Acer Palmatum

Rene_Voortwist

Hi,

I bought this Acer palmatum "Bloodgood" at a very decent price at the local garden center. Lots of branches had died, but there was lots of new growth so I figured it must be healthy.

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acer palmatum voor.jpg (51.3 KB, 352 views)

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Rene_Voortwist

This spring I chopped it, removed all branches, and repotted. The roots are absolutely disgusting. It will take years to correct them. This is how it looks now. I have made a new leader selected some branches.

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Rene_Voortwist

Detail of the chop area. Do you think this plant is worth the effort ? What would you do with it ?

regards, René

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acer palmatum detail.jpg (54.1 KB, 348 views)

TreeBay

Well, Let me pull out my bonsai checklist here...

[ ] Interesting Movement?
[ ] Taper?
[ ] Aged bark?
[ ] Interesting branching?
[ ] attractive surface rootage?
[ X ] good or unusual species / variety?

Since it's a 1/6, I would say that it may not be worth your effort as bonsai, but could make an enjoyable container or patio tree. If you plant it out in the garden, the prognosis may change in a few years, but it is unlikely to change much in the confines of a pot.

Regards,

Matt

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FredL

Rene, it seems to me that any tree that attracts your attention is worth the effort. I think this tree is interesting, indeed. And, what I'm really interested in is how the charactaristics that Matt lists for us might be created in this particular tree.

I wonder if the first two don't require similar treatment, chopping somewhat lower and working with the new leader that emerges. Then, after the new leader has grown vigorously for a couple of feet, chopping again. Perhaps changing the attitude (angle to the ground) each time the trunk is chopped. My experience with fast growing specimens is that they can be chopped a couple of times during each growing season, allowing the trunk to add a couple or three inches each time. It appears to me that the lower trunk develops in an interesting way as a result. When the lower trunk has been developed for awhile, the leader can then be wired to provide movement in the upper trunk.

I am doing this to some Hackberries and Hornbeams and I'm sure I can see the trunks developing.

I am trying to develop the roots in a similar way, with repeated pruning of the roots to try to create a shallow root system which I increasingly expose at the surface. I think the roots react to repeated pruning in a way similar to branches, which will ramify over time.

My reading indicates that branches are the last thing to worry about, but the quickest to respond to the usual techniques of pruning and wiring. I will worry about them when the time comes. Bark will, I think, take care of itself. It's like our human skin. Just try to stop it from looking old after a few years.

Now, I doubt that I've said anything that you are not already well aware of. Don't mean to insult your intelligence. But from everything I've seen myself and read about in books, it is perfectly feasible to develop this tree into a credible bonsai. Just takes the desire to do it. As for the time, that's like worrying about whether a romance might take too long. The process is enjoyable........the longer, the better!

Best regards, Fred

TreeBay

Rene-

I didn't catch this the first time I looked at the tree because of the shadow that appears to fall on the trunk, but is this a graft?

Regards,

Matt

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Rene_Voortwist

Matt and Fred,

Thanks for the response. I bought this plant for the species and the good price. I know there aren't 20 curves in the trunk but I kind of like it the way it is now. There is some slight taper in the trunk altough the picture doesn't show it. I chopped the trunk just above where the taper stopped and later on at an angle just above where the highest bud appeared. There is a swelling in the bottom of the trunk but there's no sign of a graft. The soil reached up to that point when I bought it and it had made some roots at that level which accounts for the thickening. That's something I didn't notice when I bought it. The roots will need lots of work. Maybe I should graft some more roots. Don't know. Matts suggestion of putting it in the garden could be a good one but if I do it will be for the purpose of thickening the trunk and the new leader. Ah well, in the future I will check better before I buy..

regards, René

TreeBay

Hmmm. I think that may actually be a graft. Most bloodgoods are grafted. I guess you could tell by cleaning the trunk a little in that area, or wait to see if you get garden variety green maple suckering up from the roots.

I didn't do any exhaustive search, but here might be a thread or two of interest:

http://www.bonsaisite.com/forumadv/messages/306.html

You can see a bit of a graft at the base of the photo on this page:

http://www.monrovia.com/PlantInf.ns...08?OpenDocument

This page shows how the graft is accomplished:

http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/co...rgr.sm.jpg.html

Ideally for bonsai, the tree would be either taken as a cutting or air layered later. Some maple varieties are not strong on their own roots.

Regards,

Matt

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Rene_Voortwist

Matt,

Thanks for your trouble finding the links for me. If it's really a graft then it is almost not visible. Maybe this plant is not so bad after all :-) . Since I don't have a digital camera I cannot post a picture of that area now. I'll check it again this evening.

thanks again,

René