Need advice and opinions on my Arakawa

[aphid]

Hi all,

I would like some advice and opinions on what to do with my Arakawa Japanese maple.

Here's what it looked like in spring of 2012. I put it in the oval pot below without doing any work because it already came out of dormancy when I got it. Then I just let it grow untouched for 1 year.



In spring of 2013, I cut off all the unwanted branches. This is what it looks like now in 2014. (Sorry about the weeds.. LOL)



1) Is the pot a good fit for for the tree? The pot is a custom pot from Sara Rayner. It's around 17" long and 4" deep. The tree looks like it's sitting a bit high right now because it is. I didn't do much root work at all when it put it in the pot and will need to saw off some roots at the bottom the next time I repot. When that's done, it will sit better in the pot. I prefer larger and deeper pots because I can't water everyday.

2) Which leads to the next question. I did major branch work in spring of 2013 including some thread grafting. That's why all the branches are so tiny. Should I wait to repot in 2015? I will need to saw off some roots at the bottom so the tree sits lower in the pot.

3) Would this green Japanese maple (no cultivar) look better in this pot? It's slightly smaller than the Arakawa.



Thank you in advance for your inputs!

 

[Dav4]

Nice tree, and I'm glad you shortened it as it was too tall by a quarter in the first pic...you might want to consider shortening it a bit more. I think if you reduce the root mass, which you should do, the current pot will be a bit too large and heavy for the tree. So, if this tree is larger then your other maple, it's probably too small for the pot, as well. I'd be looking for a more shallow oval pot for either tree.

 

[Paradox]

I cant comment on pots, but nice tree.

Good luck with it

 

[Nybonsai12]

I cant comment on pots, but nice tree.

Good luck with it

I shouldn't either but I will anyway. I'd go with Daves suggestion of a shallow oval pot. I would prefer green, blue or a faded white color glaze.

really nice looking tree OP.

 

[Umeboshi]

I would suggest that pot choice does not matter too much at this point since you are just starting to build branches. It would be at least a few years before I would care what pot the tree was in if it were my tree. Having said that I think a pot that is more shallow and maybe a touch wider would look nice depending on how wide your canopy ends up.

Nice tree by the way, it looks like a real winner. I bought an Arakawa this fall... yours looks much nicer!!!

 

[sikadelic]

I love the character of the bark and the color of those leaves in the first pic. I have to find one of these for myself!

 

[edprocoat]

For the branch growth would it not be better to get it in a deeper pot? After you have the branches you would work the roots down into a smaller pot.

ed

 

[drew33998]

Did you lose your 1st branch? I am thinking a blue oval.

 

[aphid]

I'm seeing a few blue suggestions. Light blue or navy blue? Turquoise?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

1) Is the pot a good fit for for the tree?

2) Should I wait to repot in 2015?

3) Would this green Japanese maple (no cultivar) look better in this pot?

1. From the description of your watering practices, you're probably better off in a larger pot. Aesthetically, it is too big and massive for my taste. Sara Rayner is talented and makes great pots, but I've never seen one I'd call dainty. I like really like her textured work for evergreens, but have never been blown away by her glazes. Eventually, a proper container will be shadower, probably by half.

2. Repotting should be to do nebari improvement or replace soil that no longer functions effectively. If you need to do root work, I would not hesitate to repot in the spring, as it shouldn't affect the grafts' vigor too much. If it's not necessary, I'd give it another year and ensure the grafts stay strong and don't accidentally get damaged during the repot. In my experience, arakawa roots fill the pot at about half the pace of standard JM. My standard JM tend to need repotting every year, and when I had arakawa in pots, they could go 2-3 years.

3. If the green JM is smaller, it will serve as a transitional pot...shallower than the nursery can, but too deep for a final pot.

You didn't ask, but I have to say that the tree had better movement and presence when the primary right branch was still there. It may have been too long, but it wasn't too heavy and I liked the placement. The base looks good, and so does the trunk, so it will be interesting to see the development of branches over time. Good luck with it.

 

[Dav4]

. I prefer larger and deeper pots because I can't water everyday.

QUOTE]

I missed that little tidbit. Larger, slightly deeper pots, more organics in your soil mix, and temporarily moving your trees into shade when you aren't able to water regularly would be my suggestions. Perhaps, you might consider an automatic watering system as well. You've invested a fair chunk of change on these trees and they would really appreciated being watered on a daily basis, even if you aren't doing it. Good luck and keep posting pics of that arakawa...I'm more then a decade away from having something remotely like that one.

 

[aphid]

. I prefer larger and deeper pots because I can't water everyday.

QUOTE]

I missed that little tidbit. Larger, slightly deeper pots, more organics in your soil mix, and temporarily moving your trees into shade when you aren't able to water regularly would be my suggestions. Perhaps, you might consider an automatic watering system as well. You've invested a fair chunk of change on these trees and they would really appreciated being watered on a daily basis, even if you aren't doing it. Good luck and keep posting pics of that arakawa...I'm more then a decade away from having something remotely like that one.

Thank you. I'm deciding between the Claber Oasis this spring. (http://youtu.be/oBJcYXUMJ1M) or a sprinkler system. Spring and fall are fine, but the New England summer can be pretty dry and sunny. I live in 2 houses so sometimes I'm away for 3 days.

 

[aphid]

1. From the description of your watering practices, you're probably better off in a larger pot. Aesthetically, it is too big and massive for my taste. Sara Rayner is talented and makes great pots, but I've never seen one I'd call dainty. I like really like her textured work for evergreens, but have never been blown away by her glazes. Eventually, a proper container will be shadower, probably by half.

2. Repotting should be to do nebari improvement or replace soil that no longer functions effectively. If you need to do root work, I would not hesitate to repot in the spring, as it shouldn't affect the grafts' vigor too much. If it's not necessary, I'd give it another year and ensure the grafts stay strong and don't accidentally get damaged during the repot. In my experience, arakawa roots fill the pot at about half the pace of standard JM. My standard JM tend to need repotting every year, and when I had arakawa in pots, they could go 2-3 years.

3. If the green JM is smaller, it will serve as a transitional pot...shallower than the nursery can, but too deep for a final pot.

You didn't ask, but I have to say that the tree had better movement and presence when the primary right branch was still there. It may have been too long, but it wasn't too heavy and I liked the placement. The base looks good, and so does the trunk, so it will be interesting to see the development of branches over time. Good luck with it.

Thank you. I'll keep it in this pot for now until I get a better pot. Probably Walsall pots (http://www.walsall-studio-ceramics.com/glazes/) for both maples. So many pretty glazes. I can't decide. I have seen some of their pots in bonsai books where the white glaze is just on the top half of a pot making the pot look shallower.

I have no pot for the green maple so it will go into a 19" x 17" x 5" plastic tray. With about 3 or 4 inches of soil. I will start a new thread for it when the tree arrives.

The right branch was taken out because it was massive. I'll see if I can do a thread graft where it used to be. I'll make that my first branch. Thank you for your suggestion.

 

[Dav4]

Yep...lived there for 40 years. Vacationing with my folks, who live on Cape Cod, always required a lot of moving trees into shade and setting up automatic timers attached to sprinklers, etc...and I'd still drive home every three to four days to make sure they were getting watered. If I could do it all over again, I would have set up a more permanent automatic watering system.

 

[aphid]

Just found these pictures from May 2013. I didn't take pictures in the fall, but the leaves were red.

 

[tmmason10]

You have some really nice trees, I hope you post more of them. I really like these maples. I also like seeing people in the area who are into bonsai. Are you part of the club that shows at the Topsfield fair?

 

[Dav4]

You have some really nice trees, I hope you post more of them. I really like these maples. I also like seeing people in the area who are into bonsai. Are you part of the club that shows at the Topsfield fair?

I just realized that you two are practically neighbors...I foresee a burgeoning North Shore bonsai study group in the works.

 

[aphid]

You have some really nice trees, I hope you post more of them. I really like these maples. I also like seeing people in the area who are into bonsai. Are you part of the club that shows at the Topsfield fair?

Thank you! No, I don't belong to any clubs. I just bought my house 3 years ago. Before that, I used to live in apartments with no outdoor space so I'm quite new with trees like maples. I used to only have tropical trees.

I have like 20 Japanese maple cultivars that I have bought on eBay and Home Depot the past 3 years. Many of them are still sticks, but some have really good potential. I'll definite post more of them in the spring once I repot them in these colanders.

 

[tmmason10]

Well if your interested, I am heading up a new club meeting at NE bonsai. Let me know if your interested. What is the tree next to the arakawa in the 1st picture of your last post? Looks like a larch on the left side.

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?13755-New-Club-Meeting-at-New-England-Bonsai

 

[aphid]

Yeah. It's an Eastern larch. I was about to start a thread for it in the larch section.