Full Moon Maple Development

[ABCarve]

This is a full moon maple that was purchased at a Rochester nursery and put in the ground and had four growing seasons. I really wanted it for a yard tree but the deer and poor soil it was in had different ideas. So this spring I decided I would enjoy it more in a pot. Shovel and a cordless saws-all.

 

[ABCarve]

Hosing off all the soil. It had a very good root system in that it was container grown at the nursery as opposed to field grown and B&B. Then making preliminary chops to make it easier to handle.

 

[ABCarve]

I'm squeezing this thing into a bonsai pot so removing roots on the bottom is best done with the saws-all and perimeter roots with concave cutters.

 

[ABCarve]

Filled with soil and topped with chopped orchid moss.

 

[ABCarve]

Full moon maples as far as I know are all grafted (at least this variety) and this one has a very nice graft in that I can't see it. The initial dig was April 16 and these are dated May 23 to give an idea of how long it took to emerge.

 

[Deleted member 21616]

i like this! nice idea!

 

[ABCarve]

This is it current state. The new growth was wired and removed. It very easy to position potential branch now than waiting. A number of bud that emerged just shriveled up and died. Some of the stronger branches had leaves that their margins browned and seemingly went dormant. However now they are active again and looking better. I attribute this to the abbreviation of its root system. Hopefully next year crop will be healthier.

 

[AlainK]

We don't see many Acer shirasawanum as bonsai, probably because the leaves stay rather big compared to Acer palmatum varieties. This one is the right size.

Is it the plain species or a cultivar like A. shir. 'Aureum', 'Jordan', or 'Autumn Moon' ?

 

[ABCarve]

Big leaves, big tree. Bill V has an extraordinary one that was a specimen that attracted me to bonsai. I do believe it’s aureum.

 

[Deleted member 21616]

this bad boy? i went to go see it in person this spring, when he happened to have set up in his indoor tokonama - what a feast for the eyes!

@AlainK is right - the size of Bill's tree is impressive, and proportional to the leaves! not a cultivar for shohin, that's for sure. you're on the right track @ABCarve really looking forward to watching this one develop under your care!

 

[ABCarve]

this bad boy? i went to go see it in person this spring, when he happened to have set up in his indoor tokonama - what a feast for the eyes!

@AlainK is right - the size of Bill's tree is impressive, and proportional to the leaves! not a cultivar for shohin, that's for sure. you're on the right track @ABCarve really looking forward to watching this one develop under your care!

Actually it’s bigger and a formal upright. He does have a number of them.

 

[ABCarve]

Doing a lot better this year. Just gave it a little hedge prune.

 

[cmeg1]

Very awesome

 

[SeanS]

The leaves are so vibrant and defined, first thought was it looks like the CGI from an early 2000s PlayStation game. Unreal, really nice

 

[ABCarve]

The leaves are so vibrant and defined, first thought was it looks like the CGI from an early 2000s PlayStation game. Unreal, really nice

I always wanted one of these from the time I started bonsai. I can't remember how many I killed. It was probably a good thing because most were sticks in a pot. This species requires size to be believable. Now, I think I know enough to style it and keep it alive, although the weight of it these days makes it challenging.

 

[ABCarve]

Anyone have experience with ground layering these?? This doesn’t seem to be a grafted tree. I’m not too happy with the convex, lateral nebari.

 

[woodkraftbonsai]

Anyone have experience with ground layering these?? This doesn’t seem to be a grafted tree. I’m not too happy with the convex, lateral nebari.

I have an air layer that I started on mine last year. It has been successful so far and has roots growing, but I have not separated it yet as it didn't quite have enough last year.

 

[ABCarve]

I have an air layer that I started on mine last year. It has been successful so far and has roots growing, but I have not separated it yet as it didn't quite have enough last year.

That’s encouraging. It is stupid the way it is now so I guess I have nothing to lose......other than the tree.

 

[Japonicus]

It's been suggested I ground layer mine, but haven't tried. I have a landscape a.s Autumn Moon not improved.
Has been in the ground 11 years so I'm afraid to try ground layering. I have an air layer on it that didn't take last year.
Several branches have died, but many still alive. I haven't checked the roots this year, waiting for the hard frosts to subside,
or buds to start moving. Do you think that is a good plan or check now before the buds swell?
Other maples are beginning to move some, so I'm sure it's waking up. Yours looks quite a bit shorter now in the pot
than it did in the ground, nice!

 

[ABCarve]

It's been suggested I ground layer mine, but haven't tried. I have a landscape a.s Autumn Moon not improved.
Has been in the ground 11 years so I'm afraid to try ground layering. I have an air layer on it that didn't take last year.
Several branches have died, but many still alive. I haven't checked the roots this year, waiting for the hard frosts to subside,
or buds to start moving. Do you think that is a good plan or check now before the buds swell?
Other maples are beginning to move some, so I'm sure it's waking up. Yours looks quite a bit shorter now in the pot
than it did in the ground, nice!

You could check it. Depends on if you can give it proper after care.