Maple advice please

[Staceymo]

Hello all
I just found this site yesterday, and its inspired me to get going again.
I've got this red maple that I rescued from a friends garden, it was in the way and had obviously been kicked a few times over the years. I brought it home and just planted it in a big plastic pot to recover a bit.
Some light pruning in the first year, nothing last year, and its obvious that I've got some major reshaping/branch removal to do. So questions:-
Is it easier to just cut the thick branches back to the trunk and wait for new ones to back bud? If I prune the big branches back a bit will they just 'fan out' with lots of whippy twigs?
Should I cut a couple of big ones off then wait for the new ones before cutting the next big ones?
Should I start to reduce the root ball or tie it over a tile or something?
I've had maples for years as trees in pots rather than bonsai, and I've never really got to grips with how to train them. I always end up with long internodes or too thick branches.
Any advice greatly appreciated.
Stacey UK

 

[Johnnyd]

https://www.bonsainut.com/resources/chopping-maple-trees.9/
https://www.bonsainut.com/resources/the-fine-art-of-baby-bending.13/
There are some great articles on the resources section of this site.

 

[JudyB]

Nice looking start you have there, welcome to the site. And use the search function there are lots of good threads on your subject here. You may also want to put our location in your profile so that people can give you good advice for your climate.

 

[Staceymo]

Thanks, I'll have a swot up over the weekend

 

[Shibui]

Is it easier to just cut the thick branches back to the trunk and wait for new ones to back bud? If I prune the big branches back a bit will they just 'fan out' with lots of whippy twigs?
Should I cut a couple of big ones off then wait for the new ones before cutting the next big ones?
Should I start to reduce the root ball or tie it over a tile or something?

You will likely get a few different responses to questions like these. That does not necessarily mean that one is right and the others wrong. Trees are living things and can cope with an amazing range of different treatments so more than likely all responses will be correct to different extent.

You have already picked up on a few things that make Japanese maples just a little more tricky to train as good bonsai - rampant growth after pruning and long internodes as well as prolific back budding. To make good bonsai these factors need to be controlled which takes quite good skills, experience and knowledge.
How to prune will depend on the result you want. Shortening the large branches will stimulate dormant buds and they should grow new shoots from all old nodes which will enable you to 'fan out' the existing branching. That will still leave you with very thick branches growing from the trunk. Some would find that wonderful but not my idea of typical JM growth and habit. I would probably try removing all the thicker branches to get more delicate branching but that depends on your own taste and ideals of bonsai.

Removing a few branches at a time is probably OK for JM but there is a risk that with new vigorous growth happening after earlier pruning, further hard pruning would fail to bud. Many trees are apically dominant so it the upper parts are growing well, little happens below and sometimes when lower branches are pruned few buds result and growth is slow on any that do start.

Many bonsai growers see surface roots (nebari) as one of the most important parts of maples. It indicates age and stability in your tree. I always try to start with the roots. Good roots make good bonsai. I know many people find the tile method an easy way to get flatter roots but I prefer proper pruning to manage and develop good rootage. Early spring, just before budburst seems to be the best time for root work. You haven't given a location so hard to say when is right for your area. JM can tolerate surprisingly hard root pruning so you can prune quite a lot off the root ball in one go. I routinely prune top as well as roots in a single session.

Good luck with the tree.

 

[0soyoung]

There is a general rule of thumb in bonsai to have something to cut back to.

Which, for maples, don't cut further than a visible bud.
It isn't absolutely necessary. Most often you'll get buds where you want, but every once in a while it doesn't happen. And then you're stuck.

Acer palmatums bud prolifically in spring with many buds appearing where you don't want them. The unwanted buds can simply be rubbed off. If you miss some, you can get rid of the little shoots as you find them - the longer you wait, the more they will disfigure the node where they've occurred and the bigger will be the pruning scar. So quickly eliminate buds and shoots you don't want. Keep only what fits with your design plans.


Then, this might have nothing to do with what you are asking

 

[Dorky_gearhead]

Personally id air layer the big branches that you want gone. Bam! More bonsai material to torture lol.