Japanese Maple, 'arakawa'

[Brian Van Fleet]

Pinched back buds as they were opening, caught it in time this year to keep the internodes a bit shorter. Bark is corking up nicely.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Summer shot.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Summer shot.
View attachment 497493

I really like this one Brian, I have one that I am starting, I hope that one day it looks this nice.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I really like this one Brian, I have one that I am starting, I hope that one day it looks this nice.

Thanks, your big arakawa is one of my favorite trees here.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Fall colors starting.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

 

[Mellow Mullet]

View attachment 519069

Nice, my trees have barely started turning here.

 

[MACH5]

Looking so nice!!

 

[Libbie]

It's beautiful! Fun to look back through the whole thread and watch its progress over more than a decade.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

I just saw this thread for the first time... What amazing inspiration! I can't wait to layer off some of the big trunk sections off of my arakawa, and create a progression of my own in the future.

 

[Nybonsai12]

Looks great Brian! Great color and wow, that bark!

Do you find the leaves on your arakawa differ much from others? I feel like the lobes are longer and thinner on yours compared to most I have seen.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Do you find the leaves on your arakawa differ much from others? I feel like the lobes are longer and thinner on yours compared to most I have seen.

Agreed. The petioles are pretty long too, so it will definitely show better bare as it continues to develop until it gets pretty big.

 

[Nybonsai12]

Agreed. The petioles are pretty long too, so it will definitely show better bare as it continues to develop until it gets pretty big.

I think it looks fine the way as it is, but the leaf shape just seemed much different to me from others.

if you are concerned about leaf/petiole size, would defoliation early in the season help? too risky?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I think it looks fine the way as it is, but the leaf shape just seemed much different to me from others.

if you are concerned about leaf/petiole size, would defoliation early in the season help? too risky?

It may be worth trying, but likely only if I’m hoping to show it that same year In leaf.

 

[TrimmyWhimmy]

Consistent rough bark takes longer than I thought. I have some baby Arakawas. Looks like I'll be waiting 15 years.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Repotted last weekend, the radial spread is improving.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Today, nipped out the center buds. Later in the spring I’ll partial defoliate and prune. This one will actually respond with more growth.

 

[badatusernames]

Do you pinch the apex as well? I've read warnings that the apex of arakawa can be weak and to avoid it, but I'm curious about your own experience as I look to do the same to my own. I take it you don't avoid doing it after a repot, which is good to know!

 

[Faisal Ahmad]

I'm So envious. I can't grow the maple family tree in my area (Tropis). always ended tragically

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Do you pinch the apex as well? I've read warnings that the apex of arakawa can be weak and to avoid it, but I'm curious about your own experience as I look to do the same to my own. I take it you don't avoid doing it after a repot, which is good to know!

Apex is plenty strong, so I haven’t held back.