Top Heavy JM

[readc]

I have a 4/5 year old Acer palmatum that is my first bonsai. I received last year in a training class and pruned before the buds broke. Once the shoots took off, I cut back some of the new growth to 2-3 leaves. Is this improper for such a young tree? The specimen is actually 5 main trunks. This spring one of the trunks has not put out any new growth, but the cambium is still green. Not sure I should cut it back to promote budding or leave it be. Additionally, all of the new growth this year as been upward. No back budding on the lower trunk. Should I leave all of the new growth alone at this point or cut back some? Any advice is appreciated. I can take a picture later today. Thanks! C.

 

[MidMichBonsai]

Let the new growth go for now. It sounds to me like you need to strengthen the tree, both foliage and roots. I would let it grow freely this season and see how the tree is doing. The nice thing about deciduous trees is that you can truck chop them and they will through all kinds of new growth...as long as they're healthy. That means that you can get the lower/ interior branching that you need later. Make sure that the tree is in tip-top shape and then worry about back-budding and interior branching. This sort of thing comes last in a JM. Look at health and trunk thickness/taper first. The rest is just icing on the cake.

Good luck!

 

[readc]

Let the new growth go for now. It sounds to me like you need to strengthen the tree, both foliage and roots. I would let it grow freely this season and see how the tree is doing. The nice thing about deciduous trees is that you can truck chop them and they will through all kinds of new growth...as long as they're healthy. That means that you can get the lower/ interior branching that you need later. Make sure that the tree is in tip-top shape and then worry about back-budding and interior branching. This sort of thing comes last in a JM. Look at health and trunk thickness/taper first. The rest is just icing on the cake.

Good luck!

Sounds good. I presume that allowing the tree to grow and strengthen apically would help thicken the trunk too.

 

[MidMichBonsai]

Absolutely. It's hard to let something get out of control and not touch it but the finished product will be worth it in the end.

 

[readc]

Absolutely. It's hard to let something get out of control and not touch it but the finished product will be worth it in the end.

Thanks a lot! I think this is the first time I have ever posted here and it not become a debate. Appreciate the information!

 

[JudyB]

It would still be nice to see the tree in question, you may get more ideas/help that way.

 

[readc]

It would still be nice to see the tree in question, you may get more ideas/help that way.

deal.

 

[readc]

Here it is...

 

[readc]

It would still be nice to see the tree in question, you may get more ideas/help that way.

done

 

[JudyB]

For some reason the picture size is pretty small, but it looks to be a good start. I would put some wire on the lower trunks to get some movement started on them while you can still move them. Google up some pics of multi trunk bonsai, and take a look at the way the trunks move with each other to get an idea of where to go with it.
Then let it grow.

 

[Eric Group]

Put it in the ground and go buy some cheap nursery trees (junipers and stuff) to work on while this one matures so you aren't as tempted to "tinker" with it constantly.

 

[readc]

Put it in the ground and go buy some cheap nursery trees (junipers and stuff) to work on while this one matures so you aren't as tempted to "tinker" with it constantly.

haha i am so tempted! good idea. Since it is happy where it is, I will just leave it it be and do the latter part of your recommendation. Thanks!

 

[readc]

For some reason the picture size is pretty small, but it looks to be a good start. I would put some wire on the lower trunks to get some movement started on them while you can still move them. Google up some pics of multi trunk bonsai, and take a look at the way the trunks move with each other to get an idea of where to go with it.
Then let it grow.

thanks! If you click on the image it should expand, at least it does for me. I have wire on the left truck which needed some movement. I have to use pretty thick wire to get them to stay put.

 

[readc]

also, if you can see in the picture there is a trunk on the bottom left that is only about 3 inches high. It was growing really awkward so I chopped it. Will it make it? secondly, in the front of the image is a trunk with no buds and no leaves. I scraped some bark away and the cambium is still green, so I am assuming just leave it be? It's hard for me to decide how to wire these since it is so young. Hard to visualize the final product.

 

[GrimLore]

For some reason the picture size is pretty small

Click on the picture then in the upper right click show in original location. It will open it in another window and there you can click on it to expand the size.

Grimmy

 

[JudyB]

Got it thanks Grimmy. I would wait and see what pops before I made any decisions on this tree.

 

[readc]

Got it thanks Grimmy. I would wait and see what pops before I made any decisions on this tree.

Okay cool. I can do that. Thanks!

 

[Potawatomi13]

I've got to disagree with some of the advice here. Normally the time to wire is before the buds open so wait to wire for now. However in the spring I would strongly advocate putting some good movement in the trunks and getting some separation between them. The thinner and younger they are the easier to do. One "rule" that seems to be a never violate is no 4 trunk trees or groups. You'll want 3 or 5 or some bigger number but the fewer trunks the easier time you'll have working on it. Now for a compliment. This is a nice looking little tree and better looking than I expected before the pic came up. Best of fortune in your new hobby.

 

[readc]

I've got to disagree with some of the advice here. Normally the time to wire is before the buds open so wait to wire for now. However in the spring I would strongly advocate putting some good movement in the trunks and getting some separation between them. The thinner and younger they are the easier to do. One "rule" that seems to be a never violate is no 4 trunk trees or groups. You'll want 3 or 5 or some bigger number but the fewer trunks the easier time you'll have working on it. Now for a compliment. This is a nice looking little tree and better looking than I expected before the pic came up. Best of fortune in your new hobby.

Thank you for the compliment!

Why do you have to wire before the buds open? What is wrong with wiring after? I figured that you wired at the same time your pruned and that you don't want to necessarily prune after the buds opened. Anway, thanks for any advice!