Recent content by MACH5

Arakawa today. Budding this spring quite evenly throughout. Very happy!

Thanks! We handled the tree by secondary branch forks which have rough texture but no bark plates. Any areas with developed bark plates is off limits since they are extremely delicate and easily damaged.

Thanks Darlene! That bark is indeed crazy!!

Thanks Judy! I liked the pot on the arakawa maple so much that I told Nao to make me one similar but on steroids! 🤯

Thanks Bri. I am very happy with this match. I've been working with Nao for the better part of last year to get this thing done. He killed it! The pot really helps ground this tree so much better. The Byron Myrick pot is very nice but I always missed the fact that it didn't have a lip.

Just repotted with the help of my apprentice Sal (@Tidal Bonsai) in the new custom made pot that @NaoTK made for it. Took us about just under 1.5 hours, much faster than originally anticipated. Sharing a few shots of the procedure. We once again managed to do it without a single piece of bark...

I am currently working with someone to hopefully organize one for the Northeast US area but open to anyone. That may still be a few years away. Hopefully less.

Yeah...😒

I assume you are referring to full defoliation and not partial outer canopy defoliation? With young arakawas it might be ok. Even then I would proceed with caution. Absolutely zero chance doing it to this tree at this point.

Judy said the same. I am thinking about submitting it to the Nationals. I honestly hate showing maples in leaf... yeah I know is my own weird issue! :rolleyes:

Yes, but now if I do pinch it's not so much for internode length as much as to keep the tree balanced.

Dirk, mainly work with scissors and not so much pinching. However, on very strong tips I may in fact pinch whether that's the top or bottom. But only on the most vigorous shoots. At this point the tree is fairly balanced so I do not get crazy extending shoots anywhere as much as I used to some...

Thanks Mike! Absolutely, always happy to keep looking at ways to keep improving the trees.

Showing now: Spring leaves

Ideally very early as the first leaves begin to unfold and not after they have extended.