New to bonsai with some wild growing maples

[bloomautomatic]

Hello all.

I have a few wild maples growing in the back yard for the past 2-3 years. I've been trimming/pinching the ends to try to keep them short but haven't really put any formal efforts into it. They are 12-24" high, with the biggest one about the size of a pencil.

We're just coming into spring here (finally), so i'm looking for any suggestions on what i should do this year. I'm in no hurry, I know these things take time.

Thanks

 

[Paulpash]

What type of maple?

 

[lordy]

and where is this stand of maples located?

 

[bloomautomatic]

Sorry for the delay in responding.

I believe it is a sugar maple or something similar to that. I believe they were germinated from the maple tree in my yard.

We are in Southwestern Pennsylvania, about 35 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pa.

thanks again.

 

[Paradox]

If they are only the size of a pencil, you need to let them grow to get thicker trunks. There is no other way to accomplish that. Pinching is something that is done after you've got a thick trunk to promote fine branch ramification, shorter internodes and smaller leaves. Pinching them new will only slow down the trunk growth and make getting that much longer.

We work on trunks first, roots second, then on branching.

 

[bloomautomatic]

Ok. so for now just let them grow wild? one of them is a bit thicker than the others. i'll take some good measurements and pics and post them soon.

i figured i should stunt the growth from the tops to get the bottoms to grow out more. guess i was wrong!

v

 

[bloomautomatic]

ok, finally got out to take some measurements. The biggest ones are around 3/4" diameter at the base and stand about 30" tall. A few smaller ones are about 1/2" diameter and 3/8" diameter, all around the same height. attached pics of the larger ones.

Any advice on how to proceed would be appreciated. thanks

 

[lordy]

Most bonsai aficianados would forego a maple of that sort mostly due to leaf size. The whole thing kinda needs to work together so that the tree looks like a full sized tree only in miniature. That is to say, the leaves would hopefully be proportional to the size of the tree when it is kept small. At least you would want it to be believable. 8 leaves on the whole tree might cover everything. Compare your leaves to an Acer Palmatum or better yet, Koto Hime maple.
With that being said, I also have a maple that is not normally used in bonsai. It has larger leaves, but a very unique nebari so I kept it. I have it in the ground also, but it has a trunk probably 2" in diameter. I was going to lift it this spring but I got distracted by who knows what.
You could keep yours in the ground for several years and just let them be. The longer they grow, the faster they gain size. When the trunk is nice and fat, you will end up cutting off most or all of the branches anyway, so dont worry about what the foliage looks like yet. That time will come.

 

[bloomautomatic]

Sounds good. I didn't choose this species because of its adaptability to bonsai. It just presented itself in my yard as a target of opportunity. Leave it alone for several years? I think I can handle that!

Would it hurt anything to keep it trimmed back to about 18-24" in height? We use the back patio as an outdoor theater for the kids. Much higher than that and it interferes with the projector.

Thanks for your help. I'll try to check-in in a few years!

Vince

 

[daygan]

... Would it hurt anything to keep it trimmed back to about 18-24" in height?

It certainly would. With bonsai, the final height of your tree is, of course, relatively short (relative to a full grown non-potted tree). In order to have trunk taper that convincingly mimics a full-grown "adult" tree which starts from a large trunk at the ground and tapers to finger-thick branches at the top of the tree, and in order for that taper to be readable by the human eye on the small scale that is bonsai, you need to have a considerably large base of at least 2" (preferably 3" - 4"; more if you like larger trees or more exaggerated taper). If you are keeping the tree trimmed, so that it does not grow in height, it will also not significantly grow in girth, so you may never reach the girth you need to create convincing bonsai. The girth of the trunk grows in relation to the amount of branching and foliage above the trunk, and you, therefore, need to let it grow unimpeded until it reaches the girth you desire for your final design. Once you have achieved your final girth, you can begin developing taper by chopping the tree back and growing new leaders (branches that become your new trunk line and are smaller in girth than the trunk below). I hope that's clear, helpful, and not too "teachy"