The best time to cut then really hard is just after winter, am I right?I reckon another year of good growth would be worth it if you really need buds that aren't there now.
Otherwise it'll just grow what's there in more of a desperation move.
Hell, another good year may have it pop it's own buds. That's the health tell for me. If it ain't showing, it ain't growing.
Sorce
The best time to cut then really hard is just after winter, am I right?
So midsummer is the best?I think you're prone to get stronger current showing growth if you do.
Midsummer for unseen backbudding.
Sorce
actually, Im not sure if it really is a Kaede, I would love some help identifiying this.View attachment 408218
Just got this Acer Kaede, thinking about shortening the trunks and keep it as a little tree, how is back budding on these plants?
They are different plants but they come from the same pot, I just saved both from a wrecked pot.I just searched 'kaede' and found that it just means maple.
The leaves appear to be alternate so I guess it is an Acer but not sure what species. It does not look like either Japanese maple, trident maple or Acer japonicum. There may be other Acers from Japan but I'm not aware of them.
The leaves in the 2 photos you have posted appear to be different plants??
So midsummer is the best?
All seriouness, Im sorry, english isnt my first languagePlease note my good heart chuckling with joy.
Your excitement as a "newbie scissors hands" has me noting this other phenomenon that muddies a forum's communication waters.
Because it would be excellent for you to identify it yourself and I am curious to how wholly you may be able to identify this phenomenon....
If you read back my answers, are you able to see it?
Not trying to catch you up, totally sincere, I'll fill you in if you don't get it.
Thanks!
Sorce
All seriouness, Im sorry, english isnt my first language
I thought the same, but in close inspection they seem very different, I compared with a abutilon that I saw in the street.Is it possible that this is abutilon....Flowering Maple? Not a true maple, but related to hibiscus and hollyhock in the mallow family.
Wise words.As a fellow newbie, some reflections on the past year and my changes in perspective are maybe worth sharing. My sons and I went hog-wild collecting trees and started planning our spring cuts. The excitement to get started on developing a bonsai was palpable and this led to needless and sloppy work being done to the trees, not to mention wasted time and money. It took a while for the idea to really set in that bonsai is a long-term project and that cutting this year or next (or the following) ultimately doesn't make all that much of a difference. At this point in my thinking, almost none of my trees will get a trunk chop next year. When I put my impatience aside for even a moment, it became really obvious that I would be totally unsatisfied with my tree if it was cut when 1/2 inch in diameter. After all, I was planning "imperial bonsai" that were 36" tall (this would be awesome if I had a tree with a 6" trunk - which I do not). I am now looking forward to developing much smaller bonsai, and will allow my trunks to grow until I am happy. I will leave at least one tree to grow longer term - maybe I'll get a 6 incher after all. Once you trunk chop the tree, you have nothing to do again, so might as well wait.
In the interim, there are other things to keep us very busy. First, there simply was no way on God's green earth that I would not be cutting a trunk in spring. So, I took the plunge and bought a nursery stock that I can play with. I also lucked out with a big box tree that turned out to have a pretty significant trunk buried under the soil. I did too much work on him, too late in the season and truly hopes he makes it through the winter.
Cutting a trunk is easy - just get a saw and get to it when ready. The hard part is keeping our trees alive and happy for the decade or so that it takes to develop them and then to keep them alive well after they put us in the ground. There is much to learn in this regard. As our trees are growing, there is a wealth of information out there that we can ingest.