Saved this maples life

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Ok guys Iv saved this maple from getting taken to the tip so I'm thinking of turning it in to a bonsaiIMAG0083.jpg IMAG0082.jpg
Any help is welcome
 

CWTurner

Omono
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Yes, no trees in the tip!
Looks like it might be grafted, but either way, I would chop it much lower (around those lower leaves). Get it in some bonsai soil and let the learning begin.
CW
 

armetisius

Chumono
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I would go with a pot a bit larger than the current
root ball. Tuck him in for a year or two and revisit
it then.
Grafting is the process of transferring plant material
from a select form/variety and through various tech-
niques making it grow on the root stock of another plant.
Most fruit trees are produced this way; nearly all roses
are grafted and many ornamental plants/shrubs are
as well. It lets you produce hundreds of plants with the
assurance that they are all the same "type/variety" you
want. Many things just will not root with sufficient
success to make their production profitable in any way
other than grafting. BUT only the part above the graft
will be the variety you want--the lower part is usually
junk.
 

CWTurner

Omono
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A lot of maple (Japanese cultivars especially) are grown on sturdier stock. A branch from the desired tree is clipped off and grown on that sturdier stock's root/trunk.
When you see a marked difference in the bark or diameter of a trunk you should suspect that the tree was grafted. It's not always a bad thing, but a poorly done graft will affect the tree's looks forever.
Your tree seems to have some signs that it was grafted where I marked your pic.
graft.jpg
Do some more reading here and you'll see that you need to reduce the root ball and the total height, though that is a matter of taste, not just because of the graft.
And it also looks like the growth of the tree is emanating from the stock part below the graft. Maybe the top is dead even? Can't tell by that top branch on the right.
CW
 
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Yeah I think I'll get one of them huge garden pots for it and cut that long straight bit of when it's healthy so it tapers nicely just hope it will be OK till Friday that's the earliest I can get the pot
 
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Here's close ups of the graft it's not that bad IMAG0085.jpg
@sorce as you was saying sorce about not buying my bonsai from the garden center ;-) how's this freebie lol
 
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sorce

Nonsense Rascal
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Nice! I'm totally with you bro!

Looks like a decent fatty!

Sorce
 

AlainK

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Some more pictures and some of the leafs can you tell me what type of maple it is

As I said before, this is the rootstock, which is grown from seeds.

It's probably:
Acer palmatum palmatum
or:
Acer palmatum matsumurae
or:
Acer palmatum amoenum

These are the three subspecies of Acer palmatum.

"Types" don't exist: there are species, subspecies, and cultivars.

For instance,

Acer palmatum (palmatum) 'Arakawa'
Acer palmatum (amoenum) 'O sakazuki'
Acer palmatum (matsumurae) 'Purple Ghost'

Acer palmatum is one of the most variable species, with something like a thousand cultivars (!!!) Since crossbreeding is also very frequent, it is just impossible to say what it is.

If you want to put a tagon it, just write "Japanese maple", or "Acer palmatum ssp."
 
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Iv noticed it has some different leaves grow out of it lower down must be the type the root ball is IMAG0115.jpg

There's only one stem with them leaves

All the rest must be from the top type of maple so the question is what I do about it
 
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