old kiyohime help

[discusmike]

What should I do with my tree, should I cut back hard and start fresh, or continue to try to get more backbudding, I'm also planning on working the nebari some in spring.My concern is dieback if I cut hard, thanks

 

[discusmike]

This pot is temporary.

 

[iant]

What don't you like about it? Or rather what are your goals with this tree?
Ian

 

[Dan W.]

I think you should send it to me


Seriously though, I'm interested to hear what Smoke or M5 or Brian, or some of that (maple guru) crowd has to say.

 

[garywood]

DM, Kiyohime is probably the most sensitive of all the J. maples to hard cutting. Repot in spring and gauge response. If you have a good growth response then it is ok to prune in summer. If the growth doesn't seem strong then wait until next spring. That's the conservative approach and pruning with repotting on the other end of the spectrum.

 

[discusmike]

Thanks for the advice Gary,, I want to keep the nice wide maple crown, but at the same time induce more backbuding on branches n sub branches, I also have a couple nebari that need cutting back, I know horizontal dominence of these trees and I'm aware of crown dieback when cutting or under watering them, what do you guys think I should do, I know many of you have way more experience at this then I ever will, thanks

 

[garywood]

DM, they back-bud well when cut back to an existing shoot and not so well when just cutting branches that have no lower shoots. So if there are no existing shoots to cut back too then cut back to two sets of leaves on that shoot. I don't major prune and repot at the same time

 

[discusmike]

I looked at the roots today, very healthy,, I believe I can go another season without messing with the roots, so I'm gonna prune like you said n wait on the nebari.

 

[discusmike]

Dan, if I didn't love this little tree so much I'd send it to ya its one of my favorites

 

[lordy]

Last year's dieback is apparent on the tree now. Study which cuts produced new growth and also see if a different cut on that same branch might have gotten better results. A good rule of thumb for pruning is to wait until the tree has been dormant for a good while (perhaps Feb or March in your area) so that live tissue doesnt start to recover and then freeze before it hardens off. This is the reason for spring work, not late summer or fall.

 

[discusmike]

All the fine branching have bright red buds, a lot of smaller branches have always had that lighter color, must be the cultivar, I've had this tree for 5 yrs n has always looked like this, but I see what your saying, maybe its the age, not really sure.

 

[discusmike]

If there is no bud when pruning a lot of times it will dieback, sometimes I get lucky, no matter if its spring or late summer lordy, are you a member of balto bonsai?

 

[MACH5]

Nice tree Mike with good potential! In my opinion I think the design needs to be brought back. Branches look to have quite a bit of fine twigs but too far off the trunk leaving most of the length of the branches devoid of any ramification. As long as this tree is healthy it should back bud with no issues. I would do this gradually and see how it responds rather than a one time and more aggressive pruning.

 

[discusmike]

Thanks Mach5, when I originally aquired this tree it looked like hedge material, it has taken awhile just to get the tree to this point, I totally agree and will keep doing the same, hopefully ill get better backbudding.

 

[lordy]

If there is no bud when pruning a lot of times it will dieback, sometimes I get lucky, no matter if its spring or late summer lordy, are you a member of balto bonsai?

Not Balto, but I know many of them personally. Just went to an auction last weekend put on by BBC. I'm in a club closer to DC.