Rhode Island Red JM

[wsteinhoff]

I was given this Japanese maple grown my Mark Comstock last year for the club's maples in march workshop. Other than the cutting back and repotting durring the club's meeting I've not done a thing to it. I'm curious what others would do with it.

 

[sikadelic]

I think you have a pretty nice tree and have also bought from Mark in the past and plan to do so again.

What are you thinking? I could see this working as a broom style tree if that's what you want. Just wire and let the branches thicken up.

If you are wanting more of an upright tree, I would remove some branches and try to get some movement in there. You might get some reverse taper with all your primary branches originating from the same place...or that's how it seems from the pic. And this is all just my opinion of course...not meaning to be critical.

At any rate, you have a nice, healthy tree to work on. What do you see for it?

 

[wsteinhoff]

I've had several ideas. A broom seems the most obvious choice but I was afraid the trunk looks too tall which is why I'm looking for others opinions. I could cut back this season and try to get budding on the trunk to chop back to and make a new trunk line with taper. Or maybe just chop back to an existing branch. Maybe the one on the far right.

 

[jimib]

Nice tree... I was at the same class in fact...last year I let it grow and it was pretty much broom style the way it was growing. So I just let it go.

 

[wsteinhoff]

There's also layering it thus shortening the trunk and creating a better root spread.

 

[MHBonsai]

If it was mine I think I might layer it right where the branching starts and make a shohin clump/group. You might lose the base, but I think it would be a nice little tree.

Cheers

 

[erb.75]

you should know that most people buy Mark's trees to get the good roots. Layering them off would waste a lot of his effort (and get rid of some of the worth of the tree).
This tree isn't a tree that you'd want to trunk chop/air layer or do any major operation with. This tree has basically been styled already, IMO. Put it in a nice pot and enjoy it. The biggest complaint I have on Mark's maples is the ones that he posts online are all in this broom shape, and it's hard for me to see it as anything other than a broom. But his roots are where it is at! Since the trunk is fairly straight and upright, the easiest thing to do is to leave it as a straight trunk/upright style (aka broom).

If you like the broom style, try to learn from someone about how to ramify JM and refine this tree. If you hate the idea of broom, get rid of the style but don't loose those nice roots!

 

[wsteinhoff]

If it was mine I think I might layer it right where the branching starts and make a shohin clump/group. You might lose the base, but I think it would be a nice little tree.

Cheers

That's an idea I hadn't considered. Perhaps even trying to get budding on the trunk beforehand so the current base isn't lost. I'll also get two trees out of it.

 

[wsteinhoff]

you should know that most people buy Mark's trees to get the good roots. Layering them off would waste a lot of his effort (and get rid of some of the worth of the tree).
This tree isn't a tree that you'd want to trunk chop/air layer or do any major operation with. This tree has basically been styled already, IMO. Put it in a nice pot and enjoy it. The biggest complaint I have on Mark's maples is the ones that he posts online are all in this broom shape, and it's hard for me to see it as anything other than a broom. But his roots are where it is at! Since the trunk is fairly straight and upright, the easiest thing to do is to leave it as a straight trunk/upright style (aka broom).

If you like the broom style, try to learn from someone about how to ramify JM and refine this tree. If you hate the idea of broom, get rid of the style but don't loose those nice roots!

I do get your point. The bones of the tree are pretty much set. Maybe it's just me but my one concern with this as a broom is the trunk looks too tall the way it is. The branching to me starts too far up for the thickness of the trunk.

 

[just.wing.it]

I'd be chopping low...

 

[Dav4]

you should know that most people buy Mark's trees to get the good roots. Layering them off would waste a lot of his effort (and get rid of some of the worth of the tree).
This tree isn't a tree that you'd want to trunk chop/air layer or do any major operation with. This tree has basically been styled already, IMO. Put it in a nice pot and enjoy it. The biggest complaint I have on Mark's maples is the ones that he posts online are all in this broom shape, and it's hard for me to see it as anything other than a broom. But his roots are where it is at! Since the trunk is fairly straight and upright, the easiest thing to do is to leave it as a straight trunk/upright style (aka broom).

If you like the broom style, try to learn from someone about how to ramify JM and refine this tree. If you hate the idea of broom, get rid of the style but don't loose those nice roots!

I have several of Mark's trees and they've all required serious root work. There's always a great base on the stock, but the roots themselves are far from ideal. Without seeing what's below the soil, I can only guess what the best path would be. Assuming this were my tree and I had scoped everything out, I'd be considering a ground layer this year, followed by a hard cut back of the branches next year.

 

[erb.75]

I have several of Mark's trees and they've all required serious root work. There's always a great base on the stock, but the roots themselves are far from ideal. Without seeing what's below the soil, I can only guess what the best path would be. Assuming this were my tree and I had scoped everything out, I'd be considering a ground layer this year, followed by a hard cut back of the branches next year.

interesting! didn't know anyone didn't like the roots! I've never purchase from him before so it's good to know

 

[Dav4]

interesting! didn't know anyone didn't like the roots! I've never purchase from him before so it's good to know

Again, the work he does on them as young cuttings generally creates a nice base, but, in a maple, I want good surface roots completely around the trunk, and your not going to have that from a piece of stock that was just growing in the ground. Last year, I air layered a Kashima I got from him 2 years ago, and I whacked the heck out of a kotohime I purchased from him at the silhouette show this past December

 

[wsteinhoff]

@Dav4 I assume you would layer it right around here where the flare starts then?

 

[Dav4]

@Dav4 I assume you would layer it right around here where the flare starts then?
View attachment 187827

Actually, I'd layer lower... you paid for that base, so I'd use it. I'd layer right at the soil surface.

 

[MHBonsai]

If you can get growth down low, could be cool. I think you have two trees there.

 

[M. Frary]

Isn't Rhode Island Red the name of a breed of chicken?

 

[wsteinhoff]

Isn't Rhode Island Red the name of a breed of chicken?

Yes, they are a good egg layer.