Keep it or Cut it?

[Brian Van Fleet]

i read a post by cratageous bonsai, michael hagedorn s site, where he stated to put slow release ferts directly at the base of trees to help fuse maples nebari.
http://crataegus.com/2010/11/06/japanese-maple-once-again/

painter

I started doing that last spring and some fibrous roots are forming, but a little lower than I'd like...it is just going to take time. You might be able to see them in the second photo of post 46.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Nice shot in full leaf while it's still nice and red...

 

[JudyB]

So good, so healthy. such a great pot combo color!

 

[tmmason10]

God, I love this tree. Where can I get this cultivar? Looking very nice and spring has arrived!

 

[Dan W.]

Beautiful!!! Thanks for sharing. I'm curious too...is this a seigen or deshojo...? or something else?

ps- be sure to post pics of the azalea (assuming that's what it is) in the back as soon as it opens up

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Beautiful!!! Thanks for sharing. I'm curious too...is this a seigen or deshojo...? or something else?

ps- be sure to post pics of the azalea (assuming that's what it is) in the back as soon as it opens up

Thanks, it's a 'shishio improved', and I haven't seen any others. A couple maples from Boon's show 2 years ago showed some very similar barking/branching/color traits, but it would be almost impossible to know for sure. This one came from Gary Wood about 10 years ago as 3-gallon nursery stock.

While growing in the nursery can, it was layered in 2 places, and they are in the ground. One is developing a very nice base. The other may be allowed to go full size and layered again one day...

I will start a new thread on that azalea maybe this weekend...some good photos over the last 7 years since I styled it at a Ben Oki workshop.

 

[MACH5]

Beautiful tree Brian!! I love it. Great progression pics too that we can learn from.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Quick update on this one. After it's return from NY in June, it was partially defoliated (removed 1 of each pair of leaves...tedious), then in the dense areas, leaves were cut in half as well. This allows light to get in, and forms some buds that will be useful as future branches. It also pretty much eliminates a chance for nice fall colors. Last night, I removed the leaves and here is a shot of the bare tree.

This winter, it will be pruned a bit, and I'm strongly considering reducing the left trunk down to the first left branch. Enough has grown over the last few years, that with about 3 wires, I can move thinner branches into the space. The foliage profile shouldn't change much, if at all, and the coarse primary branch structure will be improved.

Originally, this post was about the lowest right branch. Just before I packed it up for the show, I reduced it by about 1/2. Still not ready to eliminate it entirely...

 

[tmmason10]

Looks good Brian. Thanks for the update.

 

[Dav4]

It looks better and better every time I see it, with and without foliage. Very nice.

 

[JudyB]

Yeah, ditto...

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Update...haven't shown this one much this year, as I'm working on improving a few things; root grafts, moving and replacing some bigger branches, but here is a shot of it now leafless...

 

[MACH5]

Wonderful indeed! One of my favorites!

 

[JudyB]

I can't take my eyes off the way the branch movement is on this tree when leafless. I dig it.

 

[Smoke]

I'm glad you did not take out the left sub trunk. That bottom right branch...I might keep that too. I have one of those on my maple and I can't get rid of it since it seems to balance my right side. It is a back branch, but it needs that shot of branch or green to balance the image. That is what matters not the rules.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

A little better leafless shot...a few stronger secondaries will need to be pruned out in favor of smaller branches.

 

[Smoke]

Are those root grafts sticking out of the trunk like suckers?
Any chance of a close up of your new roots?


....or do we have to wait till spring.....

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Are those root grafts sticking out of the trunk like suckers?
Any chance of a close up of your new roots?
....or do we have to wait till spring.....

They are, I did 6 this spring and 4 made it. I haven't uncovered them at all this year. I have been tempted to rake back the soil and get a look, but hadn't wanted to disturb anything.

 

[garywood]

Good work Brian, glad you kept it!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Think it's best to wait...I scraped the sphagnum moss back today and new roots are throughout, but stopped here to prevent anything. Should be interesting in the Spring.