Colin Lewis Multi-trunk A. Palmatum

[Paulpash]

Yes, I kept the pot It is special to me since Roy also added the "M5" mark underneath it along side his. I agree that using larger or more mature material will be less prone to fungus. That is of course if I could find such material. I would like to give it another go but this time using slightly older trees. I have several growing on my raised bed that may be suitable in recreating that initial idea once again. Kicking myself for not been more observant and catching the fungus early on. Onward and up upward as they say!

I've grown several batches of JM from seed over the years. It's very difficult to stop the weaker ones from succumbing, especially if they are up against stronger trees that shade them which reduce their vigor even more. These tend to be the first to drop, at least in the seed tray, so don't be too hard on yourself.

More established trees sound a good idea as the danger of fungal infection is much less. I'm sure you'll update if you decide to revisit the revised windswept first MKII.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Ok relax fellows.... I still have it! This tree became part of a larger composition a couple of years back.This is the one where I had all the trees leaning heavily to one side and the one Roy Minarai made the pot for. I had posted somewhere that unfortunately due to a fungus I lost most of the forest except for a couple of trees. This is one that survived. I decided to keep it now as a triple trunk tree on its own. It is doing great. Last spring I did a series of root grafts to further improve the nebari. I will most likely post an update probably closer to spring.

This tree sports very small buds and leaves. One reason why I kept it.

Dang, that was a killer composition. Glad you didn't lose this clump. I hope at some point you wow us with that Roy pot being planted out again.

 

[MACH5]

After spending about two years as the main tree in a large forest composition, last year was pulled out and decided to cultivate it as a single specimen. The larger composition unfortunately was decimated but a fungal attack that took almost every single tree out within several days. Fortunately this tree was hardly affected. Here is that thread: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/the-not-shohin-maple-forest.26974

Here is the tree now. Still young and with more development ahead but with a good future. It lost two years of more focused design attention while being used as part of the forest composition. Several root grafts (one of which is still in progress) were done last year. A couple more to come next spring. The production grade Reiho pot is being used as a training pot for now.

 

[coh]

Nice clump! Glad you were able to save this from the blight that got the others.

What was the fungal attack like? Something that appeared on the trunks (black areas) and spread, something that hit the leaves/new growth, something else? I've lost a J Maple to some kind of fungal or bacterial attack that seemed to start at the base or in the roots and work up (as a spreading black area that eventually oozed/weeped), have also had other trees that developed similar black areas on the trunks but the tree was able to contain the damage.

 

[MACH5]

Tissue on the young maples darkened in spots followed by wilting leaves. Probably pseudomonas bacteria that usually attacks in early spring in wet and cold weather. The lager trees survived including this one. Because the young trees were only two and three years old they could not fend off the fungal attack and all perished.