Need opinions!

[MACH5]

Fellow BNuts, I got this wild collected Japanese maple last year. Took a few pics from all angles. Can't decide what to do with it so I wanted to ask you guys your thoughts. I thank you all in advance














And below are a couple of rough virtuals of what I was thinking.

How about a sumo shohin?





Or a more traditional moyogi style approach?

 

[Jason_mazzy]

The movement is great so keep it tall. New leader up top for an apex and some taper.

 

[Admin]

do not cut it low as it will create an ugly scar which will take years to heal. your maple has good movement in the trunk so i would advice you to let it be tall and maybe taper it to a jin right on top and let one of the nearby branches become the new apex.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I like option A. It is bold, long-term, and puts you in control of the subsequent growth, rather than making the best of what's been allowed to grow.

 

[Dav4]

I'm with Brian...though I might chop a bit higher then what is shown in the virt. I forsee a lot of future grafting for this one.

 

[fourteener]

If the sumo shohin is what you want, air layer a section off of the top and create it with that. I think you could get both of the trees your looking for with the one.

 

[davetree]

I would cut it back to that second low branch (the thicker one). The trunk is pretty straight and boring. You could make almost the entire tree, which is better than using what you have.

 

[Poink88]

I would cut it back to that second low branch (the thicker one).

This is what I'll do as well.

 

[jk_lewis]

I agree with cutting it higher, though that thickest branch doesn't look too useful. However, you will have to put 15 years into it to get something even half-way decent from the sumo shohin idea. I suppose thread grafts will speed things up a bit, but you can ALWAYS (or almost) spot grafts until there is a lot of age in them as well.

The trunk above that largest branch is 100% uninteresting and has no taper. Trying to grow a leader for taper at that height would look silly.

And you don't really want a jin on a maple.

 

[Nybonsai12]

Option a. Will look better in long run I think. Great base.

 

[Martin Sweeney]

Mach5,

I like option A.

Nice root base..

Regards,
Martin

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Cutting it back to the second low branch (thicker one) = option "A"

 

[pwk5017]

Cutting it back to the second low branch (thicker one) = option "A"

Yeah, I think everyone is arguing for the same plan without realizing it lol. Agreed, option A is the only route if you want the best tree. If you wanted a bigger tree, then keep more of the trunk, but it will lack taper. It will just look like those deciduous trees that have a great lower third, then the middle is sorta straight and no taper, and then there is an abrupt chop mark with an absurd lil apex grown on. I suppose they look good in leaf, but not leafless. Either way, you hve a nice wild find.

 

[lordy]

I vote for option B. I think the movement along with the nebari is something to keep.

 

[MACH5]

do not cut it low as it will create an ugly scar which will take years to heal. your maple has good movement in the trunk so i would advice you to let it be tall and maybe taper it to a jin right on top and let one of the nearby branches become the new apex.

Thanks BNut but you lost me with the jin up top?? However, following on that line of thinking, if I went for the shohin option, I was considering carving part of the trunk to make it look really aged. Also if I did not carve it and try to heal it, I was intrigued by the following technique: http://bonsaitonight.com/2012/10/16/ebiharas-maples/

I like option A. It is bold, long-term, and puts you in control of the subsequent growth, rather than making the best of what's been allowed to grow.

Thanks Brian. I am very tempted by this option!

I'm with Brian...though I might chop a bit higher then what is shown in the virt. I forsee a lot of future grafting for this one.

Not sure if I will need grafting? But perhaps. I anticipate lots of budding from the remaining trunk if/when I make the cut.

I agree with cutting it higher, though that thickest branch doesn't look too useful. However, you will have to put 15 years into it to get something even half-way decent from the sumo shohin idea. I suppose thread grafts will speed things up a bit, but you can ALWAYS (or almost) spot grafts until there is a lot of age in them as well.


Thanks jkl. Again not sure I'll need grafting here. Also I think 15 years is very conservative in my opinion. I think a believable tree can be accomplished in less time.

Option a. Will look better in long run I think. Great base.

Thanks NY12. Yes, the base is the reason I got this tree. I immediately envisioned a shohin but lately I've been second guessing this option.

I vote for option B. I think the movement along with the nebari is something to keep.

Thanks lordy. I suppose I could also do a shorter moyogi rather than go for the more drastic sumo shohin? The sweep upwards I think is very nice but just at the right length. Otherwise it becomes rather monotonous as pointed out before.

 

[MACH5]

Well after weighing in all suggestions and options, I believe I will go forward with neither A nor B options but rather something in between. Option A is very attractive but a bit too severe. Option B is perhaps too tall. So I opted to go for a shorter moyogi style. The sweep of this tree is just too nice in my opinion to let it go to waste.

Take a look at the attached pic I borrowed from the internet (don't know who's tree is it) but it is remarkably similar to what is possible to create with my stump, except mine will be green

 

[JudyB]

I missed this thread somehow...

I think you've given yourself the best option by keeping some height. You never know what may pop lower, so drastically reducing if you don't really want a shohin may add years onto the development. You can always cut it back again in a year, and only loose that year...if you decide to go that route.

Does anyone have any experience with the branch healing technique shown in the blog?

 

[Si Nguyen]

I think Option A would have been bad. Glad you decided not to go with that drastic chop. Because it will have killed off half of the base. You could chop like this with a trident maple , maybe if it is really strong. Your tree is definitely not strong enough. It would just die back to the root on the chop side and you would have lost that nice base.

 

[Si Nguyen]

I agree with chopping it higher. But do the branches upward for a more natural look. Upward branches are stronger too.

 

[Dan W.]

Very nice Si! I believe your drawing would be my vote as the best option for this tree.