Needing to prune at ideal time... Weeping Ryusen Maple

[Cadillactaste]

During the right timing of course. A friend shared this from Peter Chan's Japanese maple book. Which was shared to me.





I repotted this past spring. So no repot intended for spring 2020. So...mark the branches and prune is the best guidance!?! I'm wanting entire branching removed.

I wish to remove the straight downward branching that don't come off the trunk with an arch. Shape/thin out and offer a better overall look.

Photo this spring...after repot.


Taken this fall...






Colors pretty... but not as vibrant as past years. Forgot and left it in shade once the summers heat let up. I forgot to move it back.



Previous years...

 

[Cadillactaste]

Forgot to say...I imagine I will use the painting method. But Colin Lewis mentions when pruning later you get tons of shoots in one of his books I have. This makes me pause. The reason for this post. Paint prune or wait for spring 2021 and do it before repotting?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I think a ribbon or a piece of yarn would work just as well as painting. If one decides to keep the branch, there's no need for paint removal.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I think a ribbon or a piece of yarn would work just as well as painting. If one decides to keep the branch, there's no need for paint removal.

Good point!

 

[AlainK]

This one seems to be grafted (ugly bulge at the base, different bark colour and texture) : if that is the case, instead of pruning, I would air-layer some branches and keep the mother tree as a "patio plant".

OK, some like it big, but small is beautiful too

 

[GGB]

I paint pruned for the first time just the other day. Cant offer insight until August 2020 but as I did it I couldnt help but noticed it's pretty final action, almost feels like pruning because I'm not sure how easy it would be to un-do

 

[Cadillactaste]

I paint pruned for the first time just the other day. Cant offer insight until August 2020 but as I did it I couldnt help but noticed it's pretty final action, almost feels like pruning because I'm not sure how easy it would be to un-do

To be honest...I thought of...using a sharpie marker,or tie twine. The paint thing. I guess forces ones hand for sure.

 

[jimib]

I’ve used a sharpie.

 

[TyroTinker]

Forgot to say...I imagine I will use the painting method. But Colin Lewis mentions when pruning later you get tons of shoots in one of his books I have. This makes me pause. The reason for this post. Paint prune or wait for spring 2021 and do it before repotting?

*Disclaimer!
I am only parroting what I’ve read while doing my own research into maples, I have little to no, hands on experience with what I’m about to say...
Please get more advice before listening to me in any way.* -Thank you-

As I read the passage, the only benefit of waiting until a repot year that is mentioned, is to reduce weeping of the cut wounds.
I am not sure of the ramifications with weeping wounds but maybe there is another way besides doing root work to minimize the weeping? Maybe put on sealer asap?

I would wait for the spring leaves to look like they are not brand new (hardened off) then I would prune what needs to be pruned.

From what I’ve read about maples, that time of year is the prime time to avoid long internodes on the new growth but will still give you as much time as you can to heal the cut wounds before winter.

I hope any of that might help. If I remembered where I read about that stuff I would link it. It’s all from here I’m sure. (I don’t venture far from home)

P.S. I think you could chip off the paint if you decided not to cut the branch you marked. I would think at most it would only cause some discoloration that should go away with time. Maybe dab the paint on the backside of the branch too so it wasn’t easily seen.

 

[leatherback]

Hm.. Looks to me these are not major branches? The sit at the base of a much heavier branch, and there are plenty of branches around. The tree has a healthy root system. Why not trim these branches out now, leaving a stub, cover with paste. Come back in summer and clean up?

 

[Cadillactaste]

Hm.. Looks to me these are not major branches? The sit at the base of a much heavier branch, and there are plenty of branches around. The tree has a healthy root system. Why not trim these branches out now, leaving a stub, cover with paste. Come back in summer and clean up?

Two are off the trunk. Which I plan on removing. I would need the saw to remove them.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I prune my J Maples just after leaf fall. If you’re overwintering yours in a protected site, now is a perfect time to prune.

 

[mach6]

when pruning ryusen, keep in mind that they have a lot of particularities and cannot be treated like most maples. lower branches (lower on the trunk, not physically lower) and interior branches tend to die back a lot. they rarely backed. their weeping nature also overcomes most movement introduced with wiring. ryusen end up with a lot of lion tails, or long, thing, paperless branches with single leaves all along them, which looks like christmas garlands

take a look at the OP's tree as an example of the growth patterns of a healthy ryusen

acer palmatum ryusen

Ok so i have this guy and im trying to decide if it has a chance as a large bonsai or should i air layer the top at the red line and have 2 possible bonsai. Its a weeping maple so i dont even know if it can be a smaller bonsai?

www.bonsainut.com

like most japanese maple cultivars, they are suited for landscapes

 

[sorce]

, the only benefit of waiting until a repot year that is mentioned, is to reduce weeping of the cut wounds.

Talking about this somewhere else too...


Does it reduce weeping...
Or visible weeping?

Sounds like Bullshit!

Sorce

 

[Dav4]

A re-pot with meaningful root pruning temporarily compromises a tree's ability to move water from the soil into the trunk and up to the cut branches, so it absolutely reduces "weeping at the wounds". A better question is whether it actually matters to the tree. Fwiw, I prune maples in the spring, summer, and fall... essentially as needed... and regardless of re-pot timing.

 

[Cadillactaste]

A re-pot with meaningful root pruning temporarily compromises a tree's ability to move water from the soil into the trunk and up to the cut branches, so it absolutely reduces "weeping at the wounds". A better question is whether it actually matters to the tree. Fwiw, I prune maples in the spring, summer, and fall... essentially as needed... and regardless of re-pot timing.

Even large removal of branches? I get ones pinch and such.

 

[Cadillactaste]

when pruning ryusen, keep in mind that they have a lot of particularities and cannot be treated like most maples. lower branches (lower on the trunk, not physically lower) and interior branches tend to die back a lot. they rarely backed. their weeping nature also overcomes most movement introduced with wiring. ryusen end up with a lot of lion tails, or long, thing, paperless branches with single leaves all along them, which looks like christmas garlands

take a look at the OP's tree as an example of the growth patterns of a healthy ryusen

acer palmatum ryusen

Ok so i have this guy and im trying to decide if it has a chance as a large bonsai or should i air layer the top at the red line and have 2 possible bonsai. Its a weeping maple so i dont even know if it can be a smaller bonsai?

www.bonsainut.com

like most japanese maple cultivars, they are suited for landscapes

Mach6... I'm the first post. Not @MACH5 Sergio. Should I feel honored or confused about a #6.