Maple pre bonsai

[maroun.c]

If this were mine I would airlayer at the red box and nurture the green branch as the new leader. Even if the airlayer doesn’t take your better off with the green maple on the root stock for bonsai purposes.
View attachment 246688

Might be interesting to go that route. Just for my understanding is the graft at the box below that green leave or is it where u placed the red box? I thought its an the more below the green leave but then why am I getting green leaves above the graft?

 

[Maloghurst]

Might be interesting to go that route. Just for my understanding is the graft at the box below that green leave or is it where u placed the red box? I thought its an the more below the green leave but then why am I getting green leaves above the graft?

The green leaf is from the rootstock. The red is roughly where you would strip the bark/cambium to create the air layer. The new roots would issue forth from the top line of the red box. Read up or watch video on airlayering and it will make sense.
The bottom line of the red box would be where the airlayer is separated when roots have formed from top line and filled your airlayer plastic.
Then you let the the green branch grow unchecked for couple years the keep cutting back to new leader creating taper and movement.

 

[maroun.c]

Thanks for the airlayer info. Never done it but had watched a few videos about it guess at time to try it.

My question was more about the graft


Is the graft at the red arrow where the node is or is it at the blue arrow?
If it’s at the node at the red arrow why am I still getting green leaves grow above it. If it’s at the blue arrow what caused that node then ?
Thanks

 

[Maloghurst]

The black V is the graft area. That’s why it’s bulging there. The green is a idea of how thick you should let that branch get. Let it grow unchecked for couple years before cutting back to a new leader.
The red line is where you would make an angled cut also in a couple years.

 

[maroun.c]

Thanks for all the Info

 

[akhater]

Hi Maroun

Maples are not as rare as that here, I do have one and there are quite a few in the areas used as landscape. A friend of mine has 2 in Hazmieh so yours should be just fine

They will get the required dormancy in the winter nothing to worry about (again both in Ain Saadeh and in Hazmieh) what is hard to manage is the heat of the summer (think July August). I keep mine shaded in these times and leaves are not a pretty sight even with that lol

Also I know a couple of Nurseries selling Maples very close to us, at least they had some a few months back in the spring, finding them is not the hard part price usually is.

Cheers

 

[maroun.c]

Hello,
That's great news, hardly recall seeing any in nurseries around but if that's the case and if as u say I and a friend are keeping then that's great reassurance.

 

[Deleted member 21616]

air layer below the crotch would create a bonsai that looks like a sling shot

I would air layer *above* the crotch. 1 branch, then the other

give yourself 2 trees to work with

 

[Maloghurst]

air layer below the crotch would create a bonsai that looks like a sling shot

I would air layer *above* the crotch. 1 branch, then the other

give yourself 2 trees to work with

I disagree about the slingshot. But I’m partial to twin trunk. If you look the left trunk is already thicker and much taller then the right. Both sides have movement that compliment each other.
Also Would be easier to place an airlayer where I noted. Personally I would be happier with the twin trunk then two smaller trees but there are many ways to skin a cat!