Maple Branching Structure - Where to Cut?

[markyscott]

Looks like a serial tree torturer! Lmao I’m undecided on which technique is better walters method works and I love his trees but so do the Japanese and they have beautiful ones too! Just a matter of taste and time.

Try them both! In practice, how much of a difference is there between them anyway? As I understand his method, Walter likes to encourage his trees to grow strong by letting the shoots grow long. He then cuts back aggressively, encouraging a lot of back budding that he selectively prunes to build branches. I like to encourage the trees to grow strong by letting the shoots grow long. While they're growing, I like to wire movement and direction into the branches. I then cut back aggressively, encouraging... You get the idea. As I see it, the main difference is the wiring. I use it to try and avoid the straight branches as the OP posted here:

Maple Branching Structure - Where to Cut?

A couple years ago, I obtained a big Amur Maple stump and haven't given it much attention. I've only hedge pruned it, and now the branching sucks, so it's time to fix it and properly work the branches. I've attached a photo of what some of the branches look like. The main branch will be long...

www.bonsainut.com

And I'm not totally sure how to avoid them with hedging alone.

S

 

[Trenthany]

Try them both! In practice, how much of a difference is there between them anyway? As I understand his method, Walter likes to encourage his trees to grow strong by letting the shoots grow long. He then cuts back aggressively, encouraging a lot of back budding that he selectively prunes to build branches. I like to encourage the trees to grow strong by letting the shoots grow long. While they're growing, I like to wire movement and direction into the branches. I then cut back aggressively, encouraging... You get the idea. As I see it, the main difference is the wiring. I use it to try and avoid the straight branches as the OP posted here:

Maple Branching Structure - Where to Cut?

A couple years ago, I obtained a big Amur Maple stump and haven't given it much attention. I've only hedge pruned it, and now the branching sucks, so it's time to fix it and properly work the branches. I've attached a photo of what some of the branches look like. The main branch will be long...

www.bonsainut.com

And I'm not totally sure how to avoid them with hedging alone.

S

This makes perfect sense. Maybe as a blend I could wire branches I see that I definitely want and just hedge the rest and do my fine wiring in January or February when leaves finally drop lol.

 

[Slippery Pete]

Markyscott is a goldmine of information, and on top of that he validates my Crocs. Bravo, I say! Bravo.