A beginners jump into the yamadori deep end

[Sixty’s]

The subject tree:

Acer palmatum ‘Katsura’ approximately 70 to 80 years old.

This tree was almost destined to the tip the previous owners needed the tree removed due to some urgent building works, many did try and remove it previously without any success at some point I did thought on giving up myself, it took me around 3 to 4 hours of hard labour intensive work to get it free from the soil and cut down to a manageable size ish (6 foot), I was in pain for most of the following week.



The moment I realised the potential:

As I was dragging the tree around I got to see it from this angle it looked like to have some potential with plenty of movement.



The initial idea was to keep the part of the tree shown below, I had to reduce it further mainly due to not being able to manage the weight of it.



Getting down to business:
Once the final plan was decided I’ve got down to it and removed all the unwanted branches.



Some root work:



Preparing the pot:

For the training pot I’ve went with a 21” round nursery pot cut down to 9” high and used pure akadama as a substrate.



Sealing the trunk shop:

I do like to seal all my cuts, specially on maples, I’ve used a combination of cut paste and milliput epoxy for this purpose.





A week of hard work:

This is how far I’ve come in the last couple weeks, the tree final size is 19” root flare and 19” tall, it’s still too heavy to move it alone (around 300 pound).
Not planning anything yet. just looking to see what pops up this year and plenty of liquid seaweed extract as advised by one of my mentors.
Overall I’m glad I didn’t gave up the digging, now I can sit back relax and enjoy the years to come.

 

[RoadManDenDron]

Wow I did not realise it was so big til the last pic!

Also it looks like a liverbird and I can't unsee it!

Also what's your plan with those nails?

 

[Sixty’s]

Wow I did not realise it was so big til the last pic!

Also it looks like a liverbird and I can't unsee it!

Also what's your plan with those nails?

It’s difficult to get a proper scale ( I got big hands to ) it’s the biggest I’ve collected so far and most likely the last, I don’t think I can do another.
The nails are holding the bark together that come loose in the root, they a interim solution till I figure out a more suitable method to use, I really don’t want to remove it just yet maybe it callus on its own

 

[Gabler]

Why did you cut all of that off!?!

 

[Sixty’s]

Why did you cut all of that off!?!

To make material for a future Sumo bonsai.

 

[Excalipoor]

That is a thiccboi and yes it does look like a bird to me too lol. I can’t wait to see this leaf out

 

[Sixty’s]

That is a thiccboi and yes it does look like a bird to me too lol. I can’t wait to see this leaf out

It may be a chimera, I’ve been told the back looks like a elephant feet.

 

[rockm]

Live and learn. Hope it pulls through.

 

[RODERLO]

Oh boy…

You’ve removed so many great structural branches.

I like the multiple leaders. They had a great interplay of movement.

I’m still gonna say it’s your tree, you decide what to you do with it
But it took some effort to pen that down this time.

 

[Shibui]

I will be interested to see how this one fares. My experience with removing very large branches, especially low on the trunk, is that side of the trunk and the roots below the chop dies off leaving a large scar right to the roots.
Fingers crossed this one proves different.

 

[Sixty’s]

Oh boy…

You’ve removed so many great structural branches.

I like the multiple leaders. They had a great interplay of movement.

I’m still gonna say it’s your tree, you decide what to you do with it
But it took some effort to pen that down this time.

I know what you mean I did like it to, the weight was just impossible to move the tree around and I don’t have more space for garden trees.

 

[Sixty’s]

I will be interested to see how this one fares. My experience with removing very large branches, especially low on the trunk, is that side of the trunk and the roots below the chop dies off leaving a large scar right to the roots.
Fingers crossed this one proves different.

I’m hoping that sealing the cuts will avoid this, done this to a few without any issues although there is always a first time for everything

 

[RODERLO]

I know what you mean I did like it to, the weight was just impossible to move the tree around and I don’t have more space for garden trees.

I’ve found most of the weight comes from the soil and pot. Wood really isn’t that heavy?

 

[Sixty’s]

I’ve found most of the weight comes from the soil and pot. Wood really isn’t that heavy?

Usually yes, this one is a beast.

 

[rockm]

I’m hoping that sealing the cuts will avoid this, done this to a few without any issues although there is always a first time for everything

It probably won't help as much as you might expect. Removing large portions of trunk/branching (particularly so late in the season) can cause significant damage. The large portions removed had considerable resources going to and from them. I'd keep a careful eye out for withering bark below the wounds. Those big pruning wounds will take years to heal completely if they heal completely at all. During that time, you're going to have to be vigilant for rot.

To even begin that process, the tree has to recover from what looks like a 99 percent reduction of its roots. While maples can do that, larger trees like this one can be hit and miss, particularly so late in the collecting season--you don't really say when this was dug up.

 

[Dabbler]

If it was me I would have left the whole tree and see what sprouted then the following year cut back to what grew and then make choices from there. A hit and a miss - i've done it lol

 

[Sixty’s]

It probably won't help as much as you might expect. Removing large portions of trunk/branching (particularly so late in the season) can cause significant damage. The large portions removed had considerable resources going to and from them. I'd keep a careful eye out for withering bark below the wounds. Those big pruning wounds will take years to heal completely if they heal completely at all. During that time, you're going to have to be vigilant for rot.

To even begin that process, the tree has to recover from what looks like a 99 percent reduction of its roots. While maples can do that, larger trees like this one can be hit and miss, particularly so late in the collecting season--you don't really say when this was dug up.

I’m conscious that they may never heal hence trying to mimic bark with the epoxy putty.





It’s just a tree for my personal enjoyment not a tree that will be build for a show.

I’ve collected it last week, here in the uk first growth has just hardened off. Not ideal although it was between having a second chance as a bonsai or going to the tip.

 

[Sixty’s]

If it was me I would have left the whole tree and see what sprouted then the following year cut back to what grew and then make choices from there. A hit and a miss - i've done it lol

I thought not to waste the little reserves the tree still has in places they won’t be needed, this is my sixth field grown maple that I’ve collected in the last 2 years. Last year I’ve collected a slightly smaller one that is doing well.

 

[Dabbler]

Different way to skin a cat - thats a weird saying - but I tend to like larger tree's so I would have just planted it and left it alone - Plus i'm lazy

 

[RoadManDenDron]

Have you seen Mark morelands (the UKBA guy) talk about propagation?

The chopped off bits of this are probably ideal candidates!