AusBonsai

What happened to the lowest branch? If it got damaged somewhere along it's length, cutting back to the first undamaged node would've sufficed and ti would have regrown. Unfortunately the lowest branches are hard to regrow and very important for scale of the tree and developing taper. All we can hope for now is some favourable budding, the tree otherwise looks healthy.

The branch snapped off right where it meets the trunk [CRYING FACE]

Hopefully though that little bud right below the wound develops!


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Quick question with pinching back, it's working great soo far on my Japanese maple. I'm also doing this to one of my mums neglected trident maples and I've noticed a lot of the buds re appear in lots of 4. On each side of the main stem, like crotch buds but all over. Should I be removing these too? Or letting them grow out and then pluck the middle bud of the new burst?

Here are some pics







Thanks


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Maples have opposite leaves. I can see 4 leaves which means 2 shoots at each spot. Usually wait for these shoots to grow then pinch back the shoots later.

Maples do often grow 4 or more new shoots from a node (but I can't see it in these photos) When you get more than 2 shoots it is important to remove some so there is only 2 shoots at each place. Leaving more to grow will cause that spot to thicken too much. I spent last weekend removing excess shoots from my Japanese maples - something i have not done well enough in the past

Thank you shibui


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So I've just found a little caterpillar on one of my Japanese maple leaves! The little bugger ate a good couple holes through it! I removed that leaf and the caterpillar but I'm worried there may be more. What do you guys use to get ride of them?

Thanks p


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bonsai_beginner wrote:

So I've just found a little caterpillar on one of my Japanese maple leaves! The little bugger ate a good couple holes through it! I removed that leaf and the caterpillar but I'm worried there may be more. What do you guys use to get ride of them?

I just pinch them (very hard) out too

As well as Treeman's pinching method I use 'Dipel' (bacillis thuringensis) on caterpillars. It is a naturally occurring fungus that only affects caterpillars so will not hurt your praying mantis, birds, spiders, dogs, kids, etc. Spray it on the leaves and it will kill all caterpillars that eat it.
Pyrethrum is another relatively low toxic pesticide that kills caterpillars but will also kill other small life forms.

Thanks guys!!


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you class you self as a beginner. I hope you know what your in for. Bonsai is totally an addiction. My brain is like a sponge. I just cant get enough. I love the whole concept. I can just stare at a remarkable tree for hours. Best of luck. Bonsai you will get so many people telling you so many different things you will not know what to believe. One of my mentors said to me at the very beginning. He said you will work out who to listen to. Once you get that part right the rest just flows. Stick with it. People giving advice. Look at their trees. That usually says enough. My mentor's collection is better than most bonsai show you will ever go to. Totally unbelievable. That was the moment I knew whom I was listening to. And the development of my trees is starting to show. Don't make the mistake most people do at first. Go out and buy so many. So much more to bonsai than just keeping them alive.

Small Trees wrote:you class you self as a beginner. I hope you know what your in for. Bonsai is totally an addiction.

You're completely right! It's a total addiction. I'm always reading something new about it. New techniques, what to do in certain times of the year etc.

It's very fascinating, and a lovely art form to get involved in


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So I have been pinching this Japanese maple very regularly and it is beginning to grow some long branches with very spaced out internodes.







Would it be time to begin cutting back each to two internodes to condense the growth and ramification?


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I did that just this weekend on one of my Japanese Maples, but I'm hardly any sort of authority.

Had done a bit of reading and took heart from Walter Palls "shear pruning" on maples that this time of the season seems to fit with this approach.

Thanks Steve


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So I have been pinching this Japanese maple very regularly and it is beginning to grow some long branches with very spaced out internodes.

Looks like you have only pinched tips after they have reached 4 nodes or more. I cannot see any point in that.
When to prune/trim depends on what result you want.
1. Tree or branch needs to grow or thicken: allow shoots to extend 3-6 nodes or even more then cut back to either first 2 leaves or close to the base if the first internode is long. That allows the trunk and/or branch below to thicken quicker because of the excess growth.
2. Tree is close to fully formed: pinch new shoots as soon as you can get hold of the tip between the 1st 2 leaves. Japanese growers use tweezers to get hold of the tiny shoot between the emerging leaves. This is supposed to stop the internode below from lengthening and will force ramification when 2 new shoots grow from the node.

In all cases remove shoots where more than 2 grow from any place (middle pic shows new shoot growing from the base of a small branch = 3(trunk, branch and new shoot and possible more on the other side of the trunk behind that leaf?) so remove some of those to make only 2 at that spot. This is even more important on Japanese maples because they thicken quicker than other species and rapidly get swollen parts on the trunks and especially the ends of the branches.