Tale of 2 mikawas

[SouthernMaple]

So this past weekend I broke my promise to myself that I wasn't going to buy anymore bonsai this year, but I was told Jim Doyle is a legend so I had to have one of his trees and what is odd is the last tree I purchased before then was from a fellow Bnut member Pitoon. Both are Mikawa dwarf japanese maples.

The Doyle one I think I am gonna airlayer right beneath the split at the top and use the top as a twin trunk and the bottom half I don't know what to do with. I talked to another vendor who told me to do something with it but I had a few too much beer later that night to remember what he said exactly, something about a new leader and such...



The one from Pitoon I am gonna put in a 15 gallon pot and let it get real big and just leave it alone maybe wire the trunk this winter when I am bored but i think I am gonna go informal upright with it.



My question to you all is what would you do with these two trees?

 

[Warpig]

I really like the 'top of the first as a twin trunk' idea. They are already in good preparation to each other and can just let them grow together. I however, will advise against wiring a Japanese maple during the winter. The branches will be more brittle and easier to snap. It tends to be better done in the spring as the buds begin to swell. The catch being you have to keep a eye on it for the wire cutting in.

 

[SouthernMaple]

I really like the 'top of the first as a twin trunk' idea. They are already in good preparation to each other and can just let them grow together. I however, will advise against wiring a Japanese maple during the winter. The branches will be more brittle and easier to snap. It tends to be better done in the spring as the buds begin to swell. The catch being you have to keep a eye on it for the wire cutting in.

Well I its definitely harder to do it with all the leaves on the trees thats for sure. My plan is to take off all wire before spring hits so the wire doesn't bite into the tree. This is my first year wiring anything. Do I need to remove structural wiring in early spring too?

 

[Warpig]

How much of a bend do you plan on putting on the tree? In spring as the buds swell there wont be any leafs. This is when you apply the wire on a clean tree. Maples grow the fastest in the spring which means two thing. One is yes you have to watch it for the wire not to bit in, but it also means that it wont take as long for the tree to set in and hold the shape. By midsummer the wire should be removed. If it hasnt been yet.

 

[Adair M]

How much of a bend do you plan on putting on the tree? In spring as the buds swell there wont be any leafs. This is when you apply the wire on a clean tree. Maples grow the fastest in the spring which means two thing. One is yes you have to watch it for the wire not to bit in, but it also means that it wont take as long for the tree to set in and hold the shape. By midsummer the wire should be removed. If it hasnt been yet.

And wire the new shoots that grow out in the spring. Wire them while they are still soft and flexible. They’ll lignify in 6 weeks. Then remove the wire.

 

[SouthernMaple]

Wow I did not keep up with the plan I had for these two trees its amazing, I guess my ADHD kicked in, any way the first one I decided to keep intact and rotated the base some:



The other one I just threw it into this commercial pot my aunt gifted me for xmas, I now regret that decision and should have put it into another cedar box.

 

[0soyoung]

Oh well.

I've never used a cedar box, if that is any consolation for you.

 

[SouthernMaple]

Oh well.

I've never used a cedar box, if that is any consolation for you.

I believe there is a Peter Adams book that talks about using wooden boxes for maples. I chose cedar because it doesn't rot as quickly as other wood, supposed to keep insects away, and I like the color and smell of it. i ll let you know if any of those things work.

 

[SpOoNzL]

Nice start there on the Mikawa's I love this type of maple and have one in the ground that I plan on taking air layers from in my spring. I will be watching this post to see how yours develop.

 

[SouthernMaple]

Nice start there on the Mikawa's I love this type of maple and have one in the ground that I plan on taking air layers from in my spring. I will be watching this post to see how yours develop.

sorry i have not updated in a while, but here you go this is probably the last time it will be green for a while, as you can see all the other trees in my yard are at peak leaf change.