Acer palmatum Senkaki from cutting (aka Sango Kaku)

[clem]

hello, here is another project from a young cutting (4 or 5 Y.O.) bought in Sept 2021


I repotted it this spring in a flat wood box ->




The tree now.. i didn't cut anything yet.




i'll repot it next spring to work on the nebari again, and i'll trim it this autumn or next year.

 

[Lorax7]

FYI, the correct name for this cultivar is Sango Kaku.

 

[clem]

FYI, the correct name for this cultivar is Sango Kaku.

Thanks, i corrected "Sango" and not "Sengo" ^^

 

[Paradox]

I've got one I bought at a nursery last year.
People seem to think they don't make good bonsai because they are difficult to get small internodes. Like yours, mine seems to have smaller leaves so I guess we will see.

Good luck with developing yours, hopefully we can show they can make good bonsai

 

[BobbyLane]

I've got one I bought at a nursery last year.
People seem to think they don't make good bonsai because they are difficult to get small internodes. Like yours, mine seems to have smaller leaves so I guess we will see.

Good luck with developing yours, hopefully we can show they can make good bonsai

Theres one here

ive had a couple

 

[Lorax7]

I've got one I bought at a nursery last year.
People seem to think they don't make good bonsai because they are difficult to get small internodes. Like yours, mine seems to have smaller leaves so I guess we will see.

I also have one and have read similar things about their suitability for bonsai. I figure, worst case scenario, if the long internodes just can’t be helped then I’ll just aim to make a larger bonsai. Mine was grafted nursery stock, so step one for me was to layer it and get it onto its own roots. I layered successfully and have just been letting the harvested layer grow and get established in a pond basket. I will probably just let it grow for a few years to thicken the trunk.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Good luck with developing yours, hopefully we can show they can make good bonsai

I like the leaves, but it is important that people understand the red bark is only on young growth. As soon as you start pruning back to maintain foliage density/ramification, the red bark more or less disappears.

FWIW this was one JM cultivar I was able to keep alive in SoCal... just barely. It received only morning sun, and then total shade from about 11 AM onwards.

 

[LanceMac10]

I like the leaves, but it is important that people understand the red bark is only on young growth. As soon as you start pruning back to maintain foliage density/ramification, the red bark more or less disappears.

FWIW this was one JM cultivar I was able to keep alive in SoCal... just barely. It received only morning sun, and then total shade from about 11 AM onwards.

Semi-mature bark goes a "not that attractive" yellow in my experience. Eventually should "grey" I assume?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Semi-mature bark goes a "not that attractive" yellow in my experience. Eventually should "grey" I assume?

Yes that was my experience as well.

 

[Srt8madness]

I like the leaves, but it is important that people understand the red bark is only on young growth. As soon as you start pruning back to maintain foliage density/ramification, the red bark more or less disappears.

FWIW this was one JM cultivar I was able to keep alive in SoCal... just barely. It received only morning sun, and then total shade from about 11 AM onwards.

Pretty much the same here in Texas, except my shishigashara graft seems to tolerate a lot of sun. Painfully slow growth though. Believe it or not I have some green seedlings from Eads that I planted spring and are doing "ok", even in sun until noon if they're planted in ground. We have some landscape Japanese maples around here that grow great when protected from direct sun. Which leads me to believe the root temperature has a huge effect.

 

[Paradox]

I like the leaves, but it is important that people understand the red bark is only on young growth. As soon as you start pruning back to maintain foliage density/ramification, the red bark more or less disappears.

FWIW this was one JM cultivar I was able to keep alive in SoCal... just barely. It received only morning sun, and then total shade from about 11 AM onwards.

I bought it not for the red bark, but for the small leaves and the short internodes it seems to have. Once I really start developing branches we will see if I can get it to maintain the short internodes

 

[bwaynef]

Any tips on getting a cutting to root?

 

[clem]

I'm not a cutting expert, but my cuttings seller advises to collect cuttings in summer when they are still flexible, keep 1 or 2 pair of leaves, put them in water immediatly after collecting. He uses vermiculite 70% + potting soil 30%. He doesn't use any root hormon but advises us to use root hormon to increase our chances. He says that he has better results when the rootstock is kept in shadow for a few weeks before collecting cuttings. He advises to protect your cuttings from full sun.

 

[clem]

I've just repotted this tree after 1 year of growth. Good growth of branches, trunk and roots.



The rootball ->



The nebari of the front ->


The front nebari after trimming some roots ->


The back nebari ->


The tree in his wood box ->


With sphagnum moss to stimulate new roots to grow ->


I think i will cut the trunk here this summer ->

 

[jaycraig]

I also have one and have read similar things about their suitability for bonsai. I figure, worst case scenario, if the long internodes just can’t be helped then I’ll just aim to make a larger bonsai. Mine was grafted nursery stock, so step one for me was to layer it and get it onto its own roots. I layered successfully and have just been letting the harvested layer grow and get established in a pond basket. I will probably just let it grow for a few years to thicken the trunk.

how the air layer going? I plan to do a few branches on this lanacpae ma other tree I just discovered

 

[Maros]

hello, here is another project from a young cutting (4 or 5 Y.O.) bought in Sept 2021
View attachment 453981

I repotted it this spring in a flat wood box ->
View attachment 453982
View attachment 453983
View attachment 453984

The tree now.. i didn't cut anything yet.
View attachment 453985
View attachment 453986


i'll repot it next spring to work on the nebari again, and i'll trim it this autumn or next year.

Another interesting project, clem. The question, is the material from the same maple seller you frequently mention? Does he sell Arakawa as well?

 

[Lorax7]

how the air layer going? I plan to do a few branches on this lanacpae ma other tree I just discovered

It’s still alive and kicking. Progression thread here

 

[clem]

Another interesting project, clem. The question, is the material from the same maple seller you frequently mention? Does he sell Arakawa as well?

Yes it is from the same maple seller. But no, he doesn't have any Arakawa nor Seigen to sell. .. Unfortunately.


This tree suffered an attack of aphids, just like my other JM, in spring. The other JM continued to grow after treatment, with a good summer growth.. but not this one : This year it grew very little because of aphids..






So, next year, i'll treat preventively against aphids all my JM to avoid this disappointment. I will do treatment when the leaves start to developp and another one in Summer. (+ antifungal treatment).
Now i understand why, in Japan, the trees are monitored every day and regularly treated, preventively, against insects and fungal diseases (every month or so)

 

[Paulpash]

I'm developing one, too. I enjoy reading your progressions, Clem. Good luck with it.

 

[mikeybeanzz]

Any tips on getting a cutting to root?

Keep it in shade keep it moist mist as often as you can and use vitamins b1 liquid start solution. Or rooting powder with IBA. do some online reading from articles based on experiments. Every species is different. Plant in a soft sandy soil so roots can grow easily. Protect from wind and heat. Try not to disturb it or its roots while growing. Can take months to be ready for repotting and it will. Good luck, try growing Multiple cuttings in case some fail you have at least one