Acer Homedeponium #6

[dbonsaiw]

All grafts were severed. Subject to potential additional grafts next year, the plan is to chop at the red line.

 

[dbonsaiw]

I seem to be a little lost on next steps. The tree is simply too tall as is and the Home Depot roots will never really be nice. Been playing with some ideas and (as of today at least) it looks like an airlayer is in the tree’s future. Right sized, the proposed start of the canopy is actually kind of cool. As always, thoughts are welcome.

 

[dbonsaiw]

One more before spring. I took another pic and then adjusted the angle of the photo to show a potential new planting angle. This would likely be the back of the tree. Perhaps I’m back on track.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Repot, a graft and a chop. Back in the grow box.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Spring pic

 

[ponderingsage]

Great thread! Gives me some more confidence in trying thread grafts.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Great thread! Gives me some more confidence in trying thread grafts.

Thanks. Thread grafts aren’t as daunting as they may seem at first. Just be sure to wean the grafts off piecemeal when it takes.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Full leaf. Basically just growing stuff out this year.

 

[Dav4]

Full leaf. Basically just growing stuff out this year.

Spring, when the new growth has really pushed but hasn't fully lignified is a great time to wire and get some good movement up/down/side to side. The curves set in 4-6 weeks. Cut back, then allow the second push to grow a bit before wiring again.

 

[dbonsaiw]

The funny thing is that this whole mess of leaves is just a few branches and the leader. My plan was to let the leader thicken up more and eventually cut it back. The bottom branch is being used for a branch graft - it has grown many secondary branches which is making the tree look full. Other than that, there’s just one other branch on the tree.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Saw that the cut putty was starting to show cracks on the graft so I removed it to see. Looks like the graft took and I started to reduce the graft on the entry side. Otherwise, new leader is thickening up and tree is growing strong.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Bad news is I lost the graft. Not 100% what went wrong. It looked like it took and I spent a number of weeks shaving it down, but it still died. Oh well.

 

[dbonsaiw]

I’m starting to think the tree is just too tall and I am tempted to layer it.

 

[Dav4]

I’m starting to think the tree is just too tall and I am tempted to layer it.

If this one were mine, I'd probably be performing a ground layer right at the root collar next spring along with either thread grafting or approach grafting to start building branches where you want them. You'll get a much better root structure and shorten the tree in one go.

 

[dbonsaiw]

If this one were mine, I'd probably be performing a ground layer right at the root collar next spring along with either thread grafting or approach grafting to start building branches where you want them. You'll get a much better root structure and shorten the tree in one go.

Thanks. I’ve got this tree - I believe it’s yours - in my inspiration file. My tree seems to have a similar potential.