Japanese maple needs to be cut back

[davetree]

This is one of my maples, the one pictured in my recent thread about cut paste. I have worked on this tree for two years. I have basically just done root work and cutting the ugly knobs off the lower trunk. The biggest cut has almost healed. The two knobs next to each other were a problem. I didn't dare make a giant cut across half the tree so I cut them separate and when they are healed over I will carve out the middle to smooth it out.
If you think the tree is under potted, when I bought it it was in a much smaller pot ! The current pot is an excellent Sara Rayner. I probably will up pot this spring into a training pot of some kind to speed things up.
I have selected most of the branches, but for now most of them are just growing. This coming year will be all about growth, that's why the apex hasn't been started. How low would you cut this tree back ? Thanks for your comments.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

To my eye, the tree is relatively well proportioned. If you use the first branch as the 1/3 mark for the total height of the tree, you have the majority of your primary branching in the second 1/3, and secondary and tertiary branching in the last 1/3. I wouldn't shorten the over all tree. I would select one of the cluster of twigs at the top to be the apex, and eliminate or shorten them. For all the branches, I would shorten in spring to allow the next round of ramification but not to eliminate them. I would shorten them no more than 1/2 of their current lengths.

At least that is the way I see these photos. In real life the appearance might be different.

 

[davetree]

Thanks Leo. Your plan is just what I had in mind. It helps to have other people's opinions, I appreciate it.

 

[nathanbs]

Tree looks good. I wouldn't choose only one branch for your apex as it should be made up of several to form a crown. It just looks like it needs to be thinned out a bit up there. I cant tell from the pics but I bet in general the tree could use some correcting as far as branch angles, taper, movement etc. Oh yeah work on those wounds/scars as well, clean them up and re-activate the callous. Little by little the tree will get more and more refined from here. Looking great!

 

[davetree]

You are right about thinning and branch angles. Once I carved the tree and did root work I pretty much let the top go and just trimmed to shape. I am going to proceed slowly as I want the cuts to heal quickly. Thanks for your comments, much appreciated.

 

[jk_lewis]

I tend toward the natural look for deciduous trees.

MOST deciduous trees do NOT have pointy tops except when they are quite young. Japanese maples, NEVER have pointy tops. Most other maples don't either, especially when they are mature trees -- which is what most of use strive for in our bonsai.

If this was my tree, I'd remove the top 1/4 to 1/3 to give it a rounded look.

 

[davetree]

Well I wasn't planning on a pointy top. When I do start the apex I has to be small though, or it will thicken and grow too rapidly. It will take some time to grow a nice finely ramified rounded top. The rest of the tree is halfway done.

 

[JudyB]

Can I ask how wide the final image will likely wind up? It's looking very nice, I wonder if you'll want to pick more than one cluster of apex to form the top?

 

[Dan W.]

Nice maple

For what it's worth, IMHO, I don't think it's under potted....but I do think a significantly shorter and wider pot would do more justice to the height of this tree.

Also, I believe it was Brian who suggests keeping a tree in a smaller training pot or bonsai pot to develop ramification. If it is in too big of a pot it may be difficult to keep and create fine twigs.

 

[jk_lewis]

Merely a suggestion, but here's is what I'd do . . .

I'd also start immediately on significant work on the smaller branches. They're growing in every possible direction -- half of them wrong.

This is a lovely pot, BTW. The tree should quickly grow to match it.

 

[painter]

dave tree, i think this is a lovely tree with many possibilities. and if you dont mind id like to learn what jkl would do with this to make it even better. lets start with the branches if you dont mind of course. i realize a couple branches come out and angle down , how would you correct that? remove it ?
what about the branches that start up at the trunk, and then angle down toward the leaf tips? is there a way to correct those or should they be cut back, and how far? or can they be pulled down?
maybe we can all learn from this.
thanks jkl
painter

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I wouldn't be inclined to reduce its height at all. It is fine because the trunk has nice taper and movement. The virt showing it shortened really accentuates the scars in the trunk, which should be underscored until they're healed. Thin the crown a bit and march on. Over time, you'll replace some of the strong coarser shoots with finer branches, but it will happen naturally over a few years.

I think it's a pretty and graceful tree, and IMO, all of the virts shown represented change, but not improvement. Nice tree.

 

[davetree]

Thanks for all your replies and suggestions. I really appreciate the different perspectives and advice.

This tree will not be very much shorter when it is done. More than one apex can be very tricky and I am not sure if I can pull it off with this. A fine well rounded top about the width of the tree as it is will be what I am working towards. The lower branches will be cut back and regrown for taper but all work will proceed slowly as the main objective is to heal the ugly scars.

There are some branches on the left that start out moving downward and then horizontally. They are going to be jacked into place or cut back.

The pot is a gorgeous Sara Rayner I think I only paid $90 for. It's the pot this tree will stay in for a while.

 

[MACH5]

Nice tree Dave! I am also inclined not to shorten this tree at all. Proportions look good. Just needs time to settle and mature