LG Large Kotohime

[Lars Grimm]

Hi All,

This is a new thread to start documentation of a new large kotohime I purchased from Bella Bonsai at the Winter Silhouette Show in 2019. The tree was originally ground grown but has been in a nursery container for several years before being transplanted to the current container. I bought it because finding such impressive structure on raw stock like this is hard for me to come by. I think the strengths of this tree are the primary and secondary branches, many of which already have very nice movement. The dynamic movement is also very nice as so many maples are very vertical. there is also very good taper. Of course kotohime have wonderfully short internodes as well. The major downside is the root base which will need to be corrected either through a ground layer or multiple root grafts (likely some combination). The first picture is as purchased. These next two pictures (A and B) are after removal of some obvious branches as well as cleaning up some pruning scars and using some cement to fill some old rotted holes. I originally favored A as the front, but think B might be better. Advice and opinions are always appreciated.

Lars





A

B

 

[Martin Sweeney]

Lars,

I tried to buy that tree from Larry about 5 years ago when I had some money, but he wouldn't sell it. When he would sell it, I no longer had enough money. Congrats. I really like that one.

It was grown by the Growing Grounds in the ground before Larry acquired it from Mark.

Regards,
Martin

 

[BobbyLane]

nice material, looks very natural. i like the roots, wouldnt change anything. i like angle 2, looks like a powerful tree leaning over a bank, the anchoring roots look strong and powerful from this angle.

 

[mach6]

love this so much potential

 

[Lars Grimm]

Lars,

I tried to buy that tree from Larry about 5 years ago when I had some money, but he wouldn't sell it. When he would sell it, I no longer had enough money. Congrats. I really like that one.

It was grown by the Growing Grounds in the ground before Larry acquired it from Mark.

Regards,
Martin

Thanks so much for the additional information Martin. That makes a lot of sense as it reminds me of other stock I saw at Growing Grounds. I really believe that knowing the backstory on trees makes them even more special.

 

[Lars Grimm]

nice material, looks very natural. i like the roots, wouldnt change anything. i like angle 2, looks like a powerful tree leaning over a bank, the anchoring roots look strong and powerful from this angle.

I hadn't thought about that approach. I'll have all winter to think about it!

 

[William N. Valavanis]

GREAT tree. I almost bought it, but when I went back it was sold. Looked at the tree for a long time and thought about it and figured out to design it.

Here is one idea on how I would develop the tree. It would only take me three years, four if the weather was poor to develop this maple into a show worthy tree. Not a masterpiece, would take a bit longer. No need to graft roots. You can easily airlayear it right in the training pot and will only take one season to develop. And, that's in my climate, yours should work quicker with the longer growing season.

If the tree came from Marc Torppa then it probably one of my cuttings. Or, at least from my original Koto Hime maple which I introduced to the US decades ago. Nearly every Koto Hime maple can be traced back to my original stock plant.

Good luck training this gem of a tree! I look forward to watching it develop and hope to see it at a future Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo. Did you see the one I displayed there a few years ago in 2017? Photo attached.
Bill


2017 Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo

 

[BobbyLane]

I wonder how many on here would have chopped William's beautiful maple back to one trunk line had they got this as raw stock. this is a wonderful example of how trees would grow in nature.

 

[William N. Valavanis]

There are two types of bonsai: Naturalistic and Artistic. Both types are valid and practiced around the world.

The selection one takes is a personal choice, which is heavily dependent on culture, background, location and personal preference. There is NO one correct type. Make a selection and go with it.

I practice, study and teach classical bonsai art, not naturalistic.

 

[BobbyLane]

im familiar with your work William and your style, versatility. its not the first time ive seen your kotohime, the blog post has been bookmarked for a long time.

Well said.

 

[Lars Grimm]

GREAT tree. I almost bought it, but when I went back it was sold. Looked at the tree for a long time and thought about it and figured out to design it.

Here is one idea on how I would develop the tree. It would only take me three years, four if the weather was poor to develop this maple into a show worthy tree. Not a masterpiece, would take a bit longer. No need to graft roots. You can easily airlayear it right in the training pot and will only take one season to develop. And, that's in my climate, yours should work quicker with the longer growing season.

If the tree came from Marc Torppa then it probably one of my cuttings. Or, at least from my original Koto Hime maple which I introduced to the US decades ago. Nearly every Koto Hime maple can be traced back to my original stock plant.

Good luck training this gem of a tree! I look forward to watching it develop and hope to see it at a future Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo. Did you see the one I displayed there a few years ago in 2017? Photo attached.
Bill
View attachment 274018
View attachment 274019
2017 Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo

Thanks Bill. Your feedback and insights are greatly appreciated. I'll mull over my design plan this winter. I was lucky enough to see your 2017 kotohime in the show. It really stood out to me because so often the kotohime seem to produce almost puffballs with their foliage given how tight their internodes are. This tree did not have that problem and showed some very nice balance.

 

[SouthernMaple]

Hi All,

This is a new thread to start documentation of a new large kotohime I purchased from Bella Bonsai at the Winter Silhouette Show in 2019. The tree was originally ground grown but has been in a nursery container for several years before being transplanted to the current container. I bought it because finding such impressive structure on raw stock like this is hard for me to come by. I think the strengths of this tree are the primary and secondary branches, many of which already have very nice movement. The dynamic movement is also very nice as so many maples are very vertical. there is also very good taper. Of course kotohime have wonderfully short internodes as well. The major downside is the root base which will need to be corrected either through a ground layer or multiple root grafts (likely some combination). The first picture is as purchased. These next two pictures (A and B) are after removal of some obvious branches as well as cleaning up some pruning scars and using some cement to fill some old rotted holes. I originally favored A as the front, but think B might be better. Advice and opinions are always appreciated.

Lars

View attachment 274015



AView attachment 274016

BView attachment 274017

Beautiful tree, I am glad you got it because I would have spent more money than I had budgeted to pick up this one. I didn't however see it, which is good I guess, I didn't even see their vendor stand. Any way you are gonna love this tree in the spring its foliage is magnificent. I own a koto hime, its grafted, it was my third tree I ever bought but it doesn't hold a candle in the wind to your tree. The last 3 falls I have been disappointed in the fall foliage, but the leaf size and the spring/summer out weigh that. Mine tends to favor growing vertically than horizontally and I was told that broom was the only style you could go with this tree. Which depressed me a lot, because I like to take the road less traveled.


I honestly like side b better as well. I feel it shows off that horizontal branch better.

 

[Dav4]

Hah hah! That tree would have come home with me as if you hadn't pulled the trigger first... though it sounds like there was more competition then just you, Lars! Great pick up for you!

 

[Lars Grimm]

Beautiful tree, I am glad you got it because I would have spent more money than I had budgeted to pick up this one. I didn't however see it, which is good I guess, I didn't even see their vendor stand. Any way you are gonna love this tree in the spring its foliage is magnificent. I own a koto hime, its grafted, it was my third tree I ever bought but it doesn't hold a candle in the wind to your tree. The last 3 falls I have been disappointed in the fall foliage, but the leaf size and the spring/summer out weigh that. Mine tends to favor growing vertically than horizontally and I was told that broom was the only style you could go with this tree. Which depressed me a lot, because I like to take the road less traveled.
View attachment 274028

I honestly like side b better as well. I feel it shows off that horizontal branch better.

I have one other kotohime. It also shows great spring and summer color. Last year I got some vibrant reds, but not this year.

 

[SouthernMaple]

I have one other kotohime. It also shows great spring and summer color. Last year I got some vibrant reds, but not this year.

Is Durham a good climate for your bonsai? I might move to Chapel Hill next year if Asheville doesn't get better for me.

 

[Lars Grimm]

Is Durham a good climate for your bonsai? I might move to Chapel Hill next year if Asheville doesn't get better for me.

More humid and warmer than Asheville so you need more fungal and sun protection, but longer growing season and less winter protection than Asheville.

 

[MACH5]

We looked it at it together and I thought it was a good buy! Glad you decided to get it and look forward to seeing it develop.

 

[mach6]

kotohime seem to produce almost puffballs with their foliage given how tight their internodes are

amen - I find they get very messy compared to other maples because of this, which makes it all the more impressive that Bill and Dave Easterbrook have absolute stunners!

I would love a workshop on this specific cultivar! I'm not sure if shishigashira would fit the same category - it is also very very dense, and mere defoliation seems too simple of a way to deal with the density? unless i'm overthinking things as usual

 

[William N. Valavanis]

I forgot to mention that I would air layer any heavy branches which are to be removed from the large Koto Hime maple. Should only take a few months and can be removed before winter. Air layer in April/May and remove in July/August.

It would be wasting nicely shaped branches which could be trained into stunning bonsai.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Agreed with Bill. I'd airlayer branches and then graft branches back where I want them.