Japanese Maple for $61 at COSTCO..... good deal?

[LuckyDutch]

Hi All, I am still very much a beginner and have mainly played with junipers and a few small nursery trees and "rescues" thus far. I was at our local COSTCO yesterday evening and noticed that they had a section with Japanese Maples. I am not an expert on trees.... slowly learning... but the $61.99 seemed to be a good numebr for the size of the trees. I bought the one with the most interesting and thickest trunk and hope that I can do something nice with it over the years (that I have left ). What do you think? Advice?

PS tree was bought in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

 

[LuckyDutch]

Two more photos. The tree is about 8ft tall and looks healthy to me, but what do I know.....

 

[coachspinks]

$61.99 is not a bad price for landscape maples. If you can find something worthwhile for bonsai, it is a very, very good price. Especially to learn on. It looks like you found a decent one to work with. There are a lot of threads here that document working with a tree similar to the one you bought. Look for them and have fun!

And add your location to your profile. It will be help others to help you.

 

[LuckyDutch]

$61.99 is not a bad price for landscape maples. If you can find something worthwhile for bonsai, it is a very, very good price. Especially to learn on. It looks like you found a decent one to work with. There are a lot of threads here that document working with a tree similar to the one you bought. Look for them and have fun!

And add your location to your profile. It will be help others to help you.

Thank you !! Location has been added in original post.

 

[Kodama]

Looks like the buds are swelling. Good time to repot! Looking forward to seeing your progression on this.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

We have over 30 large landscape JM we have purchased from Costco over the last several years. A healthy 7 gallon Japanese maple for $62 is a great deal - particularly if they are uncommon cultivars or something other than the standard "bloodgood".

They are not going to be pre-bonsai - you will have to use them for air-layer stock or cuttings - but for something you can put in the ground and use as parent stock they are worth picking up.

 

[TrevorLarsen]

You should add your location to your profile so when people click on your name it shows your location. It makes advice in the future much more helpful.

 

[dbonsaiw]

I think it’s a good deal and you managed to find one with some character. I would repot it when the time is right and start it on its bonsai journey.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

LOL I just called my local Costco and he looked up the inventory number and we don't have them in yet. We said he was very familiar with the tree shipments but didn't know if we'd be getting the 7 gallons this year - or the larger 15 gallons like in the past. At least in the past, we got them in from Virginia... and they came in while in leaf. I always told my wife "they won't be able to sell JM unless they are in leaf" but you proved me wrong!

 

[Paradox]

Bloodgood maples have large internodes and large leaves that are very hard to get to reduce. They are better for larger bonsai, not so good for small and medium sized bonsai.

 

[LuckyDutch]

Bloodgood maples have large internodes and large leaves that are very hard to get to reduce. They are better for larger bonsai, not so good for small and medium sized bonsai.

Love the encouraging words

 

[penumbra]

Love the encouraging words

And absolutely true and honesty words.

 

[Paradox]

Love the encouraging words

Would you prefer that I sugar coat or outright lie about the reality of it?

That is something I won't do.

I've kept Bloodgood maples, I know what they are like, as have many others here.

Good to learn about maples on and practice some techniques but only good for large bonsai which isn't necessarily bad, just need to be aware of it.

 

[Michael P]

They've given you the bad news about 'Bloodgood', now I'll give you the good news. It is very vigorous and holds up to sun and hot weather better than many other cultivars.

 

[LuckyDutch]

Would you prefer that I sugar coat or outright lie about the reality of it?

That is something I won't do.

I've kept Bloodgood maples, I know what they are like, as have many others here.

Good to learn about maples on and practice some techniques but only good for large bonsai which isn't necessarily bad, just need to be aware of it.

No worries. Was just kidding. My skin is thicker than the trunk of the tree I purchased yesterday. I guess, if anything, it might become a large(r) bonsai. Serious question (and I will do my homework in the day/weeks/ months/years to come), would you wait a cycle to start working on the tree (chop/airlayer) or start working on it tree "now"?

 

[queenofsheba52]

Hi @LuckyDutch! I also love Japanese Maples!

OK, so you bought the best trunk you saw. That is a great first step. I have killed way too many JM so I think if you start your JM journey with a Bloodgood you will learn a lot, and hhopefully end up with something that pleases you.

If this were my tree, I would probably try to control my urge to "work" on it; I would probably plant it in the ground if you have a good spot. If no good spot, keep it in the nursery can or maybe up pot to a bigger can. I would study the tree this year: how does it leaf out; how much sun does it like; how thirsty is it; what interesting parts are there for future air layering. This is just my opinion and worth less than the 2 cents you paid for it LOL

We know that Bloodgoods have big internodes etc but please have some fun and learn from this tree. I have been trying to do bonsai for over 10 years, and I have decided that what pleases me, and what I am capable of doing/can afford to buy is not necessarily what is a great bonsai. You have a JM at a really great price, now have a year of fun learning about it.

 

[leatherback]

would you wait a cycle to start working on the tree (chop/airlayer) or start working on it tree "now"

Make a plan before you act. Then if you have a plan, ask whether the plan makes sense.

Depending on what you aim for, you might or might not need to chop.

 

[LuckyDutch]

Hi @LuckyDutch! I also love Japanese Maples!

OK, so you bought the best trunk you saw. That is a great first step. I have killed way too many JM so I think if you start your JM journey with a Bloodgood you will learn a lot, and hhopefully end up with something that pleases you.

If this were my tree, I would probably try to control my urge to "work" on it; I would probably plant it in the ground if you have a good spot. If no good spot, keep it in the nursery can or maybe up pot to a bigger can. I would study the tree this year: how does it leaf out; how much sun does it like; how thirsty is it; what interesting parts are there for future air layering. This is just my opinion and worth less than the 2 cents you paid for it LOL

We know that Bloodgoods have big internodes etc but please have some fun and learn from this tree. I have been trying to do bonsai for over 10 years, and I have decided that what pleases me, and what I am capable of doing/can afford to buy is not necessarily what is a great bonsai. You have a JM at a really great price, now have a year of fun learning about it.

Thanks for the feedback. I will, as you suggest, suppress and control my "urge". I will not be able to plant the tree in the ground so I will probably either keep it in the current tree or take it into a larger pot. I'll keep my fingers crossed (and busy with other projects). Cheers.... (PS I had an uncle who was the captain on a cargo ship named the Queen of Sheba .......... more than 50 years ago)

 

[Eckhoffw]

Bloodgood Japanese maples are just barely out of hardiness zone for me.
If that wasn’t the case, I’d have many. Even though they have some bad characteristics for bonsai.
They were at the Aldi store here some years back. Like 20$ whips in a small can. Sold out immediately.

They are still beautiful trees, and wish you a splendid journey with your new tree!

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Oh hey - I made a comment about "standard bloodgood" without knowing that you have, in fact, bought a bloodgood.

I own about ten bloodgoods for my landscape. There is a reason why they are so popular. They are one of the largest and fastest growing red leaf maples, and they do well in a wide range of conditions - thriving where other more delicate JM may struggle. However that strength makes them one of the more challenging cultivars for bonsai - because of the fast growth and long internodes.

Amazingly looking trees - particularly if all the other trees around them are green.