Gary McCarthy
Chumono
I love the light and airy feel this tree has. NICE!!!
Arakawa Japanese Maple
- Thread starter MACH5
- Start date
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Looking fantastic Serg!
Dav4
Drop Branch Murphy
- Messages
- 13,370
- Reaction score
- 31,496
- USDA Zone
- 6a
The ruddy spring foliage contrasting with the blue/green of the pot is truly sublime!
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
I love the contrast between that light feel and that rugged bark! This tree is awesome.
Gary McCarthy
Chumono
YEP.........AGREED!!!
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Thanks guys! Despite then fact that it has come a long way, this year I plan to cut back a bit more drastically than I have done in the past. I want to bring the overall silhouette a bit tighter. But, more importantly, as this arakawa has aged and began to mature, it is also starting to shed some of the twigs and small branches closer to the trunks. This is consistent with Andrea Meriggioli's account in his book of maples. It seems that arakawa in particular, as it ages and branches get covered in their rough bark, has a tendency of shedding its branches closer to their trunk in favor of the ones more distally located. I want to try and encourage more back budding wherever I can and seems safe in favor of its design which for a while may not look as appealing. The plan is to leave the tree alone until June when all leaves have matured and then cut it back.
I am also planning to air layer a section of one of its back branches to have grafting stock for future use.
I am also planning to air layer a section of one of its back branches to have grafting stock for future use.
deadcs
Sapling
beatifull!
ajm55555
Chumono
- Messages
- 702
- Reaction score
- 578
- USDA Zone
- 7b
Always a beauty 
AndyJ
Shohin
Hi Mach. Love the red spring foliage you get on your Arakawa - where do you keep yours? Is it full sun? Or full shade? Mine just comes out a yellow / green shade. (Sorry the picture‘s so rubbish!)
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Hi Andy. I keep this maple in full sun for the larger part of the day all year long. However, I do think its red spring color is more a factor of its genetics than light exposure. I have a smaller tree I am developing that was an air layer from this arakawa. Of course, not surprisingly, it has the same red spring color. I am planning to put a bit more effort this year to try and start propagating this maple.
Last edited:
AndyJ
Shohin
Thanks Mach - I guess the genes in mine mean not so much red then. Oh well, never mind.
Be very interested to hear how you get on propagating this one; what are your plans? Air layers? Cuttings? Grafts?
Be very interested to hear how you get on propagating this one; what are your plans? Air layers? Cuttings? Grafts?
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
I am making a couple of air layers and possibly cuttings if I can. One of those air layers will be used for thread or approach grafting if/when I ever need to make them on this tree.
Even if your arakawa is on the green side, they are all still very unique and beautiful.
Rob_phillips
Chumono
Love this tree and I understand the reasons you are going to cut it back I was just wondering how hard you will be cutting it back though will it be all the way back to the secondary branches or even harder to the primarys
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Thanks Rob. I have to be careful because once the branches get the rough bark it will be very difficult to get back budding. So it looks like it will be just to the secondary branching. I am not sure yet. I have to study it and see where I can cut back. Apex is another issue as I also want to bring it tighter but you can weaken it easily if you are not careful. So I will need to proceed somewhat methodically around the entire tree.
Rob_phillips
Chumono
Yeah will be interesting to see how you handle it.
keep us Up to date would like to see this tree progress.
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The newest issue of International Bonsai magazine features many deciduous articles including my arakawa maple. Articles by Jonas, Walter, John Romano, Bill and an excellent one on Thuja by my good friend Marc Arpag. Many thanks to Bill for giving me the opportunity to share my passion for deciduous bonsai in the pages of this well respected and time-honored publication. Check it out!
This past spring, as I mentioned before, I lost a few interior branches. I needed to resort to a more drastic pruning to balance out the energy throughout the entire canopy temporarily sacrificing ramification. A case of take one or two steps back before you leap forwards. It was clear the tree was starting to shed smaller and weaker branches in favor of the stronger apical ones. This is a rather common tendency with maples but have noticed that it is perhaps more pronounced in arakawa maples as they get older.
So the approach this year was to let the tree harden off and then cut it back to hopefully elicit a strong response. Indeed, after the cut back many dormant buds were activated. Although many did not actually grow, they are definitely now set to pop next spring. Below the result of the drastic cut back that produced buds even along the weakest branches. In one or two years the tree will again be back in good form.
An example of a branch that failed to flush out last spring. Like this one, there were several.
Below is the result of an aggressive cutback last June. Even weaker branches produced lots of tiny buds. These will develop next year and will give me new branches to choose from and cut back to.
This past spring, as I mentioned before, I lost a few interior branches. I needed to resort to a more drastic pruning to balance out the energy throughout the entire canopy temporarily sacrificing ramification. A case of take one or two steps back before you leap forwards. It was clear the tree was starting to shed smaller and weaker branches in favor of the stronger apical ones. This is a rather common tendency with maples but have noticed that it is perhaps more pronounced in arakawa maples as they get older.
So the approach this year was to let the tree harden off and then cut it back to hopefully elicit a strong response. Indeed, after the cut back many dormant buds were activated. Although many did not actually grow, they are definitely now set to pop next spring. Below the result of the drastic cut back that produced buds even along the weakest branches. In one or two years the tree will again be back in good form.
An example of a branch that failed to flush out last spring. Like this one, there were several.
Below is the result of an aggressive cutback last June. Even weaker branches produced lots of tiny buds. These will develop next year and will give me new branches to choose from and cut back to.
Hey Mach,
Congrats on the article
With those kind of buds popping along the branch, as you show, how do you deal with the buds? Do you rub ones out you do not need, before they leaf out, or allow all to grow then prune after?
If a tree is in a not-strong state, I feel like letting them leaf out would generate more energy and health for the tree, or this really of no consequence in the grand scheme?
I don't have this cultivar, so the advice may not be applicable to mine (Beni-Maiko, Beni-Chidori and Kotohime) but I think the question may relate to all.
Thanks!
Congrats on the article
With those kind of buds popping along the branch, as you show, how do you deal with the buds? Do you rub ones out you do not need, before they leaf out, or allow all to grow then prune after?
If a tree is in a not-strong state, I feel like letting them leaf out would generate more energy and health for the tree, or this really of no consequence in the grand scheme?
I don't have this cultivar, so the advice may not be applicable to mine (Beni-Maiko, Beni-Chidori and Kotohime) but I think the question may relate to all
.Thanks!
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Thanks Conor!Hey Mach,
Congrats on the article
With those kind of buds popping along the branch, as you show, how do you deal with the buds? Do you rub ones out you do not need, before they leaf out, or allow all to grow then prune after?
If a tree is in a not-strong state, I feel like letting them leaf out would generate more energy and health for the tree, or this really of no consequence in the grand scheme?
I don't have this cultivar, so the advice may not be applicable to mine (Beni-Maiko, Beni-Chidori and Kotohime) but I think the question may relate to all
Thanks!
The tree has provided a wealth of options for next year. In this case I plan on leaving most of the buds intact. And yes, that may also include those the are facing down. I'll remove only the ones I know I cannot use such as the ones that popped in the crotches. At this point I want to leave myself as many options as possible. In June, I will assess and then start to make more conscious decisions as to what I will cut back to or leave to develop further. This would apply to other cultivars as well.
In a tree that's weak, leave your buds to develop freely without cutting back until you see the tree regain its vigor. You could still make some selections before they pop like rubbing off those in the crotches.
Ohmy222
Shohin
You deserve all the recognition you get. Your maple is amazing. So jealous of the colors you get.
Thanks for the solid reply. The people at the magazine did a good job of asking you to contribute because it makes me want to subscribe and pay for it (can I even buy it in the UK.. will look in to it).
Good info. In my mind, it’s always pushing.. so the time saved in development by removing the unneeded buds, i thought was most important. But it’s not. I need to think more about the health, giving myself options and not rushing things.
Will apply this to my maples.
