Advice for Spring - Japanese Maple and Kallay Juniper

[sacredasamouse]

Hey all,

This is my first post here, and I'm pretty new to Bonsai! I'm sorry in advance if there are resources covering this topic, but I did my best deep dive before posting.

I was able to pick up Tamukeyama Japanese Maple and Kallay Juniper saplings from a local nursery (only $15 each!). I'm putting them in a cold frame for the winter once the frosts kick in. They're a bit big for what I'm used to, but I like the idea of larger outdoor Bonsai.

I just wanted some advice on what to do in the spring.

Repot? Trunk chop? Heavy pruning? Nothing? Something else? What would you do with these? I'm happy to provide more information if necessary, and any advice at all would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much, everyone!

Maple - 3" trunk circumference / ~3' high
Juniper - 5.5" trunk circumference / ~2' high

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Personally... I am always a fan of moving nursery trees into bonsai soil / bonsai container PRIOR to doing major work on them. I have lost more trees at this stage than any other. Don't focus on pruning/styling until the tree is in good soil and a shallow (but broad) pot.

If you got both those trees for $15 each that was a super bargain. I'd easily pay twice as much.

The Tamukeyama will be a challenge because of the dissectum leaves and the ugly pruning scar. However it is a good looking tree for $15! Get it healthy, and there are always options down the road...

 

[sacredasamouse]

Personally... I am always a fan of moving nursery trees into bonsai soil / bonsai container PRIOR to doing major work on them. I have lost more trees at this stage than any other. Don't focus on pruning/styling until the tree is in good soil and a shallow (but broad) pot.

If you got both those trees for $15 each that was a super bargain. I'd easily pay twice as much.

The Tamukeyama will be a challenge because of the dissectum leaves and the ugly pruning scar. However it is a good looking tree for $15! Get it healthy, and there are always options down the road...

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!

That makes sense to me -- get the tree acclimated to a new pot before trying to style it at all. Like you said, get it healthy and there are always options later.

The nursery near me had a big stock reduction sale for the end of the season. Not the prettiest saplings, but you can't beat it for cost!

Thanks again!!!

 

[pandacular]

If you got both those trees for $15 each that was a super bargain. I'd easily pay twice as much.

This is so true. The maple is lovely, with a nice trunk line and a decently low branch—very unlike most nursery maples which are staked and low pruned to be landscape trees.

The juniper doesn’t look unhealthy, but neither does it look vigorous. It looks like there’s some dead bits on the inside, and cutting those out would be good, but I don’t think there’s a need to cut much foliage for now.

If this were my juniper, I’d get into a wide grow out container, like an Anderson flat or a wooden box. The junipers I have repotted have taken a loooong time to really get going if I cut out a lot of roots. Remember, its a feedback loop of growth between the roots and foliage, but both have to be cut back with some regularity.

 

[sacredasamouse]

This is so true. The maple is lovely, with a nice trunk line and a decently low branch—very unlike most nursery maples which are staked and low pruned to be landscape trees.

The juniper doesn’t look unhealthy, but neither does it look vigorous. It looks like there’s some dead bits on the inside, and cutting those out would be good, but I don’t think there’s a need to cut much foliage for now.

If this were my juniper, I’d get into a wide grow out container, like an Anderson flat or a wooden box. The junipers I have repotted have taken a loooong time to really get going if I cut out a lot of roots. Remember, its a feedback loop of growth between the roots and foliage, but both have to be cut back with some regularity.

Thanks so much for the response!

I think the Maple probably got passed over all season for exactly what you mentioned -- not a great landscape tree, but solid Bonsai potential.

I just took your advice and did a bit of pruning on the juniper last weekend, cutting out only the obviously dead material. We'll see how it holds up over the winter.

Thanks for the advice on the grow out container! I just picked up some Anderson flats for the spring. After what you said, I think I might leave the juniper alone this growing season for recovery.

Thanks again! I really appreciate your advice!