JM Suggestions

[Moridin]

So free trees are great but this one is bigger than I would have wanted.

So to the top of the trunk its is 20" and the front most branch reaches up to about 36" in the first pic. That is a big tree for my yard sadly. The branching below the two large first branches that are about 13" from the base is pretty good so I figure maybe a air layer above that to make 2 trees or just chop it and work with what I have? There is a couple of dead branches up the upper branches as well, The tree was just watered and moved around a greenhouse for about 10 years so really not much care lol.

Also it has crazy nebari I have not seen the extent of so that should be interesting come repot time.

Any advice or suggestions would be awesome since I have learned a extreme amount from you all! Thanks.

 

[sorce]

air layer

Good call.

Sorce

 

[Moridin]

So I'm thinking here? Its gives me a tall slender tree from the bottom and a fatter short one from the top its seems.

And again I'm equating this to building hot rods so I understand the long wait on this one, I built a car for 15 years before I actually drove it

 

[Shibui]

You probably recognize that the trunk is straight and has no taper. The good thing about JM is they bud profusely after trunk chop so that's what I would consider.
Layering will give you 2 trees but will take most of a year. Ask whether the new tree will be worth the effort and the delay. I can't see anything worth taking the time for. Even the bunch of branches near the top does not look particularly attractive but many would do so and the call is up to you.
The current roots are exposed but not particularly attractive from a JM perspective. Again that decision is up to you to use what's currently there or try to improve it. That's the area I would consider layering just for better rootage.

I would just chop this one around 1/3 of the way up to those first larger branches and get on with growing a trunk with taper and some decent branches.
You need to remember that wherever you cut is not the top of the tree. New apex will always be above the chop so cutting high will make an even taller bonsai.

 

[BonjourBonsai]

To be honest, the nebari doesn't look too great. I would definitely look at air layering because JMs air layer very easily (depending on the variety) and there's good potential for a double trunk or two trees. Then, i would chop the remaining trunk down low. Maybe the roots could be untangled or maybe you'll find beauty in them. Either way, i think you've got something good here.

 

[Moridin]

To be honest, the nebari doesn't look too great.

Yeah I didn't think so as well but its nuts and I figured it might as well work with what I have, plus I like the hollow above the roots. I figure I will find something there when I see the roots at a repot.

 

[Moridin]

I would just chop this one around 1/3 of the way up to those first larger branches and get on with growing a trunk with taper and some decent branches.
You need to remember that wherever you cut is not the top of the tree. New apex will always be above the chop so cutting high will make an even taller bonsai.

So many decisions lol but this is the way I had been leaning tbh. I'll probably chop it and get a bunch of cuttings off of it beforehand as he has a few more I can pickup if I want. I built 4 boxes this weekend to throw plants in, I love having extra pallets at work.

 

[Shibui]

You will find that in bonsai there are rarely just one option. Styling is very subjective so everyone will do it slightly different and I have found that there are usually several different ways to achieve the same result so that makes for many different permutations to grow a bonsai from raw stock.
Good luck with the journey.

Some people appear to be able to strike JM from cuttings but I have very little success. Far quicker and easier for me to grow from seed but I wish you success with your trials.

 

[Moridin]

Thinking this might be a little big for this and I made it on my day off so a few beers didn't help

But I cut up a few pallets from work so I have the extra lumber lol

 

[Shibui]

That grow box should be just about the right size for your maple if you want to get some growth.
The box will probably tend to dry out faster than the plastic pots so keep an eye on watering as the weather warms up.

 

[Moridin]

That grow box should be just about the right size for your maple if you want to get some growth.
The box will probably tend to dry out faster than the plastic pots so keep an eye on watering as the weather warms up.

I'm thinking this will be what I am ultimately going to do. I've been going back and forth on chopping it or keeping it the size that it is to use it for future things (air layers, cuttings and so on) and have decided on the latter. I figure I can use it for a learning tool and probably a central big garden tree. I can always chop it at some point in the future if I decide to go that route, time will tell.

 

[Moridin]

This was some work

The soil on this one was horrible and the nebari was even worse than I thought when I looked deeper lol. Time to let it grow and make other little trees with it

 

[Moridin]

This one has woken up pretty well in my opinion. I'm glad I didn't go the chop plan and decided to keep it to air layer.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Yep, definitely think an air layer is the right choice on this one.

 

[sorce]

air layer

Instead of your line, chop the 2 branches off flush below it and connect those wounds around for your ringbarking.

Should be a little more width and a lot more hormones.

Sorce

 

[Moridin]

This thing is really flushing out nicely.

 

[luvinthemountains]

This thing is really flushing out nicely.

Pretty leaves.

I am wondering - does anybody know what typically causes scars like the one at the base of @Moridin's JM? I have one with an almost identical scar. I assume a patch of bark may have been scraped/torn off earlier in the tree's life, or is there another, well-understood cause?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

When you cut the girdle for your airlayer, consider cutting it at an angle. Then you will start with a trunk with an angle at the soil line.

 

[Moridin]

Pretty leaves.

I am wondering - does anybody know what typically causes scars like the one at the base of @Moridin's JM? I have one with an almost identical scar. I assume a patch of bark may have been scraped/torn off earlier in the tree's life, or is there another, well-understood cause?

I couldn't tell you what caused this scar it was given to me but I love the character it gives to the tree to be honest.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I couldn't tell you what caused this scar it was given to me but I love the character it gives to the tree to be honest.

Not with a maple, you don't. Maples are prone to fungus, and if it gets established in your hardwood, you can write off your tree. I would treat that deadwood right now with sulfur - you can see black fungus already.

A link to one of many maple fungal diseases.

Make sure when you separate your air-layer that you seal the bottom of the trunk for the very reason (the part that goes into the ground).