The 2010 BonsaiNut Maple Project

Brian Van Fleet

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It was time to do some work on this one. I haven’t been happy with the trunk line, and thought it looked like it was trying to swell. Because an upper section bends toward the front, getting a photo to convey what it looks like in person is very challenging. Here are some before shots from various sides.
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Adamantium

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Brian Van Fleet

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Do you think there's a chance that top portion could have been ground layered? Or is it just too small?

Great looking tree, by the way! Well done!
Air-layered, but yes. And probably would have made a good Shohin, but I’m more concerned with making this a better Bonsai than having yet another trident maple?.
 

River's Edge

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Sealed up all the cuts, and struggled to get a good photo of it. Wonder if that means I’ll end up chopping it yet again. Hopefully the next trunk section will smooth out and create a better line.
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Thanks for the thread Brian, tomorrow i start lifting tridents from the grow beds to begin the process. 7 are four year olds and 42 are three year olds. Moving from colandars set in the grow beds to Anderson flats for root progression. i can see i have a lot of work ahead.
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Did some mid-season cleanup on this chop. The humidity was around 100%, so the camera lens fogged up a bit.
Here is the before shot:
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I use the paste type of sealer to keep water out of voids, and here is what it looked like after removing it:
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Nearly healed, so this time I roughed up the edges again, and used a putty-type sealer. The callus will push the putty out of the way and the two sides, which are about 1/8” apart will meet and connect.
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Side view showing it is still just a bit concave, which should continue to smooth out in time:
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Before and after light pruning, and it should be good to go for the rest of the growing season.
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Brian Van Fleet

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Fall update...after a pretty aggressive repotting, and top-pruning this spring, I didn’t expect a whole lot from this growing season, but the scar from the original chop should be fully closed by next year, and I think I have settled on this front.

I pruned it back lightly, and will let it grow next year to build up strength and roots. I’d like to thicken up the whip at the top and create a small next section, and upper branch moving to the right (red arrows).
Before and After:
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Maybe it will be ready for a pot in 2020. Any other 2010 BonsaiNut Maple project updates?
 

Brian Van Fleet

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4 months later. This year, hopefully the first chop scar will be completely closed, and I can smooth over the area. Then, to heal and smooth over the new chop made a year ago. I still think this one is 2-3 years away from its first Bonsai pot. My goal is to have a smooth, flawless trunk, and a very wide, spreading Hershey Kiss nebari. Still really have no idea how branches fit into the design.
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ConorDash

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Looks lovely, an elegant monster.

I have read before about scratching up the callus healing over a scar, in order to help "activate" it a bit more in to healing further. It looks like you only scratched it quite lightly, will it really do that much help?
Thinking I should do it for a Maple of mine, Acer P, its trunk scar is rolling in, maybe has less than 1/4 of an inch of deadwood showing inside.
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Looks lovely, an elegant monster.

I have read before about scratching up the callus healing over a scar, in order to help "activate" it a bit more in to healing further. It looks like you only scratched it quite lightly, will it really do that much help?
Thinking I should do it for a Maple of mine, Acer P, its trunk scar is rolling in, maybe has less than 1/4 of an inch of deadwood showing inside.
Yes, only scratch it to the point where the cambium is exposed:
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Brian Van Fleet

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Finally, the sacrifice branch was stripped of leaves, with the exception of those which may become the next round section, and those which are allowed to run free to thicken the trunk and close the wound. Now, it should be good to go for the next couple months.
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theta

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Nice progress! What's the thought process behind taking off leaves and only leaving the ones at the tip on the sacrifice? I thought the more leaves on the branch, the thicker it gets?
 

Brian Van Fleet

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I decided to shorten the leader, which had gotten about 48” tall. We have enough time left in this growing season to develop a little more growth at the cut, and maybe some runners to use for any needed thread-grafting on that long right side where the first chop was made. Next year, a repot and starting on some branches.
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The first chop is finally closed completely, as is the second chop. The third is more than half closed, so I roughed up the edges and resealed it.
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