of finer, weaker growth. As this maple developed and became more ramified, I started to rely more and more on a clip and grow approach and less on wiring which should always be the goal for deciduous bonsai.

By now the strength throughout the entire tree is fairly well balanced although I still have to manage some of the stronger areas more carefully and on a timely basis.

The second grafted trunk still needs further development specially towards the apex area.

Here is the tree tonight.

 

[Leon]

Recently cleaned and readied this maple for another growing season. It was wired lightly and only where needed and replaced some thicker branches with finer, weaker growth. As this maple developed and became more ramified, I started to rely more and more on a clip and grow approach and less on wiring which should always be the goal for deciduous bonsai.

By now the strength throughout the entire tree is fairly well balanced although I still have to manage some of the stronger areas more carefully and on a timely basis.

The second grafted trunk still needs further development specially towards the apex area.

Here is the tree tonight.

View attachment 286432

View attachment 286433

View attachment 286434

This is my favorite maple in your collection. You have that touch when it comes to styling.

 

[cmeg1]

Very nice. Happy growing season!

 

[JudyB]

The main tree apex is really resolving in a stunning way.

 

[Arnold_K]

In particular I like this "configuration of the top" too ...

 

[AlainK]

The main tree apex is really resolving in a stunning way.

Yeah... The top of a good bonsai looks like a small "hokidachi".