Progressive Maple Challenge - Amur maple #1 WP

Walter Pall

Masterpiece
Messages
3,619
Reaction score
20,299
Location
south of Munich, Germany
USDA Zone
7b
2013-11-107948.jpg 2013-11-958804_728969853800835_905170714_o.jpg 2013-11-1473982_667499179947903_2076414670_n.jpg This is an Amur maple, Acer ginnala. it was collected in the wilderness of Korea probably ten to fifteen years ago. Someone cut off all the branches and then wired some of the new shoots. It seems that this tree than was sort of abandoned. Anyway, In November 2013 I got the first picture with a reasonable price offer from my agent. I could not decide right away as this tree seemed to be interesting but very much untamed. So a few more images followed. It took until March 2014 for me to decide to purchase the tree. It arrived in my garden in May 2014 as a big green ball with very healthy looking foliage.

Several issues:
- source: why a tree from Korea if there are maples in Europe too? Well, this species one can find in Europe, but not anything close in potential. Prices in Korea or Europe are not much different, even accounting for transport and all that. But my agent does this, I would hate to bother with all that.
- hardiness: As most bonsaiists I have way too many trees and too small a greenhouse. I need species which I can leave outside without high danger of loosing them I live in climate zone 5 to 6. Amur maple are very hardy, one can leave them outside on the ground in the garden all winter long.
- advanced material: I have about twenty or so maples of which a dozen are god to very good, ready for any exhibit anywhere in Europe. If I want another maple it must be as good as the others or even better of somehow different. If one wants to end up with a really good to outstanding bonsai one should start with really good material - whatever this costs.
-time for development: I am now seventy. I can start with seedlings or cuttings, but I can also start with killer material and try to make killer bonsai of it within the next few years. I go for killer material as I think I have time enough to make the best of it.
- Maple Progression Challenge: what you can see up to here was done within ten months. But it did not start in march 2014. So this is interesting, but does not count for the challenge. Since my maples should be out of competition anyway I thought it is interesting at lest to see what can be done in ten months. And then there is still something to happen n until march 2016.
- huge wound on broadleaved tree: I know very well that this is frowned upon in Japan. But I am not Japanese. We admire our old hollow broadleaved trees in Europe. Since I create trees and not bonsai this is not a fault, but rather an interesting feature.
 

Walter Pall

Masterpiece
Messages
3,619
Reaction score
20,299
Location
south of Munich, Germany
USDA Zone
7b
Then I could see a bit more into the crown. I cut off the rim of the plastic container, took off some top soil to see the nebari. I then started to cut branches that I decided to definitely not want.






2014-05-R2C_3683w.jpg 2014-05-R2C_3684w.jpg 2014-05-R2C_3685w.jpg
 

Walter Pall

Masterpiece
Messages
3,619
Reaction score
20,299
Location
south of Munich, Germany
USDA Zone
7b
Now comes something interseting. Beginnig of May is certainly not what our bonsai wisdom would recommend as time to repot. I have tried a few things in repotting and found that beginning of May with full foliage is fine - if you know what you are doing.
I tried the combination of a very unusual container with a very unusual tree. The pot by Hrost Heinzrieter came very hady.
After it was finished it look like the tree is way too high in the container. Well, I did not cut off too many of the fine roots on top to make sure the tree would live. I then got rid of many top fine roots over summer. See the iamges as of 6 months after this.
The 'soil' is modern subtrate, baked loam.



(tu2014-05-R2C_3686w.jpg 2014-05-R2C_3687w.jpg 2014-05-R2C_3688w.jpg rface) with 20 % rough peat.
 
Last edited:

Walter Pall

Masterpiece
Messages
3,619
Reaction score
20,299
Location
south of Munich, Germany
USDA Zone
7b
Then all the foliage was taken off. The tree was carefully pruned in detail. The winter image is ready See how the top fine roots disappeard and the tree does not look like having been potted too high anymore.

This is what it still looks like, now in March of 2015. Within the next two weeks the tree will be fully wired and I will show the progress here.


2014-10-R2C_4481ofw.jpg 2014-10-R2C_4482ofw.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 2014-10-R2C_4483ofw.jpg
    2014-10-R2C_4483ofw.jpg
    100.1 KB · Views: 12
Last edited:

johng

Omono
Messages
1,932
Reaction score
3,727
Very nice...great progress in just 10 months! WE all wish we had access to "killer material"!
 

Walter Pall

Masterpiece
Messages
3,619
Reaction score
20,299
Location
south of Munich, Germany
USDA Zone
7b
Very nice...great progress in just 10 months! WE all wish we had access to "killer material"!

John, well, you have. For example at Nature's Way Nursery in Harrisburg ther will be a copuple monster maples available in three weeks.
 

Cadillactaste

Neagari Gal
Messages
16,262
Reaction score
20,886
Location
NE Ohio: zone 4 (USA) lake microclimate
USDA Zone
5b
Love the pot and tree combo. (Which seems like such a mute point when the tree is so impressive) After hearing a YouTube video of you...I can just imagine your voice saying the words you posted. With the infliction of your voice as you speak upon your tree...and it brings your thread even more enjoyable!
 

BunjaeKorea

Omono
Messages
1,214
Reaction score
1,909
Location
Korea
USDA Zone
7a
Very nice, this species is quite prevalent here. For some reason people don't seem to appreciate them though. Really nice tree looking forward to seeing more.
 

Walter Pall

Masterpiece
Messages
3,619
Reaction score
20,299
Location
south of Munich, Germany
USDA Zone
7b
Today everything was wired. It is not so important whether this wire is beautiful or ugly. The only thing that counts is what the tree will look like when the wire goes off in about one year. I always tend to sacrifice present beauty for future quality. Now one can see thsat it is hard to decide on a front. This is what I call a luxury problem2015-03-.jpg 2015-03-SAL_0369w.jpg2015-03-SAL_0370ofw.jpg
 

MACH5

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,066
Reaction score
28,398
Location
Northern New Jersey
Very nice Walter! Are you able to keep wire on these amurs for a full year? Or do you rewire as needed. I know for my Japanese maples I cannot keep wire on for more than a few months.
 

mj_barb

Mame
Messages
100
Reaction score
172
Location
Fairfax, VA
USDA Zone
7A
Wonderful tree! Did you intentionally align the wound with the dip in the pot's edge? I love it.
 
Top Bottom