Gabler
Masterpiece
What's the best Maple (Acer sp.) for bonsai? Where applicable, name your favorite cultivar. Tell us all the reasons your favorite maple is the best and all the reasons your opponents' maples are worse than yours.
Ultimate Maple Smackdown!!!
- Thread starter Gabler
- Start date
Gabler
Masterpiece
Oh, and no cop-out answers like "It depends," or "Everyone's climate is different." This is a competition, and you're here to win!
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
Not all trees come with an ID. So I'll be the first cop-out... I own several Japanese maple Acers. But...only one of the lot has this airy, whispy growth. That it tends to be my favorite out of leaf.
Take also into account. It's only had one styling. View attachment 582829
It has an amazing fall show ...
Add in a cool scar from of all things a grass torch... sitting in a commissioned pot by Dan Barton of his lava glaze and crackle finish/lower section. I think compliments it well.
Take also into account. It's only had one styling. View attachment 582829
It has an amazing fall show ...
Add in a cool scar from of all things a grass torch... sitting in a commissioned pot by Dan Barton of his lava glaze and crackle finish/lower section. I think compliments it well.
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
To me...its not the cultivar for the most part. Though I like the characteristics of the above tree. I own several acers. It's the bones of the tree that landed them on my bench.
Just a few... they all landed on my bench over the character found in the bones. Not the cultivar. Maybe I'm the only one who don't find cultivar lands a tree on my bench. I would be curious...but imagine I am not alone.
But maybe...you are looking for a new addition. But to me. It will always be the bones of a tree. I was no help
.sorry.
Just a few... they all landed on my bench over the character found in the bones. Not the cultivar. Maybe I'm the only one who don't find cultivar lands a tree on my bench. I would be curious...but imagine I am not alone.
But maybe...you are looking for a new addition. But to me. It will always be the bones of a tree. I was no help
.sorry.
Gabler
Masterpiece
We have our first contender! Acer palmatum! A wispy unnamed cultivar!
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
Wait... the worst. I don't play by those rules. I'm tired ...and sick right now with my lungs. I didn't read the last sentence. I don't believe in belittling anyone's material. I even posted about that on my Instagram the other day. I'm politely withdrawing from this competition. I thought this was about ... characteristics of a species.
Gabler
Masterpiece
To clarify, I'm not asking you to insult someone's trees. I'm asking you to provide the disadvantages of other species, so we know why they are not your favorite species to work with. The real goal of this thread is to create a pro/con list for all the different varieties of maples. If this goes well, I'll do elms next.
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
Gotcha. That's better.
Gabler
Masterpiece
Gotcha. That's better.
The title and gimmick are just to get everyone's attention.
Hope you feel better soon.
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
I find Acer buergerianum - Trident maple - much easier to grow and style than any Japanese maple.
Need to be very good with pruning and trimming to stop JM from developing thickened knobs. JM often respond to pruning with clusters of new shoots which will quickly lead to thickened knobs if left unattended, even just for a single summer. Need to rigorously reduce excess shoots to stop lumps forming.
First Spring growth of JM is generally long, strong internodes. Not good for developing great ramification. Frustration when almost all Spring shoots need to be removed because of long internodes.
I can get much better, fine twiggy growth on Tridents with a lot less effort and in half the time of JM
If a problem develops on trident maple I can usually chop and expect 90% chance of getting regrowth I can use to rebuild. JM are much more unpredictable after hard pruning.
Trident grow and develop much faster than JM. I can grow a good trident trunk in 4-6 years. Similar trunk on JM will take 6-10 years. Branch development and ramification also follow similar timelines.
Trident is hardier here. Less pests, less diseases, less sunburnt leaves and bark.
Leaves reduce much more on trident than on JM.
Need to be very good with pruning and trimming to stop JM from developing thickened knobs. JM often respond to pruning with clusters of new shoots which will quickly lead to thickened knobs if left unattended, even just for a single summer. Need to rigorously reduce excess shoots to stop lumps forming.
First Spring growth of JM is generally long, strong internodes. Not good for developing great ramification. Frustration when almost all Spring shoots need to be removed because of long internodes.
I can get much better, fine twiggy growth on Tridents with a lot less effort and in half the time of JM
If a problem develops on trident maple I can usually chop and expect 90% chance of getting regrowth I can use to rebuild. JM are much more unpredictable after hard pruning.
Trident grow and develop much faster than JM. I can grow a good trident trunk in 4-6 years. Similar trunk on JM will take 6-10 years. Branch development and ramification also follow similar timelines.
Trident is hardier here. Less pests, less diseases, less sunburnt leaves and bark.
Leaves reduce much more on trident than on JM.
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
For ramification on JM...you don't pinch them back?
Pinching spring buds on Japanese maple - Bonsai Tonight
How-to article about pinching springs buds on Japanese maple bonsai to maintain compact growth and short internodes for trees in refinement.
bonsaitonight.com
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
I find that maples seem to ramify better after slightly harder pruning than pinching very young shoots just opening I also get better shaped branches with natural bends when pruning harder. I pinch new shoots mainly to maintain already well ramified trees to stop the branches getting excessively thick. I guess there's some ramification from pinching very young shoots but it seems to be much slower. BTW, I also pinch shoots on tridents sometimes.
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
JM are relatively new to me. As I avoided them when I had one arrive with V. Wilt years back.
My Ryusen being a weeping cultivar. I handle differently. I do see benefits of pinching for compact growth. For internode control alone is more noted. Mind you...its only been a few years I've had them since pushing fear aside...and truthfully, not being able to say no to Martin's maple the one nicknamed Tim Burton Acer.
Same sense I love that additional stretch of internode for development of structure come spring push. When we are developing the silhouette of the tree. It gives you that little bit more reach for structural growth.
Again... I've only just begun to work with Japanese maple overall...as that one arrived in fall 2022.
I find trident knuckle over from pruning. Healing to quickly here in my climate. So I have to re-address them later end of summer. To correct the knuckles from healing to quickly. That annoys me... which makes the JM more preferable to myself. I love how difficult nuances... ones see differently. I just keep my JM in morning sun. And heat of summer...the Ryusen actually gets a tray of water under it. Suggested by Bill Valavanis. Over the shape of the vessels side walls.
I imagine you see warmer days than myself as well. Which would clearly make Trident the more beloved tree on your bench. Where as I actually hesitated on a Trident cascade...over species. I ended up buying it. I have a weakness for cascades...and my friend pushed me off the wall I was on pondering the purchase. Had it been a JM I would not have had any hesitation at all. Which I find our difference of appreciation of the species. Enlightening... I am intrigued by human behavior... to a degree. But this interesting. Just maybe...you can help me work around those early knuckle that develop from pruning Trident. Should I delay my work? On when I prune? I've wondered that. Since they heal so fast and leave that knob. But then... depends on the tree. I also love ugly...so some knuckling, I can amusingly admire. Lol
Gabler
Masterpiece
Do we have any proponents of amur maple? Vine maple? Dare I say red maple? I'm looking at you, northerners.
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
Someone on here has Gouper's vine maple...a wicked piece. Forget who has it.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
I'm going to have to put a case forward for Snake bark maple. Because it's underused, hard to find, but can give amazing color. I'm working on leaf size starting this year, they can be larger, but I bet they could be minimized with work. Internodes can be reduced with the same techniques, so I imagine leaf size can be too. The blue/green stripes on the trunk is all I need to know, it's amazing against spring fall leaves. (I also love deshojo, but I'm sure someone else can put that one up...)
JoeR
Masterpiece
This cultivar is new to me, but given how young this tree is, the bark is likely going to make for a great one to work with. According to the catalogue, it is the roughest bark JM to date and develops it the fastest.
Hubberts super cork japanese maple. This particular one is grafted but others here posted good results with rooting cuttings.
Hubberts super cork japanese maple. This particular one is grafted but others here posted good results with rooting cuttings.
Gabler
Masterpiece
How are the leaf size, internode length, and overall vigor?
MMJNICE
Shohin
Super cool!
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