Japanese Maple fall pruning

[MattsTinyTree]

Hey guys. I'm new to bonsai as of earlier this year. I purchased a 9 year old pre bonsai japanese green maple to work on this season and I think I'm hooked. I planted it in bonsai medium and set up an auto watering system on my balcony. I chopped the top and forced a new leader early in the season (zone 7b). I just finished fall pruning to shape it into more of a triangle. I'm trying to decide if I need to chop it lower next season or if I should have let the new leader thicken more before fall pruning (I removed about 3 feet of the extended leader). I'm open to any and all suggestions. I'll post some pics from throughout the growing season. Thanks in advance!

 

[GGB]

That depends on how large you want the finished tree to be and what you'd like it to look like. I love the tree so far. If it were mine I'd chop it just below that slanting chop mark and grow out a rounder, less triangular tree with a more natural look. But that is completely a matter of taste. The plus side of chopping it a little lower is that the trunk becomes a little thicker (relatively speaking of course). So you can get right to the fun stuff, branch development. If you like bigger trees or want a bigger tree than of course you'd let it rip for a while

 

[MattsTinyTree]

Thanks for the input @GGB. I'll look into the more natural look. I just had my mind set on a triangular shape. It could change at any time.

 

[MattsTinyTree]

@GGB Just to clarify, you would chop at number 1? Then would you grow a single leader until you get the taper you want? Or multiple leaders? Thanks

 

[Paradox]

@GGB Just to clarify, you would chop at number 1? Then would you grow a single leader until you get the taper you want? Or multiple leaders? Thanks

 

[GGB]

Yes, at number 1. But that's just me. I like a feminine trunk on JM and I like that pruning there saves that last bit of curvature. The lower you chop, the stronger the trunk becomes, and that's usually a good thing. But my particular taste says, the trunk is good where it's at currently. As you build the branches the trunk will thicken a little bit more yet too.

 

[GGB]

also you have a lot of bar branches. If it were my tree I would develop the smaller one of each pair and use the larger one as a sacrifice to build in some extra taper, if they happen in an area that won't take away from the trunks movement. I don't know your experience level but these aren't things that need to be addressed right this moment so you can always keep this thread active through the years and the community will help you with each step. Don't rush this tree, it has great potential. Everyone on here will have an opinion and there are some folks with way more experience than me. Just remember it never hurts to go slow. every member on this site has beginner mistakes we wish we could take back. Most of them stem from moving to quickly or performing operations we didnt fully understand

 

[SeanS]

If it were my tree I’d prune at 3. The section from just past the even above the green line up to 1 is too straight and lacks any taper. It’s a drastic move for a newer practitioner but in the long run you’ll be happy you made the bigger cut and grew out the top with more movement and taper.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Great starting material! Welcome to the site

 

[BonsaiBonsai]

I agree with SeanS. The straight part in not very nice. Prune at 3 or maybe even the green line from Paradox.

 

[Shibui]

You may not have realized yet that every bonsai practitioner has a different way of doing things so whenever you ask for advice you'll get lots of differing answers as you have today. Usually most of the opinions are valid, just different takes on the same thing.
Always remember it is your tree so you get to make the final decisions to make it look the way you like it.
A couple of words of general advice though. Try to make your bonsai look like trees rather than trying to make a tree look like a 'bonsai'

 

[Dabbler]

If it was me, I'd wait till spring and cut back all the way to the first or second branch and grow a new leader. The taper is lacking and this will fix that and grow a better tree in the long run.

 

[MattsTinyTree]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the input. I'll ponder over the winter what the next steps will be. Most likely she will get a chop somewhere between the green line and #3. I might even try my hand at an air layer because two trees are better than one

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the input. I'll ponder over the winter what the next steps will be. Most likely she will get a chop somewhere between the green line and #3. I might even try my hand at an air layer because two trees are better than one

As @Shibui noted, all of these suggestions can work you just have to decide your preferred path. If you airlayer it'll set you back a season on your main trunk but worth it if you're learning and want more material. Here's where I see a layer as an option and shohin future, lol just another opinion right! Have fun and please show us what you decide.