What to do with this Japanese Maple base

[WavyGaby]

Lol about time you cut that big root off!
It would have been gone in 2020 if I had been my choice.

In any case, you have a much better base to work with now

For sure! I wasted a few years on the base. I planned on doing the work in 2020 but I moved and didn't get settled or get my trees back from my friends property until mid 2021.

 

[queenofsheba52]

We do the best we can when real life interferes with our bonsai plans.

 

[WavyGaby]

This one was pretty tight in the pot and i felt I should do some more nebaro work. I repotted and did some trimming of roots. I considered putting it into a wider oval but it was shallower so I kept the same pot.

I forgot to get before pics. Here it is after repot. Pretty much the same, just a little lower in the pot to give the roots more chance to develop.


I also have a question about another JM I repotted. I am trying to make a small JM with a nice base. It was missing roots on most of one side so I cut into the cambium in attempt to stimulate roots, then buried it kind of like a partial ground layer. Does this technique work? @SeanS or anyone else?

Overview


Area lacking roots that was cut


Buried - I took some off the top afterwards

 

[SeanS]

This one was pretty tight in the pot and i felt I should do some more nebaro work. I repotted and did some trimming of roots. I considered putting it into a wider oval but it was shallower so I kept the same pot.

I forgot to get before pics. Here it is after repot. Pretty much the same, just a little lower in the pot to give the roots more chance to develop.
View attachment 582338

I also have a question about another JM I repotted. I am trying to make a small JM with a nice base. It was missing roots on most of one side so I cut into the cambium in attempt to stimulate roots, then buried it kind of like a partial ground layer. Does this technique work? @SeanS or anyone else?

Overview
View attachment 582341

Area lacking roots that was cut
View attachment 582340

Buried - I took some off the top afterwards
View attachment 582342

I’m not sure, in those cases I just graft some roots into the bald spot. Do you have seedlings readily available for root grafts?

 

[WavyGaby]

I’m not sure, in those cases I just graft some roots into the bald spot. Do you have seedlings readily available for root grafts?

I do have some seedlings I could try. I dont have anything to fasten them to trunk. What do you recommend? Thanks for the feedback.

I meant to tag @Shibui for this question, too.

 

[SeanS]

I do have some seedlings I could try. I dont have anything to fasten them to trunk. What do you recommend? Thanks for the feedback.

I meant to tag @Shibui for this question, too.

Same techniques for grafting branches apply. You can either drill holes through the trunk or approach graft the seedlings where you need them. I use polish pins or grafting pins for approach grafts

 

[SeanS]

Some examples

Approach graft under the trunk:

Post in thread 'Sean’s Japanese Maples'

Jul 27, 2024

Another repot today. This tree is the base of the very first JM I acquired back in 2020. I layered the top off last season. The base is completely barked up and nice and mature looking. I’ll now start building the canopy of the tree.

There was a bald spot in the root base directly in front of the tree so I did 2 root grafts under the trunk. Shout out to @markyscott for sharing this root graft technique. The base is completely healed over so this was the obvious choice. (I covered the grafts with putty cut paste after I took the photo)...

• SeanS

• 

Thread grafts and approach grafts:

Post in thread 'Sean’s Trident Projects'

Aug 10, 2024

One of my bigger tridents started swelling buds so I dug it up from the grow bed and put it in a pot. 5 root grafts were added to fill in some bare spots

• SeanS

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