What to do?

[paddles]

I have a japenese maple that I bought to learn how to do broom style, but I've changed my mind, it's not a good looking tree, (Far from it,) and to be truthful, I've just been ignoring it, with the theory that it needs time to grow some branches it doesn't really have any. is there anything that I should be doing to it?

 

[JasonG]

Hey Paddles,

If this were my tree I would chop it where the red line is. Let the branch on the right grow out untouched to help thicken the trunk and the branch on the left would be the new leader. You can wire the left branch now while it is young and easy to move.
I would also either plant this in a large shallow grow box/container or the ground, what ever is easiest for you. Making sure that the roots were spread out nice and flat. Leave it alone for 3-5 years and feed well.

That is just what I would do if it were mine. Do you have any idea as to what you want to do with it, keep it small, grow it big, etc???

Jason

 

[Bonsai Nut]

If this were my tree I would chop it where the red line is.

Also consider an air-layer. Then you'd end up with two trees and you could always rechop the top part next spring. Maples air-layer easily.

 

[paddles]

I was toying with the idea of doing some thread grafts to give it branches? I must admit I don't know what I want to do with it. I need to cull some trees in a bad way, I have a lot that either will take years before they look like anything (Yes I know this is the premise of bonsai, but in my case its getting beyond a joke) I have at last count 8 japanese maples, possibly more, I'd have to go and have a hunt around to be certain. I like the japanese maple bonsai, but am thinking that I should pick one! and get rid of the rest?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I like the japanese maple bonsai, but am thinking that I should pick one! and get rid of the rest?

No don't do that. What you want is about 40 maples - so you can work on about 10 each year and then let them grow out for 4 years before next time you really chop 'em. If you only have one or two you will fixate on them and constantly be pruning and cutting and repotting and they will never thrive. The solution to human impatience is quantity! Then you can be impatient across many trees and any one tree won't suffer.

 

[paddles]

Ok, so I'm gonna chop where the red line is? You sure? I can't glue it back on! (I've tried that in the past!)

 

[Tachigi]

Paddles, Greg is on the money with his advice. The only thing I would tweak is the chop. Peter Adams gives some outstanding advice on trunk chopping maples to thicken and give good and outrageous taper. His methods have worked like a charm for me. I would highly recommend his book Bonsai Design - Japanese Maples. Although the book is out of print. You can find it on ebay,amazon and more than a dozen other places on the net. I do believe that it is coming back out in a revised edition. However that might be a while. It is well worth the money. It is my bible when it comes to maples.

Greg, I have never heard a more perfect statement when it comes to bonsai. I would like to borrow it
"The solution to human impatience is quantity!"

 

[Graydon]

You can find it on ebay,amazon and more than a dozen other places on the net. I do believe that it is coming back out in a revised edition. However that might be a while. It is well worth the money. It is my bible when it comes to maples.

The book is available again, check Stone Lantern.

 

[paddles]

Well its done, no photos, looks shocking! I didn't trim as low as was advised, went a branch up, I thought that in the future if so needed, it's easy enough to cut back some more. we'll see how it looks in a year or so.