Sean’s Japanese Maples

[SeanS]

Absolutely fantastic work on these, Sean! Many bright futures for sure.

Thanks @misfit11, appreciate the kind words

 

[SeanS]

Another layer separated, the chunky one from a few posts up.






The bottom whittled flat, aftermath at the end of the post…



Screwed gently to a plastic disk before being potted up.




Potted. The plan is to cut it down to the small shoot at the bottom of the thick trunk to build a shohin tree, but the long tall trunkline with the fat base is also an option now that it’s potted.



Planned shohin cutback next spring



The result of 30 minutes of whittling the bottom flat with my small knob cutters. A blister on every finger.

 

[Kevin1968]

Ouch! nice work though.

 

[SeanS]

Small ROR, 3 seasons old from seed

 

[SeanS]

Finally got my shishigashira to later, took forever to grow the few roots you see in the photos. Hope they make it
I’ve got some bigger ones planned for next season, hope bigger branches root easier than these little twigs!

 

[EAlbertse]

Hi Sean, What do add to your Leca based soil mix for your maple development?

 

[SeanS]

Hi Sean, What do add to your Leca based soil mix for your maple development?

Akadama/LECA/perlite in n 6:1:1 ratio for deciduous trees.
The LECA is crushed LECA, not the solid LECA balls commonly available

 

[EAlbertse]

Thank you for the information Sean, much appreciated.

 

[SeanS]

Thank you for the information Sean, much appreciated.

Actually I see you could have been referring to my LECA based mix from a few years ago, earlier in this thread. Is that the mix you’re referring to?

 

[EAlbertse]

Yes, i was referring to the earlier mix. I use pumice and akadama in my more developed trees, but its too expensive to use in my box grown developing trees. Your results look superb hence why I was curious of your growing media.

 

[SeanS]

Yes, i was referring to the earlier mix. I use pumice and akadama in my more developed trees, but its too expensive to use in my box grown developing trees. Your results look superb hence why I was curious of your growing media.

Sorry forgot to respond. My earlier growing mix was crushed LECA and coco coir. I’ve since started using perlite and coco coir instead though, much more economical for a grow mix. I buy a 100L bag of perlite directly from Pratley for R160!

 

[SeanS]

Slowly getting through my autumn work on tridents and JMs.

Cleaned up, pruned and did a little wiring on this tall twin trunk that I started from air layer in 2020. 2 of the branches were too heavy and had no taper so I cut them back and will rebuild from the shoots I cut back to.

Before work



The 2 heavy branches




Cutting back






All done. It’s getting a decent pot in spring. I may start pinching the shoots next season to start building fine branching and ramification on the branches that are ready for it.

 

[SeanS]

Almost time to work on my most mature JM. Full wiring and autumn prune planned for this weekend. I’ll be cutting the top to the trunk back 1 node shorter to build better taper up top.

 

[SeanS]

Spring is well underway for this low spreading JM!
Did a thread graft and an approach graft to add some branches in bare spots, both are pushing nicely!

The large scar on the left trunk needs some work, I’ll carve it down some later in spring

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End of season update on this tree. 2 successful grafts during the growing season (1 thread, 1 approach). I’ll do another to add a branch to the back side of the upper trunk. I’ve also air layered a smaller tree of the same genetics (from the same mother plant) to add a 5th trunk to the front right side of the tree in spring when I repot.

Before



After



The proposed 5th trunk. I’ll approach graft the air layer to the main tree when I repot



The layer. Enough roots to separate safely in spring, they’re poking out the bottom of the pot.

 

[SeanS]

Took 2 weekends but finally got my most mature (not actually mature but just the one I’ve progressed the furthest) JM sorted for winter.
Planning on repotting into a bonsai pot in spring.





Needs a thread graft to add a branch towards the back in the upper trunk. I also plan on cutting the upper trunk back to 1 node further down to build better taper up top



August 2020

 

[Jrmcmich]

Took 2 weekends but finally got my most mature (not actually mature but just the one I’ve progressed the furthest) JM sorted for winter.
Planning on repotting into a bonsai pot in spring.

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Needs a thread graft to add a branch towards the back in the upper trunk. I also plan on cutting the upper trunk back to 1 node further down to build better taper up top

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August 2020

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Just wondering how you went from original tree in 2020 to this now if I’m seeing this right? Specifically how you got lower right branch? Thread graft?

 

[Applicative]

do you intend to air layer off the graft?

 

[SeanS]

Just wondering how you went from original tree in 2020 to this now if I’m seeing this right? Specifically how you got lower right branch? Thread graft?

Amazingly that lowest right branch is a bud that grew from the base of the trunk. It popped sometime in the 2020-2021 growing season and put out just 2 leaves (1 internode) and then grew from there the next season.

Here’s the tree in August 2022, you can see how I wired movement into the little shoot that is now that lowest right branch.

 

[SeanS]

do you intend to air layer off the graft?

This tree is an ungrafted regular green JM.
Here’s its sister tree from the same batch. It’s currently in the ground building the trunk. You can see more clearly that this one is ungrafted

 

[clem]

Small ROR, 3 seasons old from seed

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very nice tree and the stone is very good too with its movement.
Don't you prefer this back side for the front ? For me the nebari is far better on this side (more balanced, better movement of the roots) ? ->

https://www.bonsainut.com/attachments/img_8471-jpeg.522522/