Maple Bunjin?

[Corwyn13]

Hi gang,

I have this maple growing by my side door. Originally planted here as a temp and had other plans for it the garden. But I've been playing around with the idea of turning it into a Bunjin style.
I know maple is brittle, so I am wondering if it's too late with the how thick the trunk is.



I taped a pencil on the trunk for reference.

 

[0soyoung]

Yah, way too late. IMHO, you've get to start with a seedling, though one could do if by cut & grow too. Wire can produce smoother curves versus more angular changes in direction. Changing it up from time to time could produce a very interesting bunjin. The Best you could do with tugging trunk is a very graceful arc - it is pretty rigid and will just suddenly snap if you push out too much.

I might try to root some cuttings, then cut them down to one or two nodes and wire/cut & grow from there, though the cuttings might be flexible enough to wire in some movement straight [sic ] away.


BTW, this tree has very nice foliage!

 

[Shibui]

It is never too late. The best bunjin are not shaped by bending the trunks. Far more natural shapes by chopping the main trunk and using side branches to form the apex and this can still be done with an older, brittle tree - provided, of course, you are happy with the existing gentle bends in the lower trunk.

JM are also quite good at new shoots after pruning. Many better JM bonsai have been developed after removing all existing branches from a nice trunk and growing new ones from the buds that develop after.
trunk chop down to the lowest branch should see plenty of new buds emerge from the trunk where the pencil is. Those will be flexible enough for the first year or so to shape as you see fit.

There are infinite possibilities if you take the longer view of what could be instead of just looking at what is.

 

[Corwyn13]

hmm, so I played around with this tree a bit and contrary to initial impressions it seems quit flexible even with a paranoid "PLEASE DONT BREAK" hand I was able to bend it at least 8-10 inches today.
I was also watching haron bonsai and considering splitting the trunk to twist and bend.

I know NEWBIE "know it all", but is it just not done because traditionally Japanese don't seem to do this style with maple or am I missing something drastic?

PS Yes I am quit stubborn and have to have an idea beaten out of my head.

 

[ShadyStump]

Yes I am quit stubborn and have to have an idea beaten out of my head.

Stick around a while and witness some of MY ridiculous thought experiments.

If you're ok with the longer haul, and don't want to chop it and grow a whole new tree essentially, your safest bet is to use guy wires to pull the trunk into place, gently tightening them a couple times a year until it slowly takes more of an arch over a few growing seasons.

Another option that's faster but more dangerous- both for the health and aesthetics of the tree- is to cut notches into the trunk, then bend it until the cut edges on either side of the notch line up, then wrap it and let it heal back together for a few years. This has a higher chance of failing in deadly ways, and leaving nasty scars on the bark for a very long time.

Both of these are techniques that can get you where it seems you want to be, but make sure you research the details before diving in. If they're not done right you were better off with cut and grow.

 

[0soyoung]

hmm, so I played around with this tree a bit and contrary to initial impressions it seems quit flexible even with a paranoid "PLEASE DONT BREAK" hand I was able to bend it at least 8-10 inches today.

Mmmmm, good.

Its one of those things like 'repotting' = vague/ill-defined, but we have a sense that it means something more than lifting the plant outnof the pot and putting it back or just putting into another pot. When you say

I have this maple growing by my side door. Originally planted here as a temp and had other plans for it the garden. But I've been playing around with the idea of turning it into a Bunjin style.

I think of a trunk line similar to this

I was also watching haron bonsai and considering splitting the trunk to twist and bend.

I admire your sense of adventure and would l like to see you actually do it! But not right now because the bark will slip right off the wood. Maybe a bit later, say early fall. But what do I know. I've never tried this on a maple.

Fear is the strongest deterrent to discovery.
Fear of failure is the strongest deterrent to creativity.

Go for it.