Thoughts on Japanese Maple For Sale

[Apex37]

Came across someone local selling a decent shohin starter JM. Price seems decent, about $100. Thinking about getting it as an early bday gift.

Thoughts?
I know the left side will need to get built out more, maybe an angle change, but taper and movement don’t seem bad for the price.

 

[SeanS]

Definitely wouldn’t pay $100 (or my local equivalent) for it. When you say shohin are you meaning you’d layer it off the straight first section of trunk?

 

[penumbra]

Wouldn't be my cup of tea at that price. It needs a lot of restructuring IMO.

 

[Apex37]

Man I need to go wherever you guys go to get trees. I swear getting decent material locally is like pulling teeth. I can go to a local nursery and find a decent $100 JM, but it would take many more years to fix.

 

[rockm]

That's in the ballpark, given JM (particularly JM with any substance or movement) isn't common in the DFW area, or in Texas in general. I'd consider it for this one. Sure you can go get a $50 maple from Home Depot and chop it. Still would take five-10 years to build out an apex with movement in it.

Nebari on this needs some work, but by and large, if you can keep it healthy (JM is not easy in Texas) go for it.

 

[Juanmi]

In my opinion, the movement of the trunk feels really unnatural. It makes me feel uncomfortable.

I would either chop it on the first branch and start over, or go for a cheaper nursery JM.

 

[19Mateo83]

The straight bottom section kills the look. It needs to be airlayered off that straight base.

 

[Kanorin]

Last year @rodeolthr sold a bunch of shohin starter JMs with better low trunk movement and *I think* a bit better prices. Not sure if that's a yearly thing or not.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Sure you can go get a $50 maple from Home Depot and chop it. Still would take five-10 years to build out an apex with movement in it.

I can attest to this first hand, and Rockm may even be conservative in his response. I entered a HD JM into a 5-year contest and not sure what I will actually have in 5 years, assuming things even go right (in 20 years though!!!!).

It's a hard call with JM. If you look at Brussels the prices are insane for a JM - they are far better than what one would get at HD, but not sure it's $1,700 better. A stick in the dirt JM is about $50/60 in my neck of the woods and they are fairly common here. I've come across some JM at Bella Bonsai that I thought were nice and decently priced.

I would highly recommend you check out Mr. Valavanis at International bonsai. He will surely have JMs to fit the bill as well as other species. Also, Kaede Bonsai-en. He carries all sorts of little seedlings and you really can't beat those prices.

rodeolthr had some nice JMs as well and I hope he'll be back next season. Frankly, I'm surprised more people aren't doing this.

 

[namnhi]

I didn't think $100 for that tree is high so I would go for it.
Are you not live close to https://www.metromaples.com/? Go there a pick a decent big one for a few hundred (300) or so then air layer them. Pick the one with interesting branches, trunks for air layer. They have many the last time I went there which is about 7 years ago. I want to go there again but just haven't find time to do it.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

It's hard to find anything that's been worked on at all for less, then you'd likely have to pay shipping on top

 

[Apex37]

I didn't think $100 for that tree is high so I would go for it.
Are you not live close to https://www.metromaples.com/? Go there a pick a decent big one for a few hundred (300) or so then air layer them. Pick the one with interesting branches, trunks for air layer. They have many the last time I went there which is about 7 years ago. I want to go there again but just haven't find time to do it.

I’ll have to visit again as it’s been years for me too and before I got into bonsai. Didn’t think of them, but good idea.

 

[Shogun610]

Oh I like these can we get a thoughts on for bonsai sales and other eBay trees?

 

[JackHammer]

Man I need to go wherever you guys go to get trees. I swear getting decent material locally is like pulling teeth. I can go to a local nursery and find a decent $100 JM, but it would take many more years to fix.

I second the comment that maples are tough in Texas. What do you have natively? I know jade does well in texas. Can you make a misquite bonsai?

 

[BrightsideB]

I guess if the supply is low in the area it is for a reason. To me to find pre bonsai material it is worth the drive to go to large privately owned nurseries. I stumbled on one an hours drive from my house and bought a yew with a 5 inch nebari for $17. Green jm’s with a 3 inch trunk for around 130. Surely they take time to develop but that tree looks like it has only been developed for a couple years. Looks like it was a twin trunk and they chopped one off then started pruning the branches. A lot of those chops are recent so it’s not like this tree has been worked on much. But i will pay more for trees that are harder to come by usually with less regard to their current state.

 

[rodeolthr]

Last year @rodeolthr sold a bunch of shohin starter JMs with better low trunk movement and *I think* a bit better prices. Not sure if that's a yearly thing or not.

Thank you for your kind words. I will again have trees for sale later this season. If I counted correctly, I have at least 250 to move this year.

 

[Apex37]

I second the comment that maples are tough in Texas. What do you have natively? I know jade does well in texas. Can you make a misquite bonsai?

I’m about to start some acer rubrum seeds. They do well here!

Tridents can do well if you protect them from the afternoon sun.

Shantung maples do well here. A few members of my club have been messing with them. I haven’t tried one out yet.

Most of my Japanese maples get burnt by mid-end summer, but I’ve only been doing this two years. This year they got burnt less than last year and hoping with some more changes this year I can get even more success.

 

[JackHammer]

I’m about to start some acer rubrum seeds. They do well here!

Tridents can do well if you protect them from the afternoon sun.

Shantung maples do well here. A few members of my club have been messing with them. I haven’t tried one out yet.

Most of my Japanese maples get burnt by mid-end summer, but I’ve only been doing this two years. This year they got burnt less than last year and hoping with some more changes this year I can get even more success.

Actually, that might explain the markup in price for that particular tree. If there aren't a lot of buyers, there might be less competition. Or, maybe it is harder to get them?
You mentioned the leaf burning. I am in Ohio and even the full size red maple at my place gets scorched in partial sun. I should probably use more shade in the future.

 

[BobbyLane]

If someone gifted it to me Id see two options, 1, leave in the ground a few years on a tile n see what options arise, 2 flip it over on its side, i wouldnt bother trying to graft branches on the bare side id just put that side in the soil and build a raft with the strong side, the bobbles in the trunk will make a good feature for a raft but not a tree.
Its just that the bottom half is so straight. its very difficult material.