Suthin Japanese maple clump

MACH5

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Back in April of this year, I purchased this Japanese maple clump from Suthin at the MABS convention in Connecticut. For sale at a reasonable price, I took it home to play around with. I bought it barely with any leaves out, but, by the time the weekend event ended, it was fully covered. I wanted to repot it since it was awfully rootbound but now that would have to wait. The tree stood about 16" from soil level at the time of purchase.






Timing was not ideal, but I decided to go ahead anyway and chop it right in half across their entire thing since I felt it had gotten way too tall. It was later slip potted into a slightly larger container. A couple of trunks were also cut off completely at this time.







During the year it grew fairly well considering it was rootbound and the chop was not done at the ideal time.






Cut back to a rough skeleton. Next spring the stumps will be reduced and it will be bare rooted and planted in a shallow container as the process of building a well ramified canopy and turning this piece of rough stock into a bonsai begins.






Here is a sketch of what the clump could look like in hopefully 6 to 8 years from now.

 

Nybonsai12

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I was looking forward to seeing what you were going to do with this one. I remember it was bare and can't believe the leaves popped out that quick. Although if I remember correctly, your sharps pushed right away during the warm temps inside at the show, right? Nature doesn't wait!

A nice vision you have for it, always impressed with how you see the end result in the beginning. Looking forward to updates for sure.
 

Adair M

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Mach,

In your virt, it looks like you choose the bottom bud to extend out. The branches as they extend from the trunk look like a series of valleys. The twig starts out growing down, then turns up. Next internode, the same thing. Thus, making a series of valleys.

Thing is, usually the bottom bud gets shaded out. It should be the top bud that extends! Next internode, the same thing. What happens is the top buds get the light and grow longer and stronger than the bottom buds. As they put on leaves, the branches get heavy, and they bend down. Further covering over the bottom branch. Which get starved for light. So, what happens is each year the pattern repeats. Looking at the branch as it extends, it makes a series of hills, not valleys!

Remake your virt using hills rather than valleys, and it will look better.

To achieve this effect with bonsai, we have to wire young shoots since the branches never get long enough to get weighted down with leaves.

So it's grow out, remove bottom twig, wire upper branch down. In 6 weeks, the stem has lignified. Remove wire. Cut back to an up/down pair of leaves. Let it grow out again, remove bottom shoot, wire upper shoot down. Remove wire in 6 weeks. Cut back. Repeat as many times as possible each summer.
 
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MACH5

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I was looking forward to seeing what you were going to do with this one. I remember it was bare and can't believe the leaves popped out that quick. Although if I remember correctly, your sharps pushed right away during the warm temps inside at the show, right? Nature doesn't wait!

A nice vision you have for it, always impressed with how you see the end result in the beginning. Looking forward to updates for sure.


Yes! The pygmy was pushing fast by the time I took it home with flowers and all. The warm temps at that time of the year will really encourage fast budding. Suthin said to repot it when I first bought it. By the end of the weekend he said forget it! :eek:
 

MACH5

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Mach,

In your virt, it looks like you choose the bottom bud to extend out. The branches as they extend from the trunk look like a series of valleys. The twig starts out growing down, then turns up. Next internode, the same thing. Thus, making a series of valleys.

Thing is, usually the bottom bud gets shaded out. It should be the top bud that extends! Next internode, the same thing. What happens is the top buds get the light and grow longer and stronger than the bottom buds. As they put on leaves, the branches get heavy, and they bend down. Further covering over the bottom branch. Which get starved for light. So, what happens is each year the pattern repeats. Looking at the branch as it extends, it makes a series of hills, not valleys!

Remake your virt using hills rather than valleys, and it will look better.

To achieve this effect with bonsai, we have to wire young shoots since the branches never get long enough to get weighted down with leaves.

So it's grow out, remove bottom twig, wire upper branch down. In 6 weeks, the stem has lignified. Remove wire. Cut back to an up/down pair of leaves. Let it grow out again, remove bottom shoot, wire upper shoot down. Remove wire in 6 weeks. Cut back. Repeat as many times as possible each summer.


Adair understood what happens in nature but you may be describing only one way trees grow? There are other factors/forces that impact how branches are formed. What I do see around me are trees that have everything you can think of: hills, valleys, turns, twists and anything else in between and beyond. I do think these combinations and variations add a great deal of design dynamics to a deciduous bonsai tree. Perhaps it's just me.

Don't mind my sketch so much. It is just how I quickly tend to draw trees. Ideally (at least in my view) it should have more variety of line shapes.
 
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MichaelS

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I like it and I think it will be a very good tree but just one thing. IMO you should do something about this. (looks like there might be another one round the back too?)
If you don't fix that now you will regret it later! (I would remove the larger)

jmb.JPG
 

MichaelS

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Adair M, post: 404688, member: 13405"]Mach,

In your virt, it looks like you choose the bottom bud to extend out. The branches as they extend from the trunk look like a series of valleys. The twig starts out growing down, then turns up. Next internode, the same thing. Thus, making a series of valleys.

Thing is, usually the bottom bud gets shaded out. It should be the top bud that extends! Next internode, the same thing. What happens is the top buds get the light and grow longer and stronger than the bottom buds. As they put on leaves, the branches get heavy, and they bend down. Further covering over the bottom branch. Which get starved for light. So, what happens is each year the pattern repeats. Looking at the branch as it extends, it makes a series of hills, not valleys!

Remake your virt using hills rather than valleys, and it will look better.

To achieve this effect with bonsai, we have to wire young shoots since the branches never get long enough to get weighted down with leaves.

So it's grow out, remove bottom twig, wire upper branch down. In 6 weeks, the stem has lignified. Remove wire. Cut back to an up/down pair of leaves. Let it grow out again, remove bottom shoot, wire upper shoot down. Remove wire in 6 weeks. Cut back. Repeat as many times as possible each summer.
Why are you so concerned about a virt Adair? As the branches develop on the real tree they will extend out in a smooth radiating fashion if they are cut and wired as I'm sure they will be. You don't need to remove bottom twigs, you just need to encourage a smooth transition between the previous and the next branch. Especially with this clump style there will be no wiring down of branches. Most will be wired up and out.
Here's a new one I started one year ago. (different style tree but the branch structure is similar in the upper part)

P1100418.JPG
 
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I'm looking forward to see this one grow. I hope roots will be somewhat decent.
 

MACH5

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I like it and I think it will be a very good tree but just one thing. IMO you should do something about this. (looks like there might be another one round the back too?)
If you don't fix that now you will regret it later! (I would remove the larger)

View attachment 123948


Yes agreed. I left myself open to more options at this point. Come next spring, I'll work/refine the stubs left and do more of a conscientious selection of trunk lines. Yes there is another one at the back with same issue.

I want to add that in person, what I like about this clump is its depth.
 

MACH5

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I'm looking forward to see this one grow. I hope roots will be somewhat decent.


Dirk, you and me both! I hope to find something at least decent. According to Suthin he thought by now there will be some nice roots around the clump. We'll see this spring.
 

JudyB

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The trunks are nicely placed, should be fun to watch. :) Happy Thanksgiving Serg!
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Adair understood what happens in nature but you may be describing only one way trees grow?
Don't mind my sketch so much. It is just how I quickly tend to draw trees. Ideally (at least in my view) it should have more variety of line shapes.
Adair must have earned his "virt police" merit badge last week at boon's.:p
 

MACH5

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No, Mach5 makes great virts. So, I figured that he would draw his virt as he planned to style his tree.

Sorry if I offended anyone.

Have a great Thanksgiving!


No worries at all Adair, and no harm done or offense taken! :) I just may have to be more careful next time with my virts! :p

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends here on Bnut. I am thankful to have such a dedicated and talented bunch of folks here that are just as bonsai nutty as I am! :D
 
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