A new Shindeshojo

[andrewiles]

A nearby nursery had a bunch of field-grown maples available, including a Shindeshojo on sale. Also a Nishiki Gawa, which I can show in another thread. Came in an amazingly heavy burlap sack with a root ball of almost solid clay. I placed it in an old nursery pot but otherwise tried not to disturb the roots more than needed.



This one is about 4 feet tall or so and is definitely much bigger than anything else I have.

Some photos from each direction:


Trunk is pretty straight. This is grafted and the rootstock seems to be growing a bit faster than the top, so I think I'll probably try to ground layer it. I didn't take a picture of the nebari but it's pretty ugly as well.

I like the angle in the first picture, with the layer at the bulge about a foot up, to create a twin trunk of sorts.

Mock up of my thinking, using outline from the upper left image above. Bending the lower branch up and cutting off the apex:


What do folks think?

I'm still in the early stages of learning, but I want to get some experience trying to visualize and execute longer designs. Most of my other trees are too small to do this kind of work with.

I think the rough plan for this year would be to reduce the branch structure to roughly the scope above, now, followed by a ground layer in late spring. I'd rather do the ground layer at the beginning of this process since that's the riskiest part. I'm worried I'll fail there and lose the tree, but I just don't see a good end goal on the existing graft.

 

[leatherback]

I placed it in an old nursery pot but otherwise tried not to disturb the roots more than needed.

I would at this point be taking out all the clay, trimming the roots and planting it in good open substrate. The tree will never be as strong as when it comes from the field. This is the moment to make those big cuts to the main roots and setting it on a path to amazingness.

Not just words: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/summer-pruning-and-die-back.43780/page-2

 

[andrewiles]

Is that true even if I intend to layer the trunk above the graft? I'd be happy to grow the tree on the existing roots for some time while working on the top, but as I mentioned above I figured I should get the ground layer out of the way early. That way I'm not wasting years of work if it fails.

 

[leatherback]

Solid clay in pots sounds horrible combo to me. So yeah, I think I would want it to be established in good substrate. I have founf the red leaved cultivars of AP to be slightly slow in layering and getting it good and well established would help I think.

 

[TomB]

Personally I would leave the roots as they are and just layer it now. It has grown in this soil so far. Just be careful with your watering. Don’t reduce the top, you’ll want maximum foliage to drive the layer.

 

[andrewiles]

Thanks @leatherback and @TomB.

I looked at the remaining clay soil again and there aren't many small roots. Just large ones cut at the edge of the ball. I can't tell but it may have been dug up, bare rooted, and then packed in the clay ball for transport/sale. Doesn't feel like it grew there. So, I'll plant it in a good substrate as a first step. Probably means I should delay the layer a year.

@MrWunderful I saw your "Deciduous Nebari development" thread. Do you have a take on applying a tourniquet to a larger tree like this, vs. a ground layer? How likely to succeed and how long? Layers still scare me a bit and I need more practice. Will try with a few smaller trees and branches late spring.

 

[leatherback]

Probably means I should delay the layer a year.

Maybe, but you might be surprised at the vitality of field grown trees.

If you do wait, you have better chances of seeing the rootstock live through it, which might be a bonus or a burden!

 

[MrWunderful]

Thanks @leatherback and @TomB.

I looked at the remaining clay soil again and there aren't many small roots. Just large ones cut at the edge of the ball. I can't tell but it may have been dug up, bare rooted, and then packed in the clay ball for transport/sale. Doesn't feel like it grew there. So, I'll plant it in a good substrate as a first step. Probably means I should delay the layer a year.

@MrWunderful I saw your "Deciduous Nebari development" thread. Do you have a take on applying a tourniquet to a larger tree like this, vs. a ground layer? How likely to succeed and how long? Layers still scare me a bit and I need more practice. Will try with a few smaller trees and branches late spring.

I do not think a tourniquet will work on a tree this size. A ground layer would be the correct technique.

In my experience, tourniquet works best with ground growing and the extreme growth that comes from that. We want something that is going to double or triple its girth in one year, and older trees cannot do that.

The largest tourniquet I tried was on a zelkova with a 2” diameter base and it failed.