Is this acer atropurpureum suitable for making a bonsai?

Help me with the termenolgy here a bit, you want to see the rootbase? And i am sorry but i dont know what grafted means.. xD
yeah the nebari is the root base where it flares out at bottom of the trunk. grafted is when they propagate a new tree by basically inserting a piece of another tree into it.
 
yes, usually it is easier/quicker to graft on a palmatum type than to make cuttings, so it is intersting to show us the rootbase to check if there is a graft swelling or something like this.
 
yes, usually it is easier/quicker to graft on a palmatum type than to make cuttings, so it is intersting to show us the rootbase to check if there is a graft swelling or something like this.

ok then, so how far do you want me to dig it up so i can show it accordingly to the questions?
 
ok then, so how far do you want me to dig it up so i can show it accordingly to the questions?
if you are curious to see if your tree is grafted you can remove the soil surface untill you find the 1rst surface roots. If there is no swelling on the trunk it means that your tree is 100% atropurpureum and not grafted.
This way, you'll also be able to check the "nebari" (surface roots) as the nebari is of course important for the aestetics. When you buy a tree, the base of the trunk is something to check for Bonsai
 
And before anyone asks, dead straight trunk, no taper, pencil thin, unsuitable branching, long internodes, large leaves, variety that doesn’t tend to make good bonsai.
I’ve got a few varieties of maples not necessarily desirable for bonsai but can still make a bonsai from it.
Trunk too straight with unsuitable branching and no taper.... trunk chop in spring will solve all of this. Maybe not this spring though. Grow for trunk thickness first.
Large leaves... grow a larger size tree so leaves look more to scale.
 
if you are curious to see if your tree is grafted you can remove the soil surface untill you find the 1rst surface roots. If there is no swelling on the trunk it means that your tree is 100% atropurpureum and not grafted.
This way, you'll also be able to check the "nebari" (surface roots) as the nebari is of course important for the aestetics. When you buy a tree, the base of the trunk is something to check for Bonsai

After carefully digging for a bit until i found some straw sized roots coming out of the tree. I found no swelling or bulging in the trunk, so this means it was not grafted right? For checking the intire root base i need to take it out of the traning pot and hose it down until there is no soil on the base right, but doing so would also mean i have to repot it after? if so what would be a good time to do that cause i find alot of diffrent info on repotting and root pruning, some say when the tree is dormant others say when its growing in late spring to mid summer(this period of time)
 
I’ve got a few varieties of maples not necessarily desirable for bonsai but can still make a bonsai from it.
Trunk too straight with unsuitable branching and no taper.... trunk chop in spring will solve all of this. Maybe not this spring though. Grow for trunk thickness first.
Large leaves... grow a larger size tree so leaves look more to scale.

Thanks for the tips i'll write it down and check when i decide what i am going to do with it for the next couple of months/years
 
Repotting should be done in spring before leaves appear.

But what's the problem with atropurpureum? Just that the leaves are slightly larger than some varieties?
 
Welcome aboard!

That’s a really tree to play with and with time you will be able to have fun practicing on it and make something surprisingly special out of it. You have to start somewhere!

Yep, I don’t see a graft at all from your photos. JFYI: They usually aren’t buried.

A really good Wedge graft looks like this.
B54B1D31-EFA9-4D8B-B4DC-894D19CFADF9.jpeg
A production landscape maple graft can look as overt at this side veneer graft.
B9277129-F0FB-4F9F-B219-2E03A5F71583.jpeg

Your tree is just inside for photos?

cheers
DSD sends
 
Thanks ! Oh now i see what it looks like if it has been grafted, that wil help in the future.

Yhea i had it indoors for 2 days due to high wind sheers on the balcony, dirt got blown out and it pulled out some new young leaves so i waited out the weather for a few days. Its back outside now.
 
Here is a lovely little Japanese Maple bonsai that is a good example of the sort of feeling you could create with your maple fairly quickly...

Skinny Maple.jpg

The work on yours would involve trimming off some or all of the high branches and repotting into an appropriate container at a nice angle. Then, hopefully, your healthy tree will quickly grow out new leaves to fill back in (it will look kind of empty at first after you prune back the branches).
 
I believe this one is grown on its own roots pretty commonly so it's likely that there is no graft.
 
Here is a lovely little Japanese Maple bonsai that is a good example of the sort of feeling you could create with your maple fairly quickly...

View attachment 313152

The work on yours would involve trimming off some or all of the high branches and repotting into an appropriate container at a nice angle. Then, hopefully, your healthy tree will quickly grow out new leaves to fill back in (it will look kind of empty at first after you prune back the branches).
good inspiration pic, but with a Bonsai beginner, i wouldn't advise to do the same : the roots would have to be cut very very strong to fit in a so flat pot, and the cultivation skills is "high" to keep the tree alive and growing in such a pot. (very frequent waterings).. So, IMO, good inspiration source for the future, but not for next spring
 
good inspiration pic, but with a Bonsai beginner, i wouldn't advise to do the same : the roots would have to be cut very very strong to fit in a so flat pot, and the cultivation skills is "high" to keep the tree alive and growing in such a pot. (very frequent waterings).. So, IMO, good inspiration source for the future, but not for next spring
Absolutely, tree would have to go in pot close to same size as current pot, couldn't go flat at all now. Still could look very nice.
 
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