Japanese Maple Progression

[Gert]

This is a Japanese maple I've been growing since 2015. I got it from Evergreen Gardenworks as a pencil thin sapling in a 4 inch container.

In the black and white image from 2017, you can see the secondary trunk. This was destroyed by an inaccurate paper boy. He made the styling choice for me. . .

I had been growing it in pots letting it run every year to thicken. In winter 2020 I finally made some cutbacks as I liked the base of the tree.

I left a pretty large stub which you'll see at the top of the repotting photo from this year and then cut this back at an angle in May of 2021. The callous is rolling but does seem to be heavy to one side.

The left hand branch is thicker and I used a guy wire to bend it down. I was thinking I might cut back to the first node this fall and regrow this. Since the tree is at an angle, there is a branch at the same node of this that comes out on the lower side. Right now this kind of makes a wild squiggly mess. I am not sure if I should remove the lower one altogether.

Lastly, I'm wondering, if this was your tree would you reduce the top even further to create better taper? I went a little conservative but I wonder if that is holding the tree back from becoming a better tree. I'll also post a picture of the current back as this shows no scar from the paper boy incident of 2017. From this angle though, the trunk is leaning away from the viewer. But maybe if the trunk was reduced further, this could be retrained forward. Would love to hear thoughts and/or alternative plans for this tree. It's one of the first trees I ever purchased so it has some sentimental value.

Thank you!

p.s. The colander was a newbie mistake back in 2015, I don't use them for my maples anymore as they dry out way too quickly for me down here.

 

[Gert]

Currently my plan is to let the top grow until the cut heals and use a secondary shoot to build the new apex.

I am still on the fence about chopping back to the node at where the right hand branch emerges in the angled photo above (with the drywall tape)

 

[Shibui]

You have done well to get from a stick to a nice trunk.
I would not try to reduce height further unless there is a new shoot below the current apex. Looks like the trunk is made from long internodes which is typical of most JM and shoots can only grow from the nodes. Grafting a new shoot is the only alternative. Not clear in the pics but there may now be a small shoot from a node below the current apex?? If that's in a good position you could develop that to replace the current higher one.
The smaller the bonsai the closer together everything needs to be. Smaller bonsai really need to be developed from stock with tighter internodes. You are stuck with a trunk consisting of relatively long sections so slightly larger rather than small would be more realistic I think.
Same for branches. Current branches appear to have quite long internodes at the base so will never ramify there. I would probably cut both larger branches close to the base and regrow from new shoots that will sprout, making sure this time that you select those with shorter internodes. First branch may already have new smaller shoot at the base?

The tiny branch near the base is superfluous. Too close to the ground to be of much use in the design and also inside the curve which rarely looks good. If it does ever grow it will contribute to local thickening as it is still on the same node opposite the stronger first branch.

 

[Gert]

Thanks @Shibui - I always appreciate your input. There is a small pair of leaves close to the trunk on the first branch on the left. I will cut back to this in fall to try and make a more realistic looking branch. Will probably lop that branch off on the inner curve near the base too, might do this sooner rather than later to prevent a larger scar. This tree has taught me a lot. I think I'm with you on the bigger design - I'll keep going and see how it fills up over the next three years. I think in my excitement I probably potted this into a shallow container too soon. I might make it a small shallow grow box next year to work on the roots and try to get back to a pot down the line.

This tree still has a long way to go, but fun to post some progress pics finally

 

[BonjourBonsai]

@Gert thanks for posting your progress. I've got a couple of trees in similar stages so it's great to learn from what your doing. Do you plan to shorten the lower branches to promote ramification?

 

[Gert]

Thanks @BonjourBonsai -- I plan to cut back the branches hard this fall to their first node. I'm going to try and get this tree out in some bright sun in spring 2022 to encourage shorter nodes on the spring growth after cutback. Typically this tree only gets morning sun and then shade the rest of the day.

 

[Gert]

Here is another maple from the same batch in the first image. This one didn't trunk up as fast. I cut it back this year and prayed. it really exploded fast. Once the chop heals, I'll cut back to a secondary shoot at the top and lop off the top. Hoping to make this one a more slender tree with some slight movement.

 

[clem]

you are doing great job with your trees, imo (good nebari, trunk line)
If you want better growth of roots and nebari, a larger and flat pot/woodbox would be interesting.

 

[Gert]

Thanks, @clem

I have some future maple projects that I'm going to build some shallow boxes for. I think I was just excited to move from grow pots to ceramic pots this year. I should probably just buy a semi-finished tree to enjoy while I develop these further.

I see you've gotten wonderful results in shallow boxes. Have you ever tried a smaller box? 7in x 7in / 18cm x 18cm or around there. I'd be curious because I don't have the space for some of the wider boxes I see traditionally used in maple development. I imagine the results might not be as impressive but would still allow for better development than a 3 inch deep pot.

 

[clem]

no i didn't try so small wood boxes but you can try a flat 7in x 7in x 3in woodbox if you have no place at all... but i think a larger training pot would be far better (7inch large seems very small for a training pot).. I think it also depends on your final project (a small or a bigger & larger tree) and the time you have to reach it depending on your age.


For example if you want to developp the trunk and nebari quicker, this size would be good imo ->

 

[Gert]

Thanks Clem -- that seems like a reasonable size. I will give it a go this spring to try and achieve the best results possible. No sense in doing it halfway! At least these trees got a tiny taste of ceramics

 

[clem]

Thanks Clem -- that seems like a reasonable size. I will give it a go this spring to try and achieve the best results possible. No sense in doing it halfway! At least these trees got a tiny taste of ceramics

Good. This way, you'll be able to compare growth and thickening (of the trunk and the roots) inside a large and flat wood box versus smaller ceramic pots. Whatever the result, you'll learn something...

 

[Gert]

Two of them today. Let the wire get away from me a bit earlier this spring. Will let these wounds finish healing and chop back again. Will do some light root work and transplant into shallow boxes in late feb. Need to cut the side shoot on the smaller one. At first I thought I might keep it but after some thought I think it's too low.

On the larger tree, I'll reduce the long first branch back to the first node with two shoots. the distance between there and the next node is kind of long. I'm wondering if this tree needs to be reduced further and made compact. I kind of like it's lean though currently.

 

[DanaWhicker]

I see you're in 8b, I'm in 9a. Do you keep them in full sun or partial? Obviously yours drop their leaves in the winter as I would expect. Mine still has leaves but it has been an unusually warm winter and it's my first attempt at this species since I lived in Indiana.

 

[Gert]

Hey DW -- These get sun until about 10am and then shade the rest of the day. Next year I might give them more sun in spring and move them into their usual spots when the heat/sunlight intensity ramps up. Hoping this might reduce internode length on the new growth. Time will tell!

Mine do mostly drop their leaves but there are usually a few clingers that I will pull/cut off in late December.

-G

 

[DanaWhicker]

Thank you. That is helpful.

 

[Gert]

Littlest of my J. Maple crew today (and last spring)

 

[Malix]

Nice job. Great to see the progression.

 

[Gert]

I supposed I'll make this my various maples thread.

Here is an air layer I separated from the smaller skinny maple above back in July 2020.

I let it grow without touching the roots until today.

I had made this pot specifically for this tree. It was a bit of a tight squeeze getting it to fit. I may have reduced too many roots while trying. It was free material and worth the gamble in my eyes!

I'm hoping to get some back budding so I can start the new trunk a little tighter in.

First things first, it must live.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Do you live in a warm climate where you don't have to worry about freezing temps? Or can you protect the repotted plant until spring?