New trees. Wiring/cutting to start.
- Thread starter HAMMER-SCHLAGEN
- Start date
Tieball
Masterpiece
I am sure others will post a reply perhaps about the merits of cutting and the impact on trunk growth. My advice is to let it grow......a lot. It looks like it's all of about 1/4" trunk diameter right now. Even as a small bonsai you're going to want a lot more trunk. Unless the small size you're thinking is about 3" or less in height.
Do all you can to promote growth. Lots of growth.
Do all you can to promote growth. Lots of growth.
SimonDuval
Yamadori
Put it in the ground, let it grow to 12 feet, then hack it back to 2 feet and then you'll have a beautiful pre-bonsai.
Eric Group
Masterpiece
If you are going to take this route, put some curves in the trunk now while it is able to be bent.
You will probably get better results and better movement from progressive trunk chops as the tree grows, starting low and chopping again a couple inches above the previous chops as the tree grows. This should cause a change in direction every time you do it and lead to well tapered informal upright trunk... Smoke made a real nice blog post about this one time. If you just let it grow free for years on end, again, wire it first to get some movement or you will have a ramrod straight trunk. The taper is always a problem with that method as well it seems...
Bunjeh
Chumono
Looks like you have a wonderful sized yard. Pick a nice sunny corner. Dig it up and amend the soil and plant that maple letting it grow for a couple of years before you reduce it.. Make sure that the area you choose is big enough to accomodate several trees. Undoubtedly you will catch the bug and soon you will be looking for space to plant the seedling you found along the road, or the acer ginala your neighbor was culling.
Tieball
Masterpiece
Anyone that commented. Would you recommend that the tree be planted in the ground on top of a tile? Root trim around the tile every other year? Or, not necessary in this case or for this type of tree?
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Being that you can reach the state the maple is in with a years worth of growth.....even up there........
And the internodes are quite Long.....and (from Smokes blog) you only get buds from nodes........
I'd consider planting it in a wide shallow container ,the ground, or a colander.
Then take some air layers or cuttings of a piece with the tightest nodes right above.
Once in a good pot and soil it should take off and you'll get tighter internodes to get branching from.
Long term, well worth it.
Sorce
And the internodes are quite Long.....and (from Smokes blog) you only get buds from nodes........
I'd consider planting it in a wide shallow container ,the ground, or a colander.
Then take some air layers or cuttings of a piece with the tightest nodes right above.
Once in a good pot and soil it should take off and you'll get tighter internodes to get branching from.
Long term, well worth it.
Sorce
Eric Group
Masterpiece
Sure! That is a fine way to develop a good nebari. The question is- How comfortable are we doing that kind of root work in basically the middle of the summer? Because, to get full effect, you really need to practically bare root this little tree and spread the roots out over the tile.
Personally, I feel comfortable doing that to a Maple once the leaves are out and the weather is hot (because I have done that with a bunch of them in the past..), but some shy away from it, and improper after care can lead to stress for the tree. Not sure if it is the best recommendation right now. This season, it might be best to slip pot it to something larger, then next Spring once the hard freezes have past, go hard on the roots, and get it on that tile in the ground. Maybe go ahead and do the first trunk chop at that time.
Tieball
Masterpiece
Thanks Eric. I agree. Personally, I think that the tree will do just fine in the container it is in right now for the months between now and winter. When springs arrives I agree with you....that's the best time to work on the tree. Once the current soil is removed in spring it may likely be discovered that the roots are terrible and need a lot of work...directional and cutting. In containers like the one this is in, the roots tend to become more like a claw with a tap root that is winding around the bottom.
Slip potting temporarily for a few growth months won't likely accomplish much at all...other than provide an irresistible opportunity and urge to cut or otherwise untangle roots at the wrong time of the year.
Slip potting temporarily for a few growth months won't likely accomplish much at all...other than provide an irresistible opportunity and urge to cut or otherwise untangle roots at the wrong time of the year.
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
Can't see the trunk from the picture very well. Is this a grafted tree? If so all of this talk of creating nebari and putting movement in the lower trunk may all be in vain.
That being said I would still want the trunk much thicker regardless of a graft or not. Plant it in the ground and leave it there for a few years.
That being said I would still want the trunk much thicker regardless of a graft or not. Plant it in the ground and leave it there for a few years.
HAMMER-SCHLAGEN
Seedling
Eric Group
Masterpiece
Doesn't look like a graft, doesn't have real good movement in the lower section either. You can cut back to a low node and let it re grow to get low movement, or you could wire it.
If you want to move it up to a larger pot, you can slip pot it any time during the summer into the ground or into a larger pot to let it grow out.
If you want to move it up to a larger pot, you can slip pot it any time during the summer into the ground or into a larger pot to let it grow out.
HAMMER-SCHLAGEN
Seedling
So I took this boxwood buxus microphylla, and picked out some growth from the low center and tried some wiring to spread out the branches some. One of the branches broke in half but didn't snap all the way through, do I leave it and let it heal or break it off? Anyway, just wanted some input on first wiring for this plant. The branches are pretty stiff.
