AusBonsai

hey folks,

so about 4 years ago i picked up this maple stump because it had a thick trunk, i think thats probably all that drew me to it. It also had some very heavy pruning scars from prior chops but in my infinite naivety I just assumed they would one day cease to be an issue.
Over the last 4 years I think I have pruned it once or twice, and done some very basic root work, and I think i slight angle change.

This year I planned on doing a little bit more and maybe cutting it back as I had decided it would make a good sumo style smaller tree (even though Japanese maples arent typically styled this way) so today I thought I better at least get the weeds out of the grow pot,

To my delight, i noticed that there was a significant amount of rot in the old cut wounds, and after nothing more that poking it out with some heavy wire, here's the tree
the other side of the top hole (uro), this will be carved further in time
and what I think will be the front
Anyway I thought it was pretty cool, and it's certainly turned a flaw into a feature in a more convincing way than I think i could have managed

I like it, it'll certainly make an unusual and interesting tree.

Interesting tree! I'd be tempted to get the Dremel out and carve those to holes one above another into a large opening for a really dramatic look

*edit just read the title of this thread again* perhaps i was hasty on the carving haha

NIce Kez
Lovely natural rot is good. Make sure it stops rotting further with a bit of earls wood hardener

Ken

Nice Kez! Thick trunk with natural rot... definitely got a character in it already