$50 Japanese maple nursery stock ideas

[ianmcglocklin]

I was at home Depot looking for something for work and happened to see this little guy sitting there and I couldn't help but pick him up usually maples at home Depot with a trunk this wide or like 150 bucks. Looks like it's got a decent navari already. Trunk chop and grow as broom style? Or try to get him to back bud closer down on that curved branch and make that the new leader after a trunk chop? Just going to fertilize and watch it's growing habits for a while looks like they recently chopped some branches off down low on the trunk that I sure would have liked to have more material. Thanks in advance guys.

 

[leatherback]

why did you buy it?
Typically you buy a tree because you have some idea what you like about it.
Hard to decide for us what you like about the tree.

It is a young plant with decades ahead of it. Decide what you see in it.

 

[ianmcglocklin]

I bought it because of the thick trunk and cheap price point. I have nothing that resembles a mature or finished bonsai despite playing around for the last 10 years with no training or mentors and learning more from my mistakes of what not to do. I like his trunk and taper and that it already has some movement, I like the somewhat established nebari. I don't like the 90 degree angle of the lowest branch. What I envisioned when it caught my eye was a broom style after trunk chop and removal of first branch, however I can also see an informal upright in 10-20 years (which has always been the most pleasing to the eyes in my opinion) due to no branch structure development low on trunk, could always attempt grafting something , but you work with what the tree has not what you want it to be.
I was just asking for opinions and sharing what I found. It's only about 6" or less from rootbase to first branch, and I think a broom style from major trunk chop to first node above first branch could make a fun project and has two nice sections that could be air layered.
I enjoy bonsainut because of all the information I learn, but also to hear the input from experienced enthusiasts, maybe someone sees something I don't. Have no friends that share my hobby and my wife is sick of me explaining my visions or plans for my trees.

 

[ianmcglocklin]

These photos are what I like about it. Roots, trunk thickness, taper, and movement. I feel like the 90 degree turn of that first branch is too extreme to be the new leader if I went informal. I can also envision hard cutting that back and making it branch one in an informal, it just has years of growth/thickness over anything else I would grow out on the opposite side.

 

[SeanS]

I’d chop it down to that first shoot on the left.
What do you envision when you say broom style? I’m not seeing anything currently on the tree that says broom to me.
Do you mean a classic broom style like a Zelkova would be grown?

 

[Nera]

Personally I agree with the chop point SeanS suggested, otherwise (in my very limited experience) at least removing the branch coming out at a horizontal angle. I say that because to my eye, it's not flowing nicely with the tree - if the experienced ones disagree please do explain the reason so I can learn.

 

[nuttiest]

Good opportunity for 2 or 3 air layers for you

 

[dbonsaiw]

I’ve been through a number (ok a lot) of Home Depot JMs. I tend to agree that for $150 it is worth it to pick one up, especially if the roots are looking decent (otherwise it’s airlayer material). I look at these trees as no more than a short thick trunk, with everything else being essentially sacrificial. I’ll just let the tree grow until the lower few inches of trunk is the desired thickness. Then chop like shibui suggested and begin growing the next section. Chops on my Home Depot maples have been a mixed bag with die back and even death on blind cuts. nowadays I’ll just go slower and chop straight to an existing branch and carve later.

Take layers or you will be back at Home Depot next year looking for more. $150 is a good price. $0.00 is much better. And you’ll get good roots.

 

[ianmcglocklin]

It was $50 at home Depot normally they are about $150 and for the size of the trunk and the price I figured it was worth the low investment to play around with and yes I see two great air layers, I've never grown broom style but typically when you cut a maple doesn't it shoot like five or six vertical shoots upwards which could essentially be styled like a broom? I do like the trunk chop at the lowest bud, for it to be successful shouldn't I let that grow out longer?

 

[ianmcglocklin]

And yeah that angle of that first branch bothers me. Maybe if it's sprouted some buds closer to the trunk I could do a hard cut back on it before it starts sweeping up but I don't want a tree that's going to be 18 in tall like all of mine end up looking like they will be when I'm finished. I know when you start an air layer the roots are still sending nutrients up to the top (but it's no longer allowing the sugar or the photosynthesis to go back down to the roots?) correct me if I'm wrong please. If I start an air layer cuz that cause the tree to back bud lower like a hard prune or a chop does? Or would those have to be done one year at a time. I'm sure I could look this all up so I apologize for asking something I could probably research.