Maple Bonsai Question

Camay123

Im looking to start a bonsai from a Trunkchop technique as exposed by BonsaiAl in a previous thread.

I want to do it with a maple. So I been around nurseries in my area only to find mostly Acer platanoide of multiple kinds and Acer ginnala.

From the most common maple bonsai there is "palmatum" and trident.

I have a few questions,

First do you buy your tree, because when I looked for a 1-2 inch trunk tree, the price was from 69.95$ to 215,00$. It's pretty high and for now I cannot justify spending that much on a tree.

Second, if I were to spend on a tree and buy an acer platanoide , just the platanoide, no cultivar name, do you think it would be a great idea. Would I be able to reduce leaf size over the year ? Im asking because I spotted one with a nice trunk for 74,95$.

All price in CND $.

Thx
Patrick

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Carl_Bergstrom

Patrick,

A few answers:

1) You'll have a hard time reducing the leaves on Acer platanoides (Norway Maple) as far as you'd like, and you'll also be dealing with long internodes. Not to say that it's impossible, and indeed I've got one in the ground as an experiment, but it's hardly an ideal place to start.

2) Those are reasonable prices for palmatum of that size. It's not a cheap tree. Trees from seed may be a bit cheaper than some of the named cultivars, but they're not particularly fast growers, so big ones are old. That said, I've gotten truly stunning smaller Acer palmatum for well under fifty dollars, well suited for bonsai, by mail order from forum member Brent Walston at www.evergreengardenworks.com

3) In your zone, the korean maple Acer pseudosieboldianum would be a good cold-tolerant alternative to palmatum.

Best regards,
Carl

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bonsaial1

Patrick, I am not familiar with the plants you have described. When I reduce a tree by chopping, I almost always use Kaede maple, (trident maple), Acer Buergerianum .

This maple is fast growing, fast healing, easy leaf reduction, strong root grower, and a beautiful plant. What more could you ask for. I have a place that I am able to buy these trees in the ground that have grown thru nursery containers. They have to be dug from the ground and repotted at home. I get them really cheap. 10.00 a piece. Cheap enough to go hacking them back to nothing.

The more fan leafed maple's ( Palmatum) are a little fussy for massive trunk chops. Cutting a palmatum back to the ground at a diameter of 2" is almost sure death for one of these plants. The tridents take it with no problems. The palmatums suffer from black trunk disease. A sort of virus or bacteria that invades the tree and causes it to turn black either down from the top or up from the bottom. The only thing you can do is cut off the infected parts which usually means ruining the tree.

No one said bonsai was an inexpensive hobby
Bonsai-chopper

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Camay123

Hmmm at 10.00$ a piece Id be all over the place.

I had givin up on palmatum, as here they sell for aroun 150$ because they are in the noveltie section with the big so called bonsai conifer, in most nurseries. Plus they mostly have a small 1/2 inch trunk. Thanks for the info I didnt know about the disease.

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FredL

Patrick, I'm surprised that you skipped over A. ginalla (is that the correct spelling? You do mean Amur Maple, don't you?) so quickly. I've often seen very positive comments about this tree and my experience, though brief, is highly satisfactory. Are you considering this species? I've seen pretty good examples of these trees in the landscaping nurseries or "Big Box stores in this area for as little as $15. I've found it FAR easier to care for and far better at overwintering than Japanese Maples plus the leaves are about as small as Maple leaves get.

Fred

Deacon Jim

Patrick,
I have two Amur maples (acer gannala). One I have had for seven years now. They are very hardy and simply wonderful maples for zone 5. The bark develops a beautiful striping. Trunks develop nice flares when you laterally comb the roots and leave them in a grow box. Leaves reduce nicely, not super small but nice. Amur's have great fall color. Pinching shoots is critical to maintain the internodes but if you mess up, which I have done many times, they respond very well to an early spring cut back.

Due to the constant freezing and thawing cycle in my part of zone 5, I'm liking the Amur compared to other maples. Another one is on my list of wants for this fall.

Deacon

Camay123

FredL and Deacon Jim:

I have looked at the Acer Ginalla but the problem was that they didnt have any good trunk base, the Acer ginalla is prone to buds alot at the base of the tree, the one at the nurserie I went where 69.99$ but the all had a multiple trunk base with all the shoots cut and one leader left...the tree.

Thx
Patrick

acousticco

I have a Korean Maple that I just picked up this year. It's leaves look allot like a Japanese Maple but they're quite large. I intend to layer the top this year to develope into a shohin, and then grow it out in the ground for a few years and then chop it. I guess we'll see how well it responds. At present it has a 1-1½" trunk, about 30" tall and quite short internodes... I think it'll be an interesting project for the next few years. Plus it's hardy to zone 3 and was only 25$CDN for a one gallon pot... Might be worth a shot...

-Cody

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Camay123

For 25$. Cant go wrong. Also, if you can get 2-3 trees out of this one