Field Maple #10

[Walter Pall]

Field Maple #10 - The one is a small tree which was started as cutting by Evergreen Garden Works in California in 2000. I got it in 2006 as very raw material. Now it starts to look promising. While in Europe we have endless imported small trident maples and Japanese maples in good quality, field maples are almost non-existent in showable quality. No wonder, if it takes 20 years to make them look like something.

 

[Walter Pall]

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[sorce]

Great Pot!

Sorce

 

[kale]

Very nice! Do you typically use guy wires instead of regular wiring? Guy wires seems easier but I saw someone mention it can cause the branches to have a rainbow shape.

 

[Walter Pall]

I use guy wires if possible on such trees. The results look more natural and the wiring is MUCH faster and very efficient. Also taking off or changing wires only takes minutes.I do not care about the looks. I sacrifice momentary beauty for future quality. One must attach the guy wires so that the result looks natural. This is certainly possible with practice.

 

[Walter Pall]

Field Maple #10 - after full defoliation

 

[Walter Pall]

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[Walter Pall]

Field Maple #10 - slowly but steadily

 

[Maiden69]

@Walter Pall you do your defoliation/hedge in June in DE, since I am in central TX and our spring started over a month earlier than yours, when would you recommend to defoliate/hedge here for JM, field and tridents?

 

[Tieball]

I really like the guy wire approach. My field maple is rather coarse. Looks good with leaves but once the leaves are removed it’s not very twiggy. I’m not sure how to attain the ramification shown on this tree. Any tips are helpful. Defoliation? Hard cutbacks?

 

[Walter Pall]

@Walter Pall you do your defoliation/hedge in June in DE, since I am in central TX and our spring started over a month earlier than yours, when would you recommend to defoliate/hedge here for JM, field and tridents?

I thiunk end of May shouold be a good time.

 

[Walter Pall]

I really like the guy wire approach. My field maple is rather coarse. Looks good with leaves but once the leaves are removed it’s not very twiggy. I’m not sure how to attain the ramification shown on this tree. Any tips are helpful. Defoliation? Hard cutbacks?

Full (100 %) defoliation by End of June will do the job.

 

[Tieball]

Full (100 %) defoliation by End of June will do the job.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate your advice and will fully defoliate by the end of June.

 

[Walter Pall]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate your advice and will fully defoliate by the end of June.

make it middle of June, just before the solistice.

 

[giventofly]

Great tree, keep posting updates.
What side are you using as the front?

 

[Walter Pall]

Great tree, keep posting updates.
What side are you using as the front?

Real trees do not have one front. Do as you feel.

 

[giventofly]

Real trees do not have one front. Do as you feel.

Loved that answer

 

[Tieball]

make it middle of June, just before the solistice.

I ran with the defoliation this year, 2025, just about a week ago. I removed all the leaves from the healthy Field Maple Acer Campestre. I have buds coming out all over the branches now. This is definitely going begin to create added branches and twig development. Thanks @Walter Pall it worked perfect! Mighty fine advice you shared!

 

[oranjeaap]

While in Europe we have endless imported small trident maples and Japanese maples in good quality, field maples are almost non-existent in showable quality. No wonder, if it takes 20 years to make them look like something.

An interesting observation, because in the Netherlands (so I'm assuming this must be true for Germany also) Field Maple is (extremely) commonly used for hedges and thus it should be easy to find good material. Even in simple hedges they show nice gnarly trunks, excellent ramification and small leaves. It has always confused me why they are so uncommon in the Bonsai scene.

About the guy-wires being ugly.... i think that is just subjective. I think it looks more interesting than most of the frankentrees I see on this forum. I mean the ones with thick, triple coils of wire on each branch, black wound paste plastered all over etc. I always think of them as "the tree that should not be"