Go big or go home!

[Dav4]

This is a Japanese maple I planted next to my deck almost 8 years ago as a 1 gal 3-4 rear old graft I purchased from Forestfarm 3 years earlier. It's a semi-dwarf- forget the variety- and wasn't supposed to grow so tall... It's at least 9-10 feet tall and almost as wide. Anyway, The leaf size is nice and small, and it air layers easily... see this thread-https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/air-layer-in-late-summer.24510/.


I've got 3 layers started this weekend, and I'm planning to do a few more. 2 cool things about this project- 1) even though the tree is big, every layer harvested from it, excluding the ground layer at the base, is destined for shohin, and 2) I used a die grinder for the ground layer and a dremel for the air layers.

 

[pweifan]

Will you keep the rootstock in the ground after the ground layer is cut off? That's going to be a big boy to move around right after you separate

 

[Dav4]

Will you keep the rootstock in the ground after the ground layer is cut off? That's going to be a big boy to move around right after you separate

The rootstock... the trunk base with the old root system... stays in the ground and will likely die... if it sends up a shoot, great, but I'm not counting on it. The layered tree will be considerably smaller when the ground layer is severed because it'll have had all the other layers removed by then and will also be cut back. It'll be pretty big, though.

 

[namnhi]

This is a Japanese maple I planted next to my deck almost 8 years ago as a 1 gal 3-4 rear old graft I purchased from Forestfarm 3 years earlier. It's a semi-dwarf- forget the variety- and wasn't supposed to grow so tall... It's at least 9-10 feet tall and almost as wide. Anyway, The leaf size is nice and small, and it air layers easily... see this thread-https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/air-layer-in-late-summer.24510/.
View attachment 138407
View attachment 138408 View attachment 138409
I've got 3 layers started this weekend, and I'm planning to do a few more. 2 cool things about this project- 1) even though the tree is big, every layer harvested from it, excluding the ground layer at the base, is destined for shohin, and 2) I used a die grinder for the ground layer and a dremel for the air layers.
View attachment 138410 View attachment 138411

You're getting very close to hoarder status. You're happen to Bea better material hoarder.

 

[Dav4]

You're getting very close to hoarder status. You're happen to Bea better material hoarder.

There was a time when I couldn't walk into Home Depot without going through the garden center first and every landscape nursery had a monthly visit from me during the growing season. The pickings were slim and the results were generally disappointing. Now, along with working the refined bonsai and older prebonsai trees I have, I've come to enjoy creating and developing new stock from seedlings and layering potential material from maples in my yard. It allows far better control at the development process and this results in higher quality material and all it really costs me is time. My hope is to have lots of well developed material in a decade that might be a very nice bonsai when I retire in 2 decades or so... at least, that's the plan.

 

[GroveKeeper]

The pic with the grinder made me chuckle. Thats what they call decisive.

 

[Dav4]

The pic with the grinder made me chuckle. Thats what they call decisive.

It's part of the "Go Big or Go Home" theme.

 

[Dav4]

Added another layer to the tree today....

...and I started to layer the top off of another landscape maple, too... it's about 10' tall...and that's a 5 gal nursery can.

 

[pweifan]

Looks great. Will you be trimming the tops off the branches of the second maple when you cut off the layer? If not, how will you anchor it in the pot?

I will air layering one of my parents' Japanese Maples this year. The leaves look somewhere between the size of these two maples and just a plain but elegant green. Looking forward to seeing it in a pot.

 

[namnhi]

... this has got to stop! Where is the misses?

 

[Dav4]

... this has got to stop! Where is the misses?

In San Antonio

 

[namnhi]

In San Antonio

Ah. It is one of those sorry dear it already done.

 

[Dav4]

Looks great. Will you be trimming the tops off the branches of the second maple when you cut off the layer? If not, how will you anchor it in the pot?

I will air layering one of my parents' Japanese Maples this year. The leaves look somewhere between the size of these two maples and just a plain but elegant green. Looking forward to seeing it in a pot.

I'll be cutting it back pretty hard right when I separate the layer... hoping to do it before Memorial Day.

 

[pweifan]

I'll be cutting it back pretty hard right when I separate the layer... hoping to do it before Memorial Day.

Please post follow-up pictures here! I'm curious to see how these big ones work out. Good luck

 

[Steve Kudela]

Added another layer to the tree today....View attachment 138648

...and I started to layer the top off of another landscape maple, too... it's about 10' tall...and that's a 5 gal nursery can.
View attachment 138649 View attachment 138650

Dude, you ain't right.......................my kinda guy, in a bonsai sense that is!

 

[pweifan]

There's a landscape-sized Hedge Maple that I've been eyeing that has a 4" diameter branch that I would love to layer off. I just didn't think it was an option. This last layer you did has given me the nudge I need to ask the owner for permission. I really hope it takes.

 

[Dav4]

There's a landscape-sized Hedge Maple that I've been eyeing that has a 4" diameter branch that I would love to layer off. I just didn't think it was an option. This last layer you did has given me the nudge I need to ask the owner for permission. I really hope it takes.

I've successfully layered an A. p. 'shishigashira' with an almost 4" trunk while it was in a nursery can... took about 8 weeks. The only reason I can see this failing is if the trees are too strong and bridge the layering groove because it wasn't wide enough. I feel confidant the grooves were cut deep enough, but I probably could have removed more cambium below the layer... we shall see.

 

[Adair M]

You know, Dave, this could be the answer to that shady back yard problem you're having! Just air layer them all down shorter!

 

[Dav4]

You know, Dave, this could be the answer to that shady back yard problem you're having! Just air layer them all down shorter!

Heh heh! You're so close to the truth Adair! These trees have all grown much faster and taller then I anticipated. The one next to the deck is hanging over my grill and the other tree on the hill will actually be casting a shadow on some of my benches in another year... they gotta go or get a lot shorter!!

 

[Dav4]

I'm tired...