Project: Korean Maple

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I thought I would put this into the forum as a project. I’ve never done anything like this to a tree so everything in here is new to me. My hope is to get advice along the way and leave behind useful progress photos and information for others trying to do the same type of thing.

Korean Maple (Acer pseudosieboldianum)

These were found at a Canadian nursery on the west coast of BC. It is sold as an alternate to Japanese maples for those in colder climates. They were purchased with the intention of air layering off the tops for my yard or further bonsai and using the bases for this project.

This is what I initially found at the nursery:

Attached Images

korean_maple.jpg (42.6 KB, 340 views)

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Tree #1 assesment

This tree is about 6 feet tall and growing in a 3-5gallon nursery pot. After getting the tree home and digging away two inches of soil to expose the roots better I found the nebari to be less than spectacular. (inset pic) The trunk did continue to flare below the soil, reaching about 1.5” dia. at the top of the roots. This concerns me as the first bend in the trunk is a long way away from the roots at 4-5inches.

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the pic

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k_maple_apr25_1.jpg (29.5 KB, 314 views)

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Tree #2 assesment

Either tree may end up as a landscape tree but this second one may go first. Although it has a more graceful curve and the fist branch wont leave as much of a scar/bump… the trunk has very little taper and the nebari needs to be dealt with much the same as the first tree as I see it. Then again if I air layer off the top I might as well practice and see what I can come out with using the base.

Attached Images

k_maple_apr25_2.jpg (35.9 KB, 303 views)

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Tree #1 proposed work

The roots and the first bend are my main concerns right now. The options as I see them are score around the existing nebari, dust with rooting hormone power and bury with soil. I have heard this suggested but don’t know how viable this is. The other option is to air / ground layer a whole new set of nebari, possibly using this method www.internetbonsaiclub.org/artpertitle.php?viewid=21
Layering down low would retain some of the trunks flare but would leave the first bend and branch high up the trunk. That would be something I wouldn’t know how to approach. Layering higher on the trunk would lose the tiny bit of flare that was there but would move the first bend and fist branch lower.

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the pic

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k_maple_apr25_1_prop1.jpg (25.7 KB, 289 views)

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Tree#1 a quick visual

This visual shows new nebari as a result of layering up higher on the trunk to bring the first curve down lower. Branches and pot are borrowed from Ian’s tree.

I would like to come up with a visual plan and timeline before I do anything.

Advice?

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k_maple_apr25_1_visual.jpg (13.1 KB, 295 views)

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These trees have two major things on their agenda for the next few years. My problem is that I don’t have a clue as to the best order to do them in. I need to start somewhere.

The first plan of attack may be the ground layering for the new nebari. Now I would imagine this is best done with a lot of top growth, long before a trunk chop, on the tree to aid in the layering and to encourage root growth. But then again can there be too much top growth?

Then I would like to time the removal of an air-layer off the top of the tree with the first trunk chop. Makes sense to me. One cut good, two cuts better. But can a tree handle a ground layer for new nebari and then be trunk chopped within a year or two? Will the new nebari even grow properly with all this chopping and cutting to make the would procedure of doing a ground layer even worth while?

I’m all confused. Maybe I shouldn’t mess with a ground layer for the nebari at all. Maybe just knick off the bark here and there, do a minor ground layer, to encourage new root growth, I think I heard of someone doing that somewhere.

Actually I just found this on Colin Lewis site down in the "elm" section under "roots" that says to not let new nebari grow amongst the old?http://www.btinternet.com/~colinlew...ivia.html#roots


Anybody have any ideas

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May 01, 2004

Well I'm going out on my own and decided to air-layer for new nebari on tree #1 first. I figure I should have as much top growth as possible to encourage and create new root growth. After trunk chopping I would imagine that trying to air-layer for new nebari would not go well.

SO. I gathered all my supplies together, staked the tree better. It’s about 7-8 feet tall and moves around a lot in the wind, I don’t want any damage to the new roots. I cut an old pot down to size and split it down the middle on the bottom and one side. And a hole in the bottom. The pot spread open easy and I only had one side to wire closed.

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pot.jpg (16.1 KB, 133 views)