Ebihara maples

[Adair M]

Wow!...

Some early pictures:

 

[markyscott]

Scott, my fellow big Texan, I've been looking at some of my grafts, and I'm sure I need to improve on my technique. For some reason I have way too much swelling near the grafts where I've done approach grafts. Perhaps I need to slow down the growth of the tree with pruning or have better timing of when to start the grafts. Anyhow, I see it looks like you have some of the swelling, but much less than I have on one of my maples. It's messing with the taper. I've considered scarring the trunk in other areas to correct the taper, but could some of the swelling or knobs just be removed for correction? Would I need to leave a concave wound so that it will heal smoothly?

Mr. Less. Can you post a picture? Then we can take a look at it together.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Here's a nursery stock I'm experimenting with. Plan to airlayer at the fattest part of base. I grafted some Seiryu cultivar to the trunk. Most were very ugly grafts.



Anyhow with what I have, I think chopping at the blue line in the future. Not sure what to do with the red circled area. Its a failed graft there but even if nit failed, how would you fix it? Also, wondered if I should fix some error like that first.

 

[markyscott]

Here's a nursery stock I'm experimenting with. Plan to airlayer at the fattest part of base. I grafted some Seiryu cultivar to the trunk. Most were very ugly grafts.

View attachment 103845

Anyhow with what I have, I think chopping at the blue line in the future. Not sure what to do with the red circled area. Its a failed graft there but even if nit failed, how would you fix it? Also, wondered if I should fix some error like that first.

Did you place the shoot parallel or perpendicular to the trunk? It looks as though it may have been perpendicular. If so, this can cause more callousing. Instead place the grafted shoot parallel with the grain of the wood. This will minimize scarring, increase your success rate as well as make for a more natural looking graft.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

You're right! I made that mistake. I'll remember this. Good work, Scott!

 

[markyscott]

Back to work. During the growing season, you have to keep a close and daily eye on the wires. I applied the wire on April 11 - it's been a bit over four weeks and it's time for a lot of it to come off.



This much cutting in is no problem - it's green wood on a growing branch. It'll be gone by the end of the growing season. Much more though could be a problem, potentially ruining the branch and costing you a growing season. So watch it closely.

 

[markyscott]

Also - it's important to watch your grafts. Take a look:



Good callousing where it exits the trunk and a noticeable difference in thickness - the shoot is now thicker where it EXITS the trunk than where it ENTERS. This means that the newly grafted shoot is starting to take nutrients up on its own. One might be tempted to remove it now - but resist this temptation. Now it's time to wean the graft from the branch.

Here's what I mean - first, take a sharp knife and scrape the bark and cambium off on opposite sides of the branch.



Then take a small wire and wrap it tightly around the branch. You want it tight so that as the branch grows, it will girdle itself.



Later in the season I'll cut the branch.

 

[fredman]

sharp knife and scrape the bark and cambium off on opposite sides of the branch

Why do you do that? I can understand the girdling, but the cutting not so much ?

 

[markyscott]

Why do you do that? I can understand the girdling, but the cutting not so much ?

The techniques accomplish the same thing - they weaken the connection between the graft and the branch. It forces the grafted shoot to exchange more through the graft union, lessening the shock when I separate the graft.

 

[Lars Grimm]

The techniques accomplish the same thing - they weaken the connection between the graft and the branch. It forces the grafted shoot to exchange more through the graft union, lessening the shock when I separate the graft.

Marky, are all these tips just floating around in your head from experience over time? If they aren't written down somewhere then you should publish them. This information is phenomenal.

 

[markyscott]

Marky, are all these tips just floating around in your head from experience over time? If they aren't written down somewhere then you should publish them. This information is phenomenal.

Thank you Lars - that's too kind. But to answer your question, outside of the school of hard knocks and reading, I've had a couple of teachers I should acknowledge. Although I've worked with many, the two I consider to have been my real mentors have been Dave Degroot and, more recently, Boon Manakitivipart. I've learned more from the two of them than I have from any book or from trial and error. In terms of publications, I have every copy of Bonsai Today, Bonsai Focus, International Bonsai and many of the Kyosuke Gun books. I have a number of books as well, but I don't go back to them as often I do those resources. I've never published anything, but I've got copious notes, I've practiced what I've been taught and have tried to build on it. This my way of sharing that and I'm glad you feel as though you've gotten something out of it.

 

[Eric Group]

Thank you Lars - that's too kind. But to answer your question, outside of the school of hard knocks and reading, I've had a couple of teachers I should acknowledge. Although I've worked with many, the two I consider to have been my real mentors have been Dave Degroot and, more recently, Boon Manakitivipart. I've learned more from the two of them than I have from any book or from trial and error. In terms of publications, I have every copy of Bonsai Today, Bonsai Focus, International Bonsai and many of the Kyosuke Gun books. I have a number of books as well, but I don't go back to them as often I do those resources. I've never published anything, but I've got copious notes, I've practiced what I've been taught and have tried to build on it. This my way of sharing that and I'm glad you feel as though you've gotten something out of it.

You should copy all your posts from this thread and dump them into resources! Or, perhaps another enterprising member here might be willing to do that?

Great stuff Marky... I certainly envy your attention to detail... I never seem to have time to wire and train my Maples in the schedule you have laid out for yours, but I feel pretty confident they would be better if I did... Thank you!,

 

[markyscott]

You should copy all your posts from this thread and dump them into resources! Or, perhaps another enterprising member here might be willing to do that?

Great stuff Marky... I certainly envy your attention to detail... I never seem to have time to wire and train my Maples in the schedule you have laid out for yours, but I feel pretty confident they would be better if I did... Thank you!,

Thank you, Eric. Note the back budding on the grafting pictures. If you do ever find some time to do this, that's a common response. When you cut back, wire, and let air and light into the interior. That new growth will stay healthy and strong his season, giving you more options next year. Every year it will get a bit better. Once the main branch ramification is established. You can start pinching the new spring growth on Japanese Maples to produce the fine branch ramification.

Another great resource I failed to mention before is "Classical Bonsai Art" by Bill Valavanis. It's a fine resource documenting a number of case studies in the development of some of the finest bonsai produced in the US. He has documented the development of the trees with detail over decades and there is much to learn from studying how he did it.

 

[Eric Group]

Thank you, Eric. Note the back budding on the grafting pictures. If you do ever find some time to do this, that's a common response. When you cut back, wire, and let air and light into the interior. That new growth will stay healthy and strong his season, giving you more options next year. Every year it will get a bit better. Once the main branch ramification is established. You can start pinching the new spring growth on Japanese Maples to produce the fine branch ramification.

Another great resource I failed to mention before is "Classical Bonsai Art" by Bill Valavanis. It's a fine resource documenting a number of case studies in the development of some of the finest bonsai produced in the US. He has documented the development of the trees with detail over decades and there is much to learn from studying how he did it.

I own that book and it is a great one if you like Maple Bonsai! Wonderful info, beautiful pictures and @William N. Valavanis is one of the foremost US experts on all things Bonsai. Glad you brought it up Marky!

 

[bilbocannon]

Epic thread! Im going to try this nethod with my trident maples aswell. Do i need to do do anything diferently?

 

[fredman]

Question... Is this method used exclusively to build "Ebihara like nebaries" (big, flat, fused), or can it be used as a starter for non fused nebaris? (sorry don't know how to word it better. Hope you get what I mean)

 

[markyscott]

Epic thread! Im going to try this nethod with my trident maples aswell. Do i need to do do anything diferently?

Hi bilbocannon. Thanks and I'm glad you got something out of it. It's certainly been an interesting and fun discussion for me. The method works great on any deciduous tree. I have a couple of elms a trident and several Japanese maples that I'm growing on a board. I was immediately attracted to this technique when I heard about it because I'd tried to grow on a plate in the ground, but the roots grew downward anyway and lifted the tree off the plate. This has eliminated that problem. Since you're entering the fall, you can plan on doing this in a few months. It's very effective in my opinion.

 

[markyscott]

Question... Is this method used exclusively to build "Ebihara like nebaries" (big, flat, fused), or can it be used as a starter for non fused nebaris? (sorry don't know how to word it better. Hope you get what I mean)

Hi fredman. Given enough time trees will form the large melting bases. But that takes many years - you can stop at any point along the journey when you're happy with the nebari. You don't have to let it go that far unless you are going for that look.

 

[bilbocannon]

Hi bilbocannon. Thanks and I'm glad you got something out of it. It's certainly been an interesting and fun discussion for me. The method works great on any deciduous tree. I have a couple of elms a trident and several Japanese maples that I'm growing on a board. I was immediately attracted to this technique when I heard about it because I'd tried to grow on a plate in the ground, but the roots grew downward anyway and lifted the tree off the plate. This has eliminated that problem. Since you're entering the fall, you can plan on doing this in a few months. It's very effective in my opinion.

I was going to use the plate method until i was directed to this thread, great sorce of information. One quick question that i was a little confused about. Are you are drilling into the underside of the trunk first and then screwing it onto the board?

 

[markyscott]

I was going to use the plate method until i was directed to this thread, great sorce of information. One quick question that i was a little confused about. Are you are drilling into the underside of the trunk first and then screwing it onto the board?

I don't think I've ever drilled a pilot hole into the tree, but it's important to do so into the board.