Giga
Masterpiece
I'll take the red pill.
In defense of my friend Smoke, I have also been posting a very long time on bonsai boards. He's not wrong about becoming weary of "what should I do with this tree?" posts. They sometimes lead nowhere good as the original poster gets their back up at suggestions, fails to grasp what is being said, doesn't care what's being said because "they read somewhere that's not how it's done," etc.
Smoke is also in a tough spot in his life. He doesn't need slack, just understanding.
In any case, you could go many different ways with it--taller tree, chop into mame, etc. It is up to you to make that overall decision. It is key to anything else we can offer. Without a decision on the foundation of the tree, blueprints for how to build the rest of it are futile.
So, what do you want in the end BIG bonsai, small bonsai, etc. A word of advice--the shorter the tree, the more powerful the trunk looks...
I think I pick this one to quote I know I would chop where @Brian Van Fleet showed and grow a new leader. I tend to favor larger trees, as you can get a lot more detail into them(more feasting of the eyes). You could always send it my way. I have been the lookout for a trident!
Time to break this down for those of us who care to benefit from this site .
A nice trunk...and "guru", likely sparked this seemingly snarky comment....
Smoke is a Maple Guru... So he can say what he wants, the way he wants....
He is just asking for a give and take....
Instead of just a take and take.
That's fair.
Beyond that....there is NOTHING mean...
And that first part only SEEMS mean.
This...is asking you to ingratiate(thanks Lance!) yourself into our Crazy Community.
Get hazed!
What he was trying to say is....
It takes more than that to cure....
That one red line cant cure this!
It takes time!
Time Smoke was likely more than willing to put in...
So long as he had an inkling of an idea you'd be here in ten years to watch his time make fruit.
Anyway @MapleGuru .....
I got no problems with you...
Smoke is a tuff nut to crack as it may be.
The tuffest. Hardest to understand.
I know none of this matters now....
For future reference for future preNuts!
Sorce
Time to break this down for those of us who care to benefit from this site .
A nice trunk...and "guru", likely sparked this seemingly snarky comment....
Smoke is a Maple Guru... So he can say what he wants, the way he wants....
He is just asking for a give and take....
Instead of just a take and take.
That's fair.
Beyond that....there is NOTHING mean...
And that first part only SEEMS mean.
This...is asking you to ingratiate(thanks Lance!) yourself into our Crazy Community.
Get hazed!
What he was trying to say is....
It takes more than that to cure....
That one red line cant cure this!
It takes time!
Time Smoke was likely more than willing to put in...
So long as he had an inkling of an idea you'd be here in ten years to watch his time make fruit.
Anyway @MapleGuru .....
I got no problems with you...
Smoke is a tuff nut to crack as it may be.
The tuffest. Hardest to understand.
I know none of this matters now....
For future reference for future preNuts!
Sorce
Well, see here's the problem. ALL of those things depend on what you want to wind up with. There is no simple advice, until you decide what you want to have down the road. That's the way bonsai works. A trunk chop now, would negate a large bonsai down the road, as well as where you will do thread grafts. No use doing a thread graft on trunk that is going to be removed...Im not claiming that he is wrong for being weary of "what should I do with this tree" posts. Im claiming he is accusing me of wanting help..........not because Im a rookie, but because Im lazy and this is wrong. Its combative, degrading, and can lead to defensive responses.
After a few responses, I can admit my original post was way to broad...........because you guys are looking for specifics. Unfortunately, I wasn't looking for specifics(because its my first bonsai, who cares if its shohin or 3ft tall?), I was looking for broad ranging answers.
I was looking for:
1)do root work, place it in the ground, and then chop it after a few years of growth
2)Chop it about right here to make it a large bonsai and this is what to expect from such a chop. You may need to wire.
3)Chop it right here to make a shohin........but be careful how low you cut it.
4)I would thread graft a branch here and here and here's why
5)I would do root work now and chop it at the same time and try to see if you can get it to grow this way
6)I would do nothing right now. You don't have enough taper in that second section. Another few years of growth and then I would chop.
I thought that hearing what experts would do would help me make my mind up.
This morning I had to do a double take...seen this tree elsewhere. Where? Well...the BUNKER! Where I went because Al said he was going to be spending time there.
Al has some good stuff said.
https://bonsaial.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/short-leg-productions-presents-a-trident-maple-conundrum/
This morning I had to do a double take...seen this tree elsewhere. Where? Well...the BUNKER! Where I went because Al said he was going to be spending time there.
Al has some good stuff said.
https://bonsaial.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/short-leg-productions-presents-a-trident-maple-conundrum/
Priceless...pure smoke.This morning I had to do a double take...seen this tree elsewhere. Where? Well...the BUNKER! Where I went because Al said he was going to be spending time there.
Al has some good stuff said.
https://bonsaial.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/short-leg-productions-presents-a-trident-maple-conundrum/
Took me by surprise to see the tree...totally did a double take!Priceless...pure smoke.
This morning I had to do a double take...seen this tree elsewhere. Where? Well...the BUNKER! Where I went because Al said he was going to be spending time there.
Al has some good stuff said.
https://bonsaial.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/short-leg-productions-presents-a-trident-maple-conundrum/
I think you are kidding yourself. To me, Smokes advice that it is compartmentalizing and has only a few years left makes a lot of sense. The right side is alive, at the moment. As he said, it is compartmentalizing, as in, the middle of the process. Like most things, the tree will take the path of least resistance. Going around that dead spot is not that path.Although I will take Smokes advice and thread graft a few branches onto the right side of the tree, I do not believe the right side will die without them. Check the photo out below. I marked the compartmentalization in the middle of the trunk red. I also marked the thick branch exiting the trunk in red. The yellow line splits that branch into two equal parts. And if you look at the green, you can see that some of the flow from the branch should be......."innervating"......the right side of the trunk, therefore keeping it alive.
Since the dimplization(yes, Im coining that term) doesn't go all the way to the top of the first major trunk chop and because the exiting limb has at least half of its material above that dimple........it appears that the limb is contributing some of its energy(up to half) to the right side too.
View attachment 156923
What do you think?