large Japanese Maple planning

Messages
187
Reaction score
109
Location
S Africa
Hi everybody

I bought this maple a week ago, its got about 25/30L of soil, fine particles and water retentive but neither clay nor true sand

Its a normal green JMaple by the looks and its the biggest Ive ever seen in a nursery, about 3cm wide above soil level
I love the spreading roots and curve of the trunk

I tried to make a virtual with a rough idea of branches
Im first going to layer the two bigger branches off, the trunk chop below the fork in the trunk

I plan to leave the roots as is until the later parts of the trunk are being grown to ensure maximum growth

Maybe wash out the top third of soil in the bag and replace with fine compost? To promote finer roots while all the rest is going on up above?
If it doesnt happen I can allways ringbark the big spreading roots using the leader being grown to power the root formation?
Maybe mix it 50/50 fine compost and coarse riversand

Have I missed anything in this longterm plan/ anyone have extra advice or better suggestions as to styling/ chopping height etc?
I would just forge ahead and rather post a "This is what I had and this is what I did" thread but I wanted to make sure as Im new to J-maples- this is one of five, all my first, all aquired in the last two months

Looking forward to your replies
 

Attachments

  • 20140713_125024.jpg
    20140713_125024.jpg
    78.9 KB · Views: 125
  • 20140713_125018.jpg
    20140713_125018.jpg
    44.9 KB · Views: 119
  • 20140713_124942.jpg
    20140713_124942.jpg
    74.8 KB · Views: 124
  • 20140713_124932.jpg
    20140713_124932.jpg
    67.6 KB · Views: 126
  • 20140713_124927.jpg
    20140713_124927.jpg
    71.6 KB · Views: 158
Messages
187
Reaction score
109
Location
S Africa
heres two more pics
 

Attachments

  • 20140713_124927 (1).jpg
    20140713_124927 (1).jpg
    91.8 KB · Views: 97
  • 20140713_124919.jpg
    20140713_124919.jpg
    66.8 KB · Views: 99
Last edited:

Eric Group

Masterpiece
Messages
4,554
Reaction score
4,854
Location
Columbia, SC
Hi everybody

I bought this maple a week ago, its got about 25/30L of soil, fine particles and water retentive but neither clay nor true sand

Its a normal green JMaple by the looks and its the biggest Ive ever seen in a nursery, about 3cm wide above soil level
I love the spreading roots and curve of the trunk

I tried to make a virtual with a rough idea of branches
Im first going to layer the two bigger branches off, the trunk chop below the fork in the trunk

I plan to leave the roots as is until the later parts of the trunk are being grown to ensure maximum growth

Maybe wash out the top third of soil in the bag and replace with fine compost? To promote finer roots while all the rest is going on up above?
If it doesnt happen I can allways ringbark the big spreading roots using the leader being grown to power the root formation?
Maybe mix it 50/50 fine compost and coarse riversand

Have I missed anything in this longterm plan/ anyone have extra advice or better suggestions as to styling/ chopping height etc?
I would just forge ahead and rather post a "This is what I had and this is what I did" thread but I wanted to make sure as Im new to J-maples- this is one of five, all my first, all aquired in the last two months

Looking forward to your replies

Your virtual would make a wonderful informal upright... If this was a Juniper. With a deciduous tree, I like the more natural looks better, but that is just my personal preference... You are not guaranteed to get branches everywhere you want them, you might get better advice by posting a wide shot of the tree as it is right know so we can recommend where to start.

For right now, I would say your biggest concern if the lopsided root base. Eventually you need to encourage strong root growth on the side with fewer roots or you might considering grafting something over there one day. So, in case you have to graft (and just because having a bunch of Maples is better than just having one...) go ahead and start some cuttings from the smaller branches on the tree get them rooted, and a couple years from now- if you do need to graft some on- you will have plenty to work with.
 
Last edited:
Messages
187
Reaction score
109
Location
S Africa
Thanks for the reply, sorry for my delayed response but Ive been busy

I dont know if anyone has time and are willing to do a virtual or a sketch of a deciuous design for this tree but please do, Id appreciate the insight imensely
I struggle to be creative with design.. I can see A tree but thats about it

I usually incorporate ideas from pictures of bonsai into plans for a tree

After your reply (Eric) I searched until I fpund this beautiful maplr on a site of the American bonsai society- and I love it. It seems so airy and just perfect
 

Attachments

  • 20140716_142415.jpg
    20140716_142415.jpg
    32.7 KB · Views: 88
  • 20140716_142427.jpg
    20140716_142427.jpg
    29.4 KB · Views: 83
  • 20140716_142434.jpg
    20140716_142434.jpg
    45.9 KB · Views: 87
  • palmatum1.jpg
    palmatum1.jpg
    119.1 KB · Views: 100
Messages
187
Reaction score
109
Location
S Africa
sorry for the sideways pics, they're upright on my phone

the white bands are future airlayer locations, starting in order from the bottom up, the rest following once the first two are established, probably another year
 

Attachments

  • 20140716_142131.jpg
    20140716_142131.jpg
    33.9 KB · Views: 85
  • 20140716_142135.jpg
    20140716_142135.jpg
    26.3 KB · Views: 82
  • 20140716_142334.jpg
    20140716_142334.jpg
    24.3 KB · Views: 82
Messages
187
Reaction score
109
Location
S Africa
I have seperated the two airlayers, both have taken and are growing
This is the end result as per instruction by a senior clubmember
As I understand him one of the two shoots on that tapered end will be the next piece of trunk
 

JoeR

Masterpiece
Messages
3,948
Reaction score
3,451
Location
Sandhills of North Carolina
USDA Zone
8a
Like it.

I think I'm going to have to take the "smoke" approach and say it seems like it could have been chopped lower. Yes it has nice movement but not much taper. Or I could still be a newb and not know what I'm talking about.

Either way if you leave it or go lower I still think it will make a nice tree some day. If you leave it, it would make an elegant feminine tree but if you chop it it could be a nice tapered masculine tree.
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
Messages
32,908
Reaction score
45,579
Location
Berwyn, Il
USDA Zone
6.2
I dig the pink. (Lol I didn't even mean...butt I thought about it anyway)

I think it could be chopped lower.

But I don't Maple Much.

Sorce
 

KennedyMarx

Omono
Messages
1,708
Reaction score
427
Location
Indiana (Zone 6a)
USDA Zone
6a
A guideline for size is a ratio somewhere between (height to trunk girth) 6:1 and 12:1. So if your tree's final height is around 9cm, you'll want your first chop to be around 3cm from the base. Japanese maples aren't as vigorous as tridents, so I'm not sure how hard you could chop without chopping back to an existing branch. Check out Smoke's blog: http://bonsaiAl.wordpress.com for a ton of info on maples (mostly tridents, but a little on Japanese maples).
 
Messages
187
Reaction score
109
Location
S Africa
Thanks- the pink is a wound sealant that promotes callous for the first few weeks, I never used it until another member used it on a trident of mine and I saw for myself

Im shooting for a larger, open and airy, feminine tree- something like the image included in post #4 , i like the soft movement in the trunk
The way Im guessing is that the tree shouldn't be any higher than about 1... 1,5 times this stump height?

Btw thanks for the replies :)
 
Top Bottom