Ara Kawa maple

zube

Does anyone here have first-hand experience with A.p. 'Ara Kawa'. I'm curious if there are any differences between it and standard Japanese maples, as far as growing habits, etc.
Thanks,
zube

__________________
Sorry doesn't put thumbs back on the hand, Marge.
H. Simpson

Advertisement

Candy_J_Shirey

Zube -

I love Japanese maples as bonsai. I do have a Acer palmatum 'Arakawa' that is about 30 years old, although I have only had it for one year.

I have been successful in striking a few cuttings from the arakawa. As they grow, I plan to put movement into them early. I have noticed many arakawa with long straight sections that make them unattractive to me.

I have not treated it any differently from my other maples and it is doing well. In fact, it is doing better than my tridents. (My tridents are already experiencing a touch of leaf burn.)

-Candy

Attached Images

Maples-002b.jpg (61.3 KB, 125 views)

rockm

Candy's tree is a nice example of what a good arakawa bonsai can be. However, it is exceptional in that it has some graceful trunk movement.

I have an arakawa in-ground at the moment, growing out the trunk. I've had it for five of six years. In that time, I have noticed that this cultivar tends to be rather upright and rigid in growth habits. It grows initial trunk and branching in angular fashion. That is why alot of arakawa bonsai out there have "long straight boring" trunks.

I can also vouch for the fact that the cultivar is extremely quick in intial growth, but slows as it ages. It took three years for a thumb thick seedling to develop a six inch nebari in ground. Supposedly, as the cultivar gets older than 10 or so, top growth slows dramatically. Bill Valavanis, I think, has had a big arakawa in his garden for some time and is very familiar with the cultivar.

By the way Candy, where did you get this one?, if you don't mind my asking. It's very nice.

wabashene

Jeez Zube, another tree we have in common!

See this thread

forum.bonsaitalk.com/showthread.php?t=13140&highlight=arakawa

Based on advice a few years back from "The Rock" I've been re-building one from scratch.

I chopped it to h**l and lost the apex last month. Am now left with a chunk of trunk and a choice of major side branches to use as the new top depending on what angle I plant it at.

I'm happy with the progress however.

I feel that Candy is right in that you have to grab them early. Based on the evidence of mine they will grow very stiff and straight with largish leaves as well.

Will get a new photo tonite if you want.

TimR

Attached Images

arakawa.jpg (70.3 KB, 91 views)

__________________
If I knew the way, I would take you there.

Candy_J_Shirey

This is a Nick Lenz creation. I like it very much also, although many have pointed out the twin trunk that develops high on the tree. I think it works because the twin lines complement one another.

rockm

Candy,

Thought that might be the case. I'm hoping to emulate this style on my Arakawa. If you look at your tree, it's been trunk chopped, apparently, then leaned to the right. The "straight boring" patch is there, only well disguised by the slant and chop and subsequent leader and branch growth. The leader and banches were probably wired while still thinnish to incoporate the curves. A very nice job and a graceful natural tree out of mateiral that was probably angular and not very graceful to begin with.

I am close to chopping my inground arakawa next year. It's currently 12 feet tall and 4" or so at the nebari to the branch closest the ground, which would make the tree less than a foot tall. A chop not for the faint hearted

Also, if anyone is considering working with this cultivar, you shold note that the rough bark that the tree's most notable feature takes more than few years to develop. It happens slowly on the oldest portions of the tree. "New" branching younger than five yeas or so may be completely smooth skinned and green.

HB Smith

As has already been aluded to, it seems this variety becomes apically weak with age. In discussing this issue with other's that have owned or worked on very old specimens, if you cut the top back too hard, the apex may very well die. There are many stories of great, very old arakawa's dying after the apex was cut back to hard.

__________________
Sincerely,
Howard

www.BonsaiSmiths.net

wabashene

[QUOTE=HB Smith] In discussing this issue with other's that have owned or worked on very old specimens, if you cut the top back too hard, the apex may very well die. QUOTE]

On mine, the trunk rotted back past the branch collar of the new leader I'd left and killed it. Unusual with acers in my experience but may just have been bad chop technique (and no sealant ?)

Here it is as a of 10 mins ago growing like mad.

Probable development angle left.

This seems a lot happier this year in a pond basket in 50:50 akadama and grit.

TimR

Attached Images

ARAKAWA.jpg (50.3 KB, 55 views)

__________________
If I knew the way, I would take you there.

zube

Thanks for all the advice guys. Candy, that's a nice looking tree. So nice that I saved the picture.
I just bought one a couple of weeks ago. It's mostly just a trunk that has been chopped with a few small branches. The trunk is about 1½" at the base and a foot tall. Straight, as you would expect. The tree was grown from a cutting though, so the cork bark extends into the base. I'm not sure what I will do with it at this point, but it was fairly inexpensive, so I couldn't resist.
Will they break a new bud through that bark as easily as other maples?? It doesn't look like they could. Probably because it looks like a pine trunk.
Thanks again,
zube

Attached Images

Arakawa maple0003a.jpg (58.7 KB, 51 views)

__________________
Sorry doesn't put thumbs back on the hand, Marge.
H. Simpson