Maple bonsai

Discussion in 'Maples' started by AlainK, Jun 7, 2021.

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  1. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    My oldest bonsaï is one of those that have so far managed not to get sun scorched. It's from a cutting that was about 2 mm thick, then I decided to plant it on a pozzolan rock.

    The oldest photo I have (2003), some years after the cutting took :

    acerp_ishigami_030803.jpg

    Today, some 25 years later :

    acerp_ishigami_220902a.jpg

    The pot is by Erin Pottery. I hope the Autumn colours will be nice...
     
  2. dicky5ash

    dicky5ash Generous Contributor

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    Remarkable as usual!!
     
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  3. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    Thanks Rich, I appreciate.

    Unfortunately, I didn't take care as much as I should have for this one - but I still like it ! It will be better next year... ;-)

    acerp11_220902a.jpg
     
  4. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    The temperatures are mild. "They" say 6 to 9 at night, and 18 to 20 in the afternoon.

    So maybe it's srill time to "slip-pot" some of them little trees :

    acerp13_220929a.jpg acerp13_220929b.jpg acerp13_220929c.jpg

    If it doesn't get burnt by the sun next year, the blue colour of the pot will match the orange/red colours I expect from a healthy tree. This is just "slip-potting", if I can remember, I'll repot it properly in Spring.

    The pot is from one of the very few "bonsai" I bought. The nebari is no good, and the tree lost a lot of branches. So putting it in a big pot seems to be the right thing to do, and wait 3-4 yearks before working (seriously) on it. When I'm 70... ;-)

    IMG_1500_220930a.jpg IMG_1500_220930b.jpg IMG_1500_220930c.jpg

     
  5. Geezer840

    Geezer840 Active Member 10 Years

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  6. Geezer840

    Geezer840 Active Member 10 Years

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    Ok, I’m hooked. Due to near terminal medical incident I had to leave my 41 in the ground maples for a mostly stay inside new home in Idaho.
    I would appreciate guidance in entering your cadre of bonsai. I still love maples.
    I’m just starting my 82nd but I’m not planning on leaving soon but even if I do I’d like to leave doing what I truly love. So… how to get started?
     
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  7. LoverOfMaples

    LoverOfMaples Generous Contributor Maple Society

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    Hi @Geezer840

    There are online courses for all levels and experience. Two that I know off back is Bonsai Empire, Bonsai Mirai, but there are others. There are lots of stuff on YouTube these days. You can go check out bonsainut.com. Which is a forum like this one with lots of information. I'm sure @AlainK and @0soyoung can give you more info and options.
     
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  8. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    I couldn't say more, real good advice.

    But basically, to me a "bonsai" is a potted tree that evokes a mature tree, or even just a nice-looking tree in a pot, with proportions that are "artistic" I would say.

    The skills in cultivation are of course essential if you want a tree in a small pot to survive. Pruning the top and the roots, the right mix suited to your climate, that's important.

    You can also get inspiration from images like those on various sites like :

    Bonsai4Me :: Bonsai (very useful for a "beginner")
    Bonsai Tonight (Jonas Dupuich)
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/arihatos_bonsai/albums/with/72157645174483121
    https://www.m5bonsaiworks.com/
    etc.

    I also like a different approach, the Chinese penjing. The rules of "aesthetics" are different in some regions of China, the species too, that enables other forms that are a kind of exaggerated form of the trees in nature, but that's also a great source of inspiration I think. Ficus in Vietnam...

    Dàn bonsai mini đang giao lưu | Bonsai Hữu Quang (Bình Định) | By Bonsai Vietnam | Facebook

    ... but similar techniques can apply to many maple species (and even to other deciduous and conifers) :

    https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=root-over rock maple

    On many web sites, people like "big" bonsai, and very often conifers. I tend to prefer trees that change colours, like maples and larch.

    And small is beautiful... ;-)
     
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  9. 0soyoung

    0soyoung Rising Contributor

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    Three a. palmatum 'Orange Dream' in different sizes and stages of bonsai development; all begun as air layers off our landscape specimen.

    About 9 inches tall PXL_20221003_225122166.MP.jpg
    About 16 inches PXL_20221003_225631456.jpg
    About 20 inches PXL_20221003_224852103.jpg

    Right now they have certain exaggerations like letting a branch grow long to make it thicker before cutting it back to build taper and ultimately fine-branching (ramification).
    One doesn't just plug a twig into a pot and have maple bonsai like @AlainK's.
    Nevertheless, it is great fun that is never done.
     
  10. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    Will be better next year ...

    acerp_ishigami_221124a.jpg
     
  11. LoverOfMaples

    LoverOfMaples Generous Contributor Maple Society

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    Nice apple!
     
  12. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    ;°)

    Ha ha ha, you noticed...
    It's now under flowering apples and wisteria. Apples and sticks...
     
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  13. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    I removed the leaves on this one. I did a bit of wiring, but I'm not really satisfied with it, I think I'll do it again. And on the photo, I can see a couple of branches that I will certainly prune :

    acerp13_221126a.jpg acerp13_221126c.jpg
     
  14. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    This is a tree that to me has a "Chinese feel", a root-cutting from an Acer campestre that has rather rounded lobes :

    acerc2016b_230225b.jpg acerc2016b_230225c.jpg acerc2016b_230424a.jpg
     
  15. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    The large cut at the top need healing : that's why the "leader" was not too much pruned :

    acerp21m_230504a.jpg acerp21m_230504b.jpg
     
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  16. opusoculi

    opusoculi Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Rising good structure from Alain.
    Bonsai patiemment bien conduit. Chapeau !
     
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  17. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    Hi,
    Quoting myself : °-°

    I took a photo just when there was a flash of lightning, then <CRACKABOOOMM...) rolling thunder maybe a mile or 5 away, but no rain, no rain...

    So far, looks OK but a bit weak, as if he had to cross a desert... (But made it !)

    acerp19_230612a.jpg
     
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  18. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    The "Ishigami" (root-over-rock) is not at its best this year. I hope the autumn colours will be nice. Will be repotted next spring :

    acerp_ishigami_230621a.jpg

    The 'Orange Dream' is suffering a bit too, you can see that by the colour of the leaves. I had planned to layer it at the base to reduce the trunk height and get a better "nebari", but it's so hot and dry, and I'll have an operation in the weeks to come (L4 L5, S1 and the like) and I don't know how I will cope and if my sons and friends will be able to help. They probably will, but I'm getting a bit anxious, at 68, I've never had an anesthesia before... ^^

    acerp_orangedream01_230621a.jpg

    This one, an air-layer of the plain species, is doing fine :

    acerp11_230621a.jpg

    And if this one doesn't look like a bonsai, it could ;-)
    It's a vigorous seedling from 'Ryusen' that germinated in the spring of 2020. In a different pot, with some pruning, trimming, etc, it could look like a "Chinese-like" bonsai - different standards and styles, but a lot of... Poetry ?... ;°)

    acerp-ryusen-sem20-nr04_230621a.jpg
     
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  19. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    The "neagari" Acer campestre (that needs watering, and fertilizing):

    acerc2016b_230726a.jpg
     
  20. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    Yesterday night, I had a closer look at these two. They've been mostly in tha shade so they didn't suffer from the sun and heat.

    Palmatum, a "double air-layer", see the previous posts.
    I did nothing on it, just took the photo in my garage :

    acerp11_230809a.jpg

    Buergerianum. It was in a rather shallow, but I wanted the roots to fuse better so I put it in a much larger pot. I was disappointed to see that it didn't grow much this year :

    acerb02_230303b.jpg acerb02_230809a.jpg acerb02_230809b.jpg acerb02_230809d.jpg

    When I put it for 2 years in the ground, then in a pot, it developped much more (May 2013, June 2014):

    acerb02_130525a.jpg acerb02_140622a.jpg

    But I have seedlings and cuttings (they're so easy to make) so maybe next year I might graft some between the "legs" of the tree - if you see what I mean . . .
     
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  21. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    Different autumn colours, depending on the volume of the pot, when they were repotted, and how much sun they got :

    acerp11_231027a.jpg acerp21m_231027a.jpg acerp19_231027a.jpg acerp_orangedream01_231027a.jpg acerp-nonid04_231027a.jpg acerp_ishigami_231027a.jpg
     
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  22. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Can't say that mine is a bonsai yet, but pre maybe....? So here's my Jerre Schwartz in some morning sun today.
    PXL_20231027_095455435.jpg
     
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  23. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    Very nice !
    Very good root flare from what I can see, one of the major feature of a bonsai.
    But as long as it looks beautiful, it's great as it is, just keep it healthy !
     
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  24. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Thanks Alain
     
  25. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    Though in a shallow pot, one of the last ones to keep its leaves :

    acerp11_231125a.jpg
     
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