To Grow or to Train...

[DrTolhur]

I acquired this amur maple earlier this spring, and I'm trying to decide my course of action. I know it needs to do a lot of growing, but the question is whether or not to do any directing of that growth at this point or just let it go completely this year. I'm not a fan of the 3-way split at the top, so I'm figuring something's gonna get snipped there at some point. Leaning toward the right side branch. I like smaller bonsai, like shohin or smaller, so I'm not really looking for the mature version to be any taller than it currently is. I know it'll likely need to get taller off-and-on during the development process, but just to give you an idea of my broader goal down the line.

So what are y'all's thoughts/advice on this tree? Should I prune one of the branches at the top? Do any wiring while they're still nice and small? Just leave it as-is and re-examine it next year? Thanks.

P.S. I'm kinda playing around with that bottom-most branch to see if I can do some cascade/semi-cascade with it just for kicks. Regardless, at the very least, I figure it'll be a sacrificial branch for the lower trunk even if it never looks good.

 

[sorce]

I'd look to chop it to the lowest branch someyear.

Sorce

 

[DrTolhur]

I'd look to chop it to the lowest branch someyear.

Sorce

And then what? Rewire back to informal upright, or make the whole thing a cascade style?

 

[Tieball]

I’d.......Skip the cascade style thinking. I don’t think the tri-split is that bad really. Just my view. I’d remove the left branch from the tri-split and concentrate on moving that lower branch up to replace it while building a canopy. The lower branch coming up is in a good place following that curve of the trunk to build a tree. The tree needs growth. I think letting those three branches grow, cut back, grow again, put out side branches, cut more, grow, and the, before to long you’ll have the makings of a tree.....a short tree.