Acer Pal. acquisition

[berobinson82]

I picked this up at the club last night. An artist was liquidating his stock because he was moving. I got it for a what I thought was a fair price. It's a decent start. Its biggest flaw is in those two wicked pruning scars on the front. It was sealed with that black tar stuff. I'd rotate it, to hide them, but the tree's curvature seems to suggest this as the front. I have 3 plans thus far:

1. Clean up the scars with a dremel to make them concave. Scar the edges of the wounds. Seal with (non-black) wound sealant. Early spring I believe.
2. Choose a branch to allow to lengthen to take a cutting from.
3. Make 2 in arch grafts to balance nebari next year from cuttings.

What do you think?

Front, Right, Back Left.

 

[Poink88]

I'll probably use the back as the new front...just tilted back up (forward) to be upright then tilt a bit to the left.

The trunk is too round and straight right now. You need some "creative" ways to give it character.

View attachment 30388

 

[JudyB]

You can do some reasonable bending on this size trunk still if you want. I think it's a decent feminine tree as is, but needs some taper. I'd try for a sacrifice low, or do some grafting to create a better root base to pull interest low as well as up top.
Good pick up. I have a very similar one.

 

[KennedyMarx]

It looks like it would make a decent broom style bonsai with little work.

 

[berobinson82]

You can do some reasonable bending on this size trunk still if you want. I think it's a decent feminine tree as is, but needs some taper. I'd try for a sacrifice low, or do some grafting to create a better root base to pull interest low as well as up top.
Good pick up. I have a very similar one.

Thank you for the feedback. Would you share a picture?

 

[berobinson82]

It looks like it would make a decent broom style bonsai with little work.

I think an informal broom is the best option.

 

[ghues]

As far as the scars are concerned, I'd leave the branches that are around the one chop/scar on, as I think it would help the healing process.
Good luck.
G

 

[JudyB]

Thank you for the feedback. Would you share a picture?

Not all that much to look at yet, but here it is...
Yours is much further along than mine.

 

[berobinson82]

Any Thoughts on These Cuts?

Trying to decide a future course of action. Would anyone care to comment on these two adjustments? Please and thank you.

 

[lordy]

I might be tempted to put this in the category "long term development needed" and cut it very short (or air layer and keep the top to practice on). I'm talking several inches high, right above what looks like a dormant but on the left. It does kinda have a tubular trunk. Might surprise you in a few years.

 

[berobinson82]

Ouch. That's a huge chop. I'm not completely against that idea, thouogh. The more I look at it, the less future I see.

 

[JudyB]

If I wasn't happy with the direction this tree is going, I would put it in a slightly larger development pot, and ignore it for a couple years (I mean just don't mess with it...) and see what you think of it later. If you cut the top back hard too, you'll probably get more options.

I have some trees, that will never be much more than ok, and that's ok. They still teach me things.

 

[berobinson82]

Hadn't been posting or updating but wanted to mention this little maple. I took it to Roy Nagatoshi at our club meeting and he said something along the lines of, "This is a hedge. We need to work on the skeleton". He helped me make some decisions and made some cuts.









So as he told me, it has started to bud back where the larger cuts were made as I'll need a branch to fill in the obvious void. I'm curious if defoliating this healthy tree would assist in pushing those new buds. What think?

Thanks for your time.

B

 

[Poink88]

I like it!

 

[catfish chapstick]

nice tree with good structure that will only get better with time.

 

[tmmason10]

Very cool, nice work. Makes me want to work on my maples.

 

[Paulpash]

Only defoliate strong trees ... is it pushing vigourous growth yet? You get far more buds pop when it's strong.

 

[berobinson82]

Only defoliate strong trees ... is it pushing vigourous growth yet? You get far more buds pop when it's strong.

It does seem very strong. It's backbudding on its own up and down the trunk.

 

[Jake16]

aww I liked it better before. It had a very natural look but it still is an amazing tree.

 

[JudyB]

aww I liked it better before.

I'm sure it's set up now to be a better tree in the future. It may not look as good to you as it did before, but to go forward, sometimes one must go back to progress forward. At least that's what I've learned...