First Post!

[bonsaikidnz]

Hey all!

Ahh the dreaded first post! ha well let me first start off by saying I came onto the forums a few years ago. Knew immediately that this is the best place online for bonsai. So I must start by thanking all members, everyone on here. This community is the place where I could scratch the itch, learn and be amazed!

Being a novice and seeing the wealth of experience and knowledge here I just sat back, watched and learned. Got some plants, mainly junipers and I was off. Kept it to a typical "I'll only have a couple" amount of bonsai. That number could drift from a solid 5 to 45 plants at one time on a small balcony haha misus hated it.

Anyway as it goes in life, I kind of swayed in and out of having plants. Would get nursery stock, repot, give some shape to the trunks get em healthy and give them away. Mostly stuck with junipers as I felt they were what I could get a grip on the most but had young stock of maples, pines etc..... But I had a problem! I would rarely ever cut or make major adjustments only the odd branch here n there that broke a rule. I couldn't back myself enough and that came down to not enough knowledge or I don't want to ruin it. So I stuck to basic conical shapes, rules etc.

Been about 12 months since I've had anything but that changed over the recent weeks with a new bunch acquired. Main goal to make those key adjustments.

In the new lot I got a couple maples. Belows the bigger out of the two. Prebonsai nursery plants. (Will post the other tomorrow)
Few unsightly things I picked up on here and need some help from you guys with the next step. (Minds telling me trunk cut by the way) but not confident.

Cons
-It's top heavy. Around the wound at the top its swelling from the 5 or 6 thick branches surrounding it.
-Root base is uneven and unsightly.
-Little to no taper

Pros
It's healthy and red! Haha

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to everyone in advance!

[EastsideBonsaidude]

Hey mate,

Tree looks good; however, I too am only a beginner.

I struggle with styling my bonsai plants and never know where to cut.

I’d be interested in what responses you get. I would assume the section of the tree that is swelling due to the amount of branches should be removed but again, I truely have no idea.

Good luck and enjoy.

[bonsaikidnz]

Cutting can do my head in some times. Get to picky and worried but I'm slowly learning to cut and see where it goes. That's only due to not cutting and regretting it later.

Everytime I look at this maple now its screaming to me "fix the root base and taper" before moving forward with anything else

And while I'm here I may as well post the other maple. Has some better movement than the other one. Thoughts are much appreciated cheers

[shibui]

Your first JM is like so many others. Jm are extremely prone to growing many shoots from one place and then swelling up in that area. pruning skills need to be very good to manage Jm bonsai successfully long term. That's why I try to talk beginners out of JM bonsai. Tridents are just as nice but way more forgiving.

You have identified all the issues with that first JM so all you now need to do is get on and start fixing them (or get rid of that one and start with better material)
At a workshop many years ago an old Japanese bonsai teacher mad the comment: "You have ploblem? Cut him off. No more ploblem!"
The more I do bonsai the truer those words ring for me.
You don't like the roots? Layer to get better roots the cut off the problem.
The top too thick? Cut off the problem and regrow from one of the lower branches.
I think the taper in the trunk (both trunks) needs to be addressed too. Cutting back to a lower branch is an effective way to add taper to a bonsai trunk.
I don't think there's much option here. You can keep trimming as is for a topiary style poor bonsai if you want that but I would be considering a radical reduction and multi year regrow program to get something reasonable from this.

The second tree does have some better features.
Roots are reasonable though I would like to see twice as many and more root ramification if possible.
Your idea of 'movement' and mine must be different though. The tree does leave the ground at a really nice angle but then the trunk appears almost straight. My idea of trunk movement is some left, right, back and forward bends. Straight is OK but is not movement in my book.
As already mentioned, better taper would improve this one immensely. Again, cutting back to a lower branch is the best way I know to give taper. If the new shoot is well chosen it can also add a great bend to the trunk.

Another aspect of most commercial JM is long internodes. Almost all have them because that's how they grow. To get shorter internodes which will in turn give you far better ramification and twig density requires rigorous pruning. Most good JM bonsai that have started with commercial material like this have had nearly all the branches removed and grown again, sometimes several times until they look good.
Treeman has done some great talks at Melbourne Bonsai club meetings about this very topic. There may even be some threads on those views on Ausbonsai.

Anyway, I hope you can find the courage to do some pruning. I think that's the thing that will start lifting these trees from mundane to better.

[bonsaikidnz]

Hey Shibui,

Longtime fan and reader of your post mate. And yep definitely agree with all of your above!

At a workshop many years ago an old Japanese bonsai teacher mad the comment: "You have ploblem? Cut him off. No more ploblem!"

Ohhh heck this made me spit my coffee in laughter first thing this morning

Being a learner I noticed that I would approach a nursery and be looking around for hours trying to make sure i pick stock that "fit" the rules. Good movement out of the soil. Nebari and whatnot but I guess that was short term goal thinking there. And it also limited the crap out of my bonsai experience and ability try new things!
Kind of got stuck with the question. How can I know how to get taper, root base etc when everything I buy has it already?

So now I'm going into nurseries looking for something with slight goodies or errors (that's essentially lighter on the wallet) with hopes of some major work and development to up skill myself in process.

Also I really see what your saying there with the long internodes. Near the middle of the first tree I see that problem and its causing unsightly swelling near the trunk. Flipping ugly if you ask me haha

Will look at getting around to chopping both trunks today in hopes of fixing these issues. I may have to upload a photo or two asking if where I think to cut is right.

Cheers again Shibui

[bonsaikidnz]

Both trunk chops done. The damn saw handle broke while I was chopping the bigger maple. Almost slipped out and lost leader. Had to bring the nub down more than I would like because of it so here's hoping I didn't butcher that. Sealed cut with paste and put under backporch to help dry the paste in this cold weather.

Thanks again for help fellas. Cheers

[juan73870]

Well done! Brave chops for future awesomeness

[Homer911]

I dont think you will regret that large chop. All in the name of taper!!

Keep us posted..

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