Arakawa Maple Development

[Guy Smiley]

I have been reading Peter Adams book on Japanese Maples and would like to try the process he shows for developing trees.

Questions:

1) His first step is making a trunk chop at the location you want the first branch. My understanding is that he recommends making this chop in the spring at the same time as you would repot the tree. Will chopping the tree at this time cause a lot of sap loss?

2) When considering the 6:1 ratio for trunk size to hight, how big should I grow the trunk before making the first chop? I would like the finished tree to be around 16” tall. The trunk is currently 1”.

Here are some pictures of the tree that I am working with. I am planning to let it grow for at least another year to thicken the trunk. It is nice to see the bark starting to get some texture.

 

[Shibui]

1) His first step is making a trunk chop at the location you want the first branch. My understanding is that he recommends making this chop in the spring at the same time as you would repot the tree. Will chopping the tree at this time cause a lot of sap loss?

Maples chopped in late winter/early Spring here bleed (sap loss) profusely. Many people assure us that's no problem but I still don't like it. Root pruning stops any bleeding immediately.
I prefer to delay trunk chop until the leaves have opened and hardened. At that stage I don't see bleeding.

2) When considering the 6:1 ratio for trunk size to hight, how big should I grow the trunk before making the first chop? I would like the finished tree to be around 16” tall. The trunk is currently 1”.

There are many different ways to achieve similar results.
Letting the trunk get to full thickness before chopping means a large scar that then needs to heal. It also usually means a big step from the thick lower trunk to the thinner next section of trunk.
I found that chopping before trunk reaches desired thickness produced better results. Scar is smaller and subsequent growth will help heal it while also increasing trunk thickness below the cut and above. Better graduation from 1st to 2nd section of trunk. This is then followed up by another bout of grow then chop to thicken and develop the 3rd part of the trunk. Rinse and repeat as often as necessary, gradually reducing time between grow and chop.

Now I grow most of my maples with more regular chops. Each chop gives more large branches which all contribute to trunk thickening but subsequent removal leaves smaller (but more of) scars, thus reducing the time taken to heal the cuts. Each chop puts another bend into the trunk. More branches gives me more options for the bends and subsequent trunk line.

Growing a thick trunk is only the first stage of producing a bonsai. Second stage involves healing the cuts and developing branches. Regular chops may mean it takes a few years longer to reach desired trunk thickness but I more than make up for that with reduced second stage and the trees are usually much better quality.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Don’t worry about sap loss. It isn’t really a problem.

Grow the trunk until the first section is almost as big as you want it to be forever. Once you start chopping (especially in a pot) the trunk thickening really slows down.

If you want a taller tree with graceful and subtle bends, cut at the red line, and let the right branch become the next trunk section, and the left branch become the first branch. Cutting there will also hasten healing because you have growth on both sides of the trunk. However, you’d cut the left branch shorter so it has some bifurcation close to the trunk.

If you want more dramatic movement, you’d need to cut lower and change the planting angle so it doesn’t emerge from the soil as vertically.

 

[Guy Smiley]

Thank you for the recommendations and help. I will update this thread as the tree develops.