Twin trunk Acer Palmatum aka Japanese Maple

[Luke308]

Here is the other tree that was in the box that put a smile on my face today as mentioned here viewtopic.php?f=129&t=12527

This was purchased from Shibui and travelled well from yackandandrah to Adelaide courtesy of Australia Post. (Thanks Neil )

Only cost $30 plus postage which I thought was really reasonable. I know it has a long way to go, but I think it has a lot of potential.

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maple2.jpg

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[bodhidharma]

It sure does and i think pic 2 could be a good choice for front.

[shibui]

Good to see they arrived safely Luke.

Bodhi is right - the trunk lines look great in puc 2 but I don't think the trunk angles will let you use it as the front.

[Luke308]

This one has been kind of neglected on the bench due the the big knuckle scars which bother me.

It was due tmfor a repot today and went into a bonsai training pot after growing in a colander for the past 7 or so years.

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[MJL]

Hey Luke,

Good to see this post .... love the start way back - when you get home after a crap day and have a nice surprise awaiting.
On the knuckles ... hard to talk from photos but it seem to me that cuts considered at the red lines may add two-tiered character to the trim trunk and increase opportunity for taper as you develop new tops. Of course - just an idea - that may not be appropriate when viewed in the flesh, so to speak.


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[Luke308]

Thanks MJL,

I will consider that when I get home.

It is a shame about the knuckles as the nebari is actually very good, and the grey aged "bark" if you call it bark on a maple give it a great aged look.

Hopefully I can improve this and then refine it.

[MJL]

I reckon it’ll be excellent-perhaps you are focussed on the knuckles but others may not be.


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[TimS]

If you go with the big chop I’d take a bit of time to plan it out as big scars on JM are not ideal. I’d be tempted to leave a stub of 3-5cm above the branch you want to take over to die back naturally. Let the tree do the compartmentalising and once the stub has died off go back and clean up the dead wood at that stage to get the flush wound.

Being aggressive with cutback can lead to the tree abandoning the branch you want and compartmentalising at a lower branch you don’t want.

[MJL]

It’s an excellent point Tim. Japanese maple do rem to die back ... it’s probably not necessary but even when depositing through spring and summer, I leave part of the stem to die back and clean up later.

It must be said, I am not expert like Shibui and others so if you follow my thoughts - please take care ... I’m just a hobbyist with limited horticultural knowledge!


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[Luke308]

Another one of my well over due updates.

I had changed the planting angle at one point, and then repotted in to a Reiho pot late winter 2023.

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I had planned on entering another twin trunk maple I have in to the Royal Adelaide Show however it was looking a little sparse still. I decided last minute rather than waste an entry I'd enter this one.

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In late winter 2024 I repotted back to a better viewing angle.

This tree is far from perfect, and has many flaws, but there is also a lot I love about it. It has come a long way from when I got it back in 2012. Here's hoping it improves over the next 10 or so years.

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[TimS]

I'd love to see the flawless bonsai tree! Over a decade of doing bonsai and i'm yet to see a tree without at least one!

the longer i've done it, the more i've learned the quirks are what make the tree, it's just using them to best advantage. Lovely twin trunk, beautiful aged bark, lots to like about this one mate.

[Luke308]

I'd love to see the flawless bonsai tree! Over a decade of doing bonsai and i'm yet to see a tree without at least one!

the longer i've done it, the more i've learned the quirks are what make the tree, it's just using them to best advantage. Lovely twin trunk, beautiful aged bark, lots to like about this one mate.

Thanks Tim. Appreciate the kind words. I'm always hard on myself striving for the perfect bonsai.