Jap Green Maple Attack Plan

[ChefMattGA]

http://m.imgur.com/a/wXg2T

So what would your plan of attack be for this material?

I'm waffling between beginning to train this down or just letting it grow. I'd like to use this as practice material for getting material into a bonsai pot by shifting it into a training pot next early spring so I can have the opportunity to see what happens. On the other hand, I do like this material so maybe I should find something else to practice that process on.

So with both of those possibilities in mind, what would you do to get it into a training pot mode vs growing it out to thicken trunk. The branch that is like the third up is thickening that area disproportionately, so it will need to go as soon as the timing is right. Other than that, if I were to cut it back next spring and put it into a training pot, would the process of developing lower branches be too slow?

Thanks so much for your time and wisdom!

 

[Paradox]

To come to up with a plan, you need to have a vision for the tree.

What is your vision?

Are you happy with the trunk size as is or do you want it thicker?

What style do you see this tree becoming?
There are a couple of different ways you can go depending on what you want to do with the tree.

Looking at it as is, I see some nice nebari.
But above that, I see a very straight main trunk. At least one of the side branches has possibilities though.

 

[sorce]

I'd keep all that growth going up top....

PPB on the bottom for now.

Sorce

 

[LanceMac10]

 

[ColinFraser]

View attachment 104567

I second the chop! Unless of course you want the trunk any thicker . . .

 

[LanceMac10]

Do you want to work on the tree now? Chop.
Thicker trunk? Put it in the corner of your yard and forget it for 10 years or so....

Ooops, forgot to add, don't chop now.

 

[sorce]

There is so much growth....it won't take that long...

Keep getting it fat while styling the bottom.

I love that saw pic though!

Sorce

 

[Dav4]

Personally, without a better view of the base, I'd consider ground layering this year and a chop next year. My thoughts may change with better photos of the base.

 

[sorce]

Did you fellers miss the quarter?

That trunk is tiny...

Let it grow and develops the bottom.

Let it grow and develops the bottom..

Let it grow.......

And develops the bottom....

Cut one of this 2 low branches off now....

Then put away the saw....

Let it grow.....

And develope the bottom.

Sorce

 

[LanceMac10]

If you let it go while "developing the bottom", (develop what?), those fat roots will get even fatter and out of scale.
Sounds like OP is a "beginner", just letting it go is tantamount to treating it like a landscape tree.
Center trunk line already has taper issues....side branches look too thick to move via wire
I notice with JM that branches don't seem to add girth to the trunk as much as they swell to nearly the size of the trunk, then begin thickening the trunk.
Not sure that's true, just something I've observed. And this is on maples I bought that were maybe 3-5 year old grafts.

 

[sorce]

Sorry....I'm at work so I gotta just drop em fast.....

It's just.....
It's so nice to see one of these with some actually trunk thickening foilage on it...
I wouldn't dare cut it off....especially with that quarter size trunk.
Usually they are just a whip or 2 with stringy weak branches!

That is exciting.

Now....

I'd cut the red line now. Kill that taper issue.

Let that whole top grow to thicken the trunk.

If the roots get ugly, (I think a colander will slow that, plus cutting em at repot next spring )
Just layer it like Dav4 says.

The yellow be the part I would develop....or better, keep in check....or PPB. Keep potential problems at bay.....
So it don't get too big too fast, eventually, cutting that line in ?x years.

I just don't do Want to see all that power foliage go to waste!

Sorce

 

[ChefMattGA]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I think I'm gonna hold my horses on trunk chopping and see what it can do. I'll get something else to practice getting things into pots, I agree that it has potential and I think I'd rather see it develop further.

Just to clarify:
Ok, so since that third from the bottom branch is hurting the taper, I should remove it now--or should I wait until later to keep the general growth accelerating? As I understand it, literally any pruning slows down growth so I want to make sure I'm not making it sit out for the season before tackling it. Also could I just start air layering it off to get myself a new tree out of it?

What exactly do you mean by PBB? What sort of things can I do to keep potential problems in check (other than the aforementioned lopping of the taper decimator).

Is this a candidate for twin trunks if I develop further on the thicker of the two lower branches?

For the nebari, is it definitely going to be a problem? I kind of like it, but if I could do better I might consider ground layering.

And Lance, yes, definitely a beginner. Thats a big part of why I want to try my hand at starting the transition into a training pot with something next early spring.

 

[sorce]

PBB

PPB!

Thats a Gary Wood thing...I'm just trying to coin the Acronym. Cause it's excellent practice....and a requirement while growing stuff out.

For me....

Anything with opposite buds gets one rubbed out. To prevent taper issues.

Your roots swelling too big here would be one.

Your big canopy shading the low part you want to develop could be considered a problem too....Id wore them back out of the way....or just keep the whole plant tilted so sun gets to the base.

I like the nebari myself....not too bad at all....but I too would like to see around the horn...4 sides...

If you can't figure how to get full size pics here....I could do the rest of em....
It's nice to see...and some folks won't click the link.

You could opt to keep the smaller branch down there....and cut the yellow now....

But one of them should go....

May a try and root it as a cutting....
But I wouldn't layer it...just cut it off.

This is a really dope piece of material...
After you cut that one low branch off...
You'll be good to go for a while.

Seek more advice...

I hope someone else chimes in.

Sorce

 

[ChefMattGA]

I think that did it, good deal. Sorry for the picture quality, had to take it inside to get a better shot.

Thanks so much, I'm glad that I seemed to have snagged some good material. Drove a long way to get to a decent (and decently priced) nursery. Still learning whats around me, but there seems to be a couple of good folks around me fortunately. This was $29, and I feel like I got a good deal. I picked it out because it seemed to have more movement, lower decent sized branches, and I liked the little nebari. Seemed to have more going on than the one next to it that had a bit more thickness.

 

[sorce]

I would get that skinny root covered....

In spring 2017 when you repot...

Don't cut that root at all, cut the other ones back to a fork.

It should catch up, and if so, that is a pretty decent nebari.

$30? Kill score!

Sorce

 

[ChefMattGA]

Thanks so much, I'm going to take notes from this convo and flesh out a gameplan this weekend!