Big Box Store Japanese Maple - chop and root prune? Or just chop?

[woodkraftbonsai]

Found this maple at Home Depot and couldn’t pass it up due to the price. Had to chop most of the branches off to get into the suv for the ride home. It was balled and bur-lapped in the pot. I pulled it away a bit and just under the clay soil there is some root flare. I will probably ground/air layer from the trunk in future, but for now...suggestions?
Chop more off?
Tackle the roots and put into a shallower grow box?
Both?

Thanks for all opinions.

 

[luvinthemountains]

Looks like a great find! I am jealous and can't wait to get back to an area where material like this is available.

My (not-so-well-informed) suggestion is that you take it out of that soil ASAP, wash out the roots thoroughly, and trim them just enough to get it into a fairly deep grow box. It will probably do just fine, and then you have a year or two while it recovers to decide where you want to go, design-wise. But wait until other, more experienced growers chime in before following my lead!

 

[woodkraftbonsai]

Looks like a great find! I am jealous and can't wait to get back to an area where material like this is available.

My (not-so-well-informed) suggestion is that you take it out of that soil ASAP, wash out the roots thoroughly, and trim them just enough to get it into a fairly deep grow box. It will probably do just fine, and then you have a year or two while it recovers to decide where you want to go, design-wise. But wait until other, more experienced growers chime in before following my lead!

Thanks, I'm just concerned if pruning any roots will be detrimental, as I do not know when it was taken from the field and put into the burlap ball.

I think I will at least dig down the soil to the buttress, but I'd like to still shorten the rootball if possible.

 

[leatherback]

I would trim to basic shape and pot up in a shallow growbox. ESPECIALLY when they are fresh from the field, maples respond very well.

Nov 2019 - Aug 2020