Tree to be styled - what would you do?

[Otter]

Hi everyone, I'm hoping for opinions on the best way to style this Japanese Maple. I'm open to all ideas at this stage, even if that involves thinking outside the box. (Thinking upright, slanting or broom are probably best. Maybe a dodgy twin-trunkish-looking-thing)

I'm unsure whether to keep the 1st branch. Can it be incorporated into a slanting stlyle? (It is 10cm up the trunk, ovwerall height is 60cm at the moment). It can't be bent much more from the main trunk so guess at best it may help a poor attempt at a twin tunk. I want this to be a quality tree at some stage and am prepared to wait.

Would it be best to chop everything back and start from scratch? (When would you do that?)

One major annoyance to me is the halfway point of the trunk. I've taken closer pics to illustrate. I've split the trunk trying to straighten a big kink.
Thanks all
Phill

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[Scott Roxburgh]

I want this to be a quality tree at some stage and am prepared to wait.

First thing I would suggest is to decide on what size you would like the tree to be.

If you want to start training it now I would suggest shohin, chop it back to the first branch and use that as the new leader. See if you can get some movement into this new leader, even if it is just one curve.

This should get some more buds popping at this first branch and you could select one as your first branch.

The best time to do this chopping is in the active growing period spring/summer, I do it after the leaves have come out and hardened off. Others may differ, it would be good to hear what others do too.

I would not touch the roots just leave it in the black pot it is in and let the roots escape into the ground or another pot.

One of the best aspects of j. maple is that they can be airlayered easily so the roots can be dealt with in the future, for now we just want strong growth.

See the pic attached to have something to shoot for.

[kcpoole]

Unless you are wanting a Formal upright, then you need to get some movement into the trunk. As you have a funny bend / kink where there was a cut, a Formal is out of the picture.

This can be done by cutting back to aBranch and wirng that up as a leader but moving in a differetn directions to the main trunkline. This will help generate taper in the final trunkline
If there is already taper, then you can bend the existing trunk to give movement to the tree

the first branch is way too hight to make a twin trunk out of so Informal up is your way to go.

Ken

[Otter]

Thanks for the replies so far. I was hoping to have a tree around 2ft mark so that I can acheive a lot of ramification in the future. I like trees with a decent crown and an interesting trunk or base.

All my previous attempts at bonsi have been young trees around 25cm tall, which I've found ok to acheive a good shape and taper, but obviously there wasn't any character in the bark or that look of age.
I've had a privet, contoneaster and rhododendron be my most successful trees so far, probably because they grew so fast, but even they were below par. They've also all died eventually after a few years (leaving them with friends and family was a sure death), unfortunately before they reached the stage I'd be happy to call them a bonsi and select a nice pot to suit. That's why I'm happy to wait with this tree.

Out of curiosity, if I don't allow this tree to gain anymore height, will the trunk diameter will only very slowly increase from now? So effectively if I don't allow it to grow taller then trim back again, I'm stuck with the current trunk diameter? I'm guessing that, I have no idea if it's true.

I'm hoping to have a larger bonsai this time round, but obviously the current trunk diameter is too narrow for a bonsai of that height, is that right? What's the best way to increase the trunk size? (bearing in mind I can't plant it in the yard incase I move within a year, which is possible)

[craigw60]

Hi Otter, a slow grown palmatum maple is a very beautiful thing but you need to understand the time frames are very long. Your tree will develop a thicker trunk if grown in a bonsai pot and will develop a nice root spread to but you will be waiting many years. It all depends on how long you want to grow your tree for. most people like to develop their trees in a large growing container or in the ground and then when the trunk has developed to the rquired thickness transfer it to a bonsai pot and work on the branches. I have a friend here in melbourne who has a large collection of palmatum maples all grown for their entirety in bonsai pots. They are beautifully refined trees but she is in her 70s and has spent 30 years growing most of them.
Craig