Saving a maple

[Jun2x258]

Hello everyone, this tree might be a little difficult but i wanted to save it since it was going to a bin. Someone i know renovated their place and kept this maple as small hedge. I found it and asked to have it. Do you think there is any chance for it to become somewhat of a bonsai.
Advices?

 

[eryk2kartman]

And whats your vision of future tree? what did attract you to take it ?

 

[BobbyLane]

maybe a clump if buried a little deeper, already has a shrubby look.
but i have no idea on the variety or what the roots are like.

 

[Jun2x258]

I also thought of a clump style. Also I think it was a field maple. @BobbyLane
@eryk2kartman I thought it could also make a nice to develop a few branches and fuse the little one into them. From there on to i’ll think what to do.
Would you think this is possible?

 

[Forsoothe!]

If you have an artistic eye you can butcher the thing now to resemble a decent base of a clump of 3 or no more than 5 trunks. Only 3 or 5. Otherwise, it will get away from you and always be a work-in-process without a purpose or destination.

 

[Jun2x258]

If you have an artistic eye you can butcher the thing now to resemble a decent base of a clump of 3 or no more than 5 trunks. Only 3 or 5. Otherwise, it will get away from you and always be a work-in-process without a purpose or destination.

Shouldn’t i wait before dormancy like around spring or i can do it now? Still very new with the horticulture stuff.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

You should wait until bud-break so you know what’s alive.

 

[August44]

You must have a lot of time on your hands. Luck with that!

 

[AlainK]

So weird ! It's really worth working on it, it looks so difficult to imagine its future at first sight.

I'm pretty sure it will survive : I would let it grow next year, maybe beginning to cut a branch or two, but basically I'd leave it live for a season
.
Nice trove

 

[Jun2x258]

You must have a lot of time on your hands. Luck with that!

Yeah with Covid and all. Also we’re back in lockdown since yesterday again in Italy. Also as Uni student always at home and alone. Time is all i’ve got.

 

[Eckhoffw]

To me, this looks like a ton of fun!!!
Mainly because I would have little hesitation digging into something so gnarly and bizarre. Plus, the impatient side of me loves these transformation projects.

It will be really cool to see your vision & progress on this!
Of course, be patient, check those roots, and make a plan.

 

[AlainK]

Also we’re back in lockdown since yesterday again in Italy. Also as Uni student always at home and alone.

Here, we're allowed to go out for essential shopping (went to the local supermarket, couldn't buy socks, but went back with a pack of beer), medical appointments ( got vaccinated against the flu) and the like (the post-office and other civil services stay open too), but "walks are limited ti 1 km around for one hour. I can't go and take the beautiful pictures you were longing for, or collect seeds from the maples friends I've known for years. Of course, a few "human" friends can cheat, but we're trying to be careful - no swapping !

"A Uni student" ? What do you mean, an (Italian) University student, or a United States student abroad ?

 

[Jun2x258]

Here, we're allowed to go out for essential shopping (went to the local supermarket, couldn't buy socks, but went back with a pack of beer), medical appointments ( got vaccinated against the flu) and the like (the post-office and other civil services stay open too), but "walks are limited ti 1 km around for one hour. I can't go and take the beautiful pictures you were longing for, or collect seeds from the maples friends I've known for years. Of course, a few "human" friends can cheat, but we're trying to be careful - no swapping !

"A Uni student" ? What do you mean, an (Italian) University student, or a United States student abroad ?

We had also almost returned normal. Almost everything was allowed with a few exceptions like mask in store and division of classes whereas half of student go to school and half follow online, exchanging weekly. But we suddenly got a huge huge spike again,worst than few months ago, so they decided to lockdown a few of regions in italy. I happened to be in one of those.

 

[Njyamadori]

Hello everyone, this tree might be a little difficult but i wanted to save it since it was going to a bin. Someone i know renovated their place and kept this maple as small hedge. I found it and asked to have it. Do you think there is any chance for it to become somewhat of a bonsai.
Advices?

Lol looks crazy maybe turn out horrible or amazing

 

[Jun2x258]

If you have an artistic eye you can butcher the thing now to resemble a decent base of a clump of 3 or no more than 5 trunks. Only 3 or 5. Otherwise, it will get away from you and always be a work-in-process without a purpose or destination.

One question. Do i have to seal all the wounds i make later? I mean there might be a lot and it could it to dry out. No?

 

[AlainK]

Do i have to seal all the wounds

It's a bit early : you don't know which parts are dead, or won't pass the winter, so I'd wait until it's in full leaves, say June for instance. If you prune in June, cuts will heal faster.

 

[Jun2x258]

It's a bit early : you don't know which parts are dead, or won't pass the winter, so I'd wait until it's in full leaves, say June for instance. If you prune in June, cuts will heal faster.

Yeah i know. Just asking for the future. Thanks for the advice anyway.
I was just asking ‘cause i don’t know how many wounds it will be. I was asking as a precaution.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@Jun2x258
Interesting find.

If it were mine, I would pot it up, let it grow a year or two, then tackle the design problem. You need to be able to know what parts are alive, adn what parts are dead.

I would go with a clump style. Probably only trunks on "outside" of the clump will make it into the final design. The "inside" might actually become a hollowed out carving project. But take your time with it. Don't rush, what sprouts in the next year or two will make all the difference.

Sealing the current existing stubbs. If they were cut off recently, yes. But if they were cut off more than a few weeks ago, don't bother, they are already dried out.

 

[Forsoothe!]

One question. Do i have to seal all the wounds i make later? I mean there might be a lot and it could it to dry out. No?

I seal all wounds to trees that don't provide their own sealant, like pine/spruce/fir. I use it there too, sometimes. I'm using a white wood glue like Elmer's. It turns clear as it dries. Keep it dry for 24 hours. There are three factors involved here: The core will split as it dries if it dries out faster than the perimeter wood. Those cracks are forever and provide a pathway into the interior of the tree for pathogens & bugs. The bark and the resident buds hidden there are only kept alive in the presence of sap. When the core dries fast it shrinks away from the bark, too. That leaves another pathway for P & B, but worse the gap between the wood and the bark lets the cambium dry out and aggravates the death of bark near the butt end. Only live tissue will grow over the cut and the dry bark in the way will slow or prevent that from beginning promptly, or even at all in some cases. So I like to have the sealant roll over 360° of the edges of the bark some amount so the cambium layer is 100% sealed. Live bark can begin to roll over the cut surface much sooner if nothing is in its way, like dead stub. Bugs that live on the juices of a given tree can smell the sap of a given species and travel up-wind following that sent to a new home. The sooner that wound is no longer broadcasting a free lunch signal, the better.

I don't want to look at black asphalt until the wood is grown-over, and I don't like the rubbery stuff that gets very hard to pick off with age. By the time the wood glue wears off, the wood has been sealed up by the tree's own juices lignifying at that butt end.

 

[Jun2x258]

I seal all wounds to trees that don't provide their own sealant, like pine/spruce/fir. I use it there too, sometimes. I'm using a white wood glue like Elmer's. It turns clear as it dries. Keep it dry for 24 hours. There are three factors involved here: The core will split as it dries if it dries out faster than the perimeter wood. Those cracks are forever and provide a pathway into the interior of the tree for pathogens & bugs. The bark and the resident buds hidden there are only kept alive in the presence of sap. When the core dries fast it shrinks away from the bark, too. That leaves another pathway for P & B, but worse the gap between the wood and the bark lets the cambium dry out and aggravates the death of bark near the butt end. Only live tissue will grow over the cut and the dry bark in the way will slow or prevent that from beginning promptly, or even at all in some cases. So I like to have the sealant roll over 360° of the edges of the bark some amount so the cambium layer is 100% sealed. Live bark can begin to roll over the cut surface much sooner if nothing is in its way, like dead stub. Bugs that live on the juices of a given tree can smell the sap of a given species and travel up-wind following that sent to a new home. The sooner that wound is no longer broadcasting a free lunch signal, the better.

I don't want to look at black asphalt until the wood is grown-over, and I don't like the rubbery stuff that gets very hard to pick off with age. By the time the wood glue wears off, the wood has been sealed up by the tree's own juices lignifying at that butt end.

Thank you very much