please help with my trident maple and bloodgood maple

danielsonbonsai

the reason why i couldn't wait is i wanted to get a few more trees before i move back to hawaii. so meanwhile i'll leave these trees with my parents they can get some growth. so i styled them and everything just so it had some shaping before i left so it wasn't completely out of control when i came back. every year i come back prune and shape and before i know i have some really good trees in both hawaii and california. i left two ficus' in hawaii and its almost been a year since i seen them so im excited to get back and make adjustments. thanks for your help guys i put those babies in the shade.

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PatArizona

G'day Dan...and the rest of us...

Collected...stress. Root pruned...stress. Chopped the top...stress. Styled...stress. Planted it in a pot...stress. Defoliate...stress. Inexperienced...likely more stress. All this within a week?

To me, this adds up something like: stress plus stress plus stress plus stress plus stress plus stress plus likely more stress, plus, all this within a week.

Help me out guys...I am not a maple expert, however, this sounds like, what, seven layers of stress within a week?

Help me...and, help Dan. Isn't this far too much for any plant, wannabee bonsai, to be subjected to? Am I missing something?

Dan, my friend...remember that bonsai is a trip that demands time and patience. Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.

Pat

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Sailor_Jerry

Once you stack it up like that it really is a lot in a week.

I'd start treating it as though it were in recovery, from an illness or drout. Shade, water, little or no feeding.

jeremy_norbury

HUMIDITY - get it into a humid environment that's not too hot. Mini greenhouse out of the sun for example. Or put a large plastic bag over the tree and pot.

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danielsonbonsai

its too big for a plastic bag but i figure i can wire a frame and put shipping wrap that the warehouses use to cover it

jeremy_norbury

Sound fine - you can maybe use duck-tape to make an enclosure. It'll need less water too.

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danielsonbonsai

maple tree is doing better new leaves are coming out

wicksy

hey there buddy sounds like ya got a problem there, most of the posts are correct also you need to know the correct timing for removal from the ground if you got it from there its when its dormant just before spring?? is this what happened. what you have done is gave the tree a huge stress attack. Go by yourself a starter liquid for promoting root growth use it sparingly, try putting a clear plastic bag over the whole thing to with a little hole in it this will create humidity and will stop the evap cycle, spray the trunk foliage if ya have some with a mister from water bottle also do not saturate the soil it will root rot see how this goes if it still doesnt work i think ya killed it welcome to bonsai, it happens i had a 10yr black pine that i killed it hurts but ya move on...

jeremy_norbury

I killled a 20 year old cork bark elm three years ago by digging it up a month early. Then a year later I killed a 30 year old Chinese Juniper given to me by Dan Barton by repotting AND pruning at the same time.

You'd think that after more than 30 years of solid bonsai experience, learning from the greats (even been on courses given by John Naka, Peter Adams, Dan Barton) that simply keeping the trees alive would be like falling off a log, but no...

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All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy. Spike Milligan
I told you I was ill. Spike Milligan's Gravestone