Styling Suggestions for Japanese Maple

[MidMichBonsai]

This is a Japanese Maple that I got at a show this past spring. This is the first time that I have been able to see it without its leaves a really get a sense for the structure. I have some ideas regarding styling but am curious to know what your thoughts are. It seems to be a fairly old tree for it's size because of the bark. It also has a decent nebari as well.

Thanks in advance for any and all comments and suggestions.

 

[Jester217300]

I would grow it until you're happy with the nebari and then chop it low. The trunk is too straight and I think it needs to be redone. Nice start to the nebari, though.

 

[JudyB]

This will be a difficult tree to style as it is currently. Japanese maples are known for their graceful curves and silhouettes. This tree doesn't offer much in that direction. I am not sure that even chopping back to the lowest branch will do it.

So here is the hard choice. Live with it as a straight lower trunk, or layer it between the two lowest branches. I like the movement of the lowest left branch, and that would make a nice beginning to your trunk movement. Yes it means giving up the nice start on nebari, and that more mature bark.... but I think it would be a good trade.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I think Judy gives a good thought. That left branch has much more movement than it's current trunk. Unless it's so slight it's not photographing well.

 

[M. Frary]

If it were mine I would chop it down to only 2 times the diameter of the trunk and srart to regrow for taper and movement.

 

[coh]

How big is it? Trunk diameter and overall height?

All the suggestions have merit. You could plant it in the ground or in larger growing pots/boxes to encourage the trunk to thicken, then eventually chop (if you want a large trunk and want to preserve the nebari). You could chop now or layer (well, not now, when appropriate next year). Or, you could just let it be what it wants to be and develop from what is there now. There are some low branches that could possibly be developed as primary branches (depending on which view you want to use as the front), there are plenty of starts for branches higher up. You'd just need to choose a new leader to develop the top trunk segment and could have a nice tree pretty quickly I would think. Just because it's a Japanese maple doesn't mean it has to have a curved trunk.

Chris

 

[Vin]

Those roots seem to have something wrong with them. I don't know if I've ever seen such a contrast in color from trunk to roots. Just an observation. BTW, I'm with the "trunk choppers" on this one. I would do a virt of a chop just above the branch that curves around the trunk and see if anything jumps out at you.

 

[sorce]

Yeah. Looks like a tad of rot.

Maybe more than a tad.

I like the straightness of the trunk.

My saw is put away on this one. (Replaced with root pruners)

Go figure!

Sorce

 

[sorce]

Its the moss.

Id leave it off.

The toothpick is pointing directly at what seems to be a replacement root.

The tops look way rotted from the moss. To wet too long.

Soil looks fine.

Sorce

 

[MidMichBonsai]

The trunk is roughly an inch thick. My real questions is whether I should trunk chop at its current size or let the top run and grow out to thicken the base before chopping. I know that the 2 lowest branches cannot be part of the final design (already too big).

My other thought is that I could grow out the lowest branch as a sacrifice branch to thicken the base, and increase quality taper in that way. I could then use the 2nd branch as the 2nd trunk section and kill 2 birds with one stone.

The last option is to go with what Sorce said and not chop but lose the larger branches and shoot for a more broom style top.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[fredman]

I,d leave it as is and grow it into a natural maple style. The way they grow in the wild. Its got all the side branches already to develop. Make it into a small maple tree, not a bonsai and in the finish it will be a bonsai like nature intended it.

 

[edprocoat]

I too would be worried about the black roots my friend, it may be wasted time if those roots are rotting.

ed

 

[discusmike]

Id put it in the ground n let it grow,dont chop yet,it will grow faster if left alone,save the chopping for when you get the trunk thick enough as mentioned by some other members.

 

[SlowMovingWaters]

This is a Japanese Maple that I got at a show this past spring. This is the first time that I have been able to see it without its leaves a really get a sense for the structure. I have some ideas regarding styling but am curious to know what your thoughts are. It seems to be a fairly old tree for it's size because of the bark. It also has a decent nebari as well.

Thanks in advance for any and all comments and suggestions.

Only 2 option available at this point.

1. Plant in the ground, let grow wild for a few years, cut back, repeat on till taper is established.

2. If you want this to be more of a starter type bonsai or don't care about trunk thickness/nebari then this would make a perfect practice bonsai (practice shaping, trimming, general care etc)

Please excuse my terrible paint/drawing skills.