Acer Shirasawanum - Pruning direction

[david in LA]

Picked this Full Moon Japanese maple up recently where to previous owner kept it more as a patio plant. A bit of info on this tree, the base is just over 2" wide, and from the soil to the top of the tree is 2'-10". The previous owner bought it from a nursery just over a year ago and has not repotted it.

I get that it is still a long ways off from being a bonsai, but I saw some things that concerned me. The graft is causing a bit of inverse tapering, I'm hoping this will even out as the tree grows, if not I will air layer. Second is that there are 4 branches that come out at the same level, 3 on one side, and one on the opposite. I have marked the branches that I think should be pruned off.

I won't be doing this until winter, but I just wanted to make sure I was going in the right direction.

 

[Ininaatigoons]

No responses in a year? How is this project going?

 

[david in LA]

No responses in a year? How is this project going?

Sorry, I forgot to reply to this.
I just cut everything off just in case. I plan on doing a chop in the future so reverse taper isn't that big a deal, but if I want to do an air layer, now I'll have a better one.

 

[Ininaatigoons]

Patience and time is the name of the game

 

[Mats Hagström]

The tree looks a bit more like a garden tree and would do really well like it is in a big pot or in the ground. I think it may be challenging to make a quality bonsai without trunk movement. Air layer may work. Not sure how these respond. Most maples do well but I have had varieties (fancy AP’s) that did not want to grow roots.

I don’t mean to be negative. It a really nice tree. Maybe too nice to chop considering what you will have?

Either way best and give us an update.

I appreciate you posting