Is this a Deshojo?

[Noulinator]

Hi Forum!
I am new to bonsai.
I bought a “Deshojo” from a respected nursery in Europe.
They had Deshojos outdoors and indoors.
Mine was kept indoors when I bought it. It was around June.
All the indoors Deshojo was completely green and new pruned.
Mine was dealing with maple leafhoppers.

My question is wether or not my tree is a real Deshojo?
The new leaves emerging are not pink/all red, but instead a red/yellowish color.
I have been fertilizing the tree for the last month with biogold, and now it has started emerging buds everywhere and a few shoots.

The tree has been through some climate adjusting and the bugs (maple leaf hoppers) but is now doing well.

What do you think?
Real Deshojo or not? Plant pass said “Deshojo”

 

[BonsaiManic]

I'm not especially familiar with Japanese Maples, but I do know that trees do best outdoors. You will get better and more accurate advice from those who know the species and cultivar better than I do if you add your general location to your profile, as Europe is an entire continent. If you enter your country, and possibly type of environment (mountains, plains, coastlands, etc.) you will get more specific information for your questions.
WELCOME!

 

[Teacup bonsai]

My Deshojos won’t show the bright red color you are probably looking for unless they are in FULL sun at least for several hours a day, the ones that stay shaded never get vibrant. Obviously if you were keeping indoors make the transition slow, but the tree needs to be outside in more sun.

I have several that show no signs of stress being in bright south facing sun all day. The spring growth is better, but even middle of summer (95F, 35C days) I get nice red growth on the branches that get full sun.

Mind you, the red color on new growth won’t last, they turn green after a couple weeks , but it’s nice while it lasts

 

[leatherback]

Hard to tell if you are not keeping these in the sun.

What did the reputable seller say when you shared these pictures and asked whether a mislabelling could have taken place?

 

[Mikea454]

beautiful tree. Here is mine from New england bonsai. I've had to keep it in the shade because the last 4 weeks have been really hot and the afternoon sun is shriveling a bunch of other maples, just took some quick pics for you, so you can see.

 

[Noulinator]

Hard to tell if you are not keeping these in the sun.

What did the reputable seller say when you shared these pictures and asked whether a mislabelling could have taken place?

He said that it is because it is the second set of leaves.

The tree is kept on a balcony that is shielded from direct sun except the evening sun (facing west)
the evening sun is warm right now, so I have kept it shielded a bit more than usual because the tips started browning on the tree. However it is really making a lot of new buds and several leaves sprouting around the tree. Growth seems a bit slow on tree. But again, I guess thats normal for deshojo. I have been using biogold.

Even though the soil is wet/moist. I water every 2-3 days because it sits in pure akadama, and it retains moisture for a long period. I will repot it next year.
My impression is that the soil is quite compact as well.

I have considered getting some sun shade mesh, so that I can keep the tree in the full time of west sun and not use the balcony awning. (currently the awning shades the tree until 5 pm)

 

[Noulinator]

beautiful tree. Here is mine from New england bonsai. I've had to keep it in the shade because the last 4 weeks have been really hot and the afternoon sun is shriveling a bunch of other maples, just took some quick pics for you, so you can see.View attachment 561511View attachment 561511View attachment 561511View attachment 561512View attachment 561513View attachment 561514

Same problem here. The afternoon sun is really hot. Have you considered some mesh shade net?

 

[Noulinator]

My Deshojos won’t show the bright red color you are probably looking for unless they are in FULL sun at least for several hours a day, the ones that stay shaded never get vibrant. Obviously if you were keeping indoors make the transition slow, but the tree needs to be outside in more sun.

I have several that show no signs of stress being in bright south facing sun all day. The spring growth is better, but even middle of summer (95F, 35C days) I get nice red growth on the branches that get full sun.

Mind you, the red color on new growth won’t last, they turn green after a couple weeks , but it’s nice while it lasts

Yeah. Probably the problem here. My deshojo gets burned tips if it gets too hot sun even though the soil hasnt dried out. However its currently in pure akadama and seems a bit compressed in the soil. Probably gonna get better after I repot next year. It doesnt seem to be able to get enough water up to the leaves fast enough sitting in too much sun at the moment

 

[leatherback]

I wonder whether the sun is the problem, or poor watering / roots / Fertilizer combi.
Mine sit in direct sun most of the day, but climate here is cool. Rarely do we get 30C + temps.

rowth seems a bit slow on tree. But again, I guess thats normal for deshojo.

I get about 75cm - 1m of growth on deshojo branches that I do not trim. Not as much as the regular Japanese maple, but certainly not slow?

 

[jotunnop]

Cool tree

 

[Noulinator]

Anything I can do about this at this time of the year? You can see the Fertilizer on the pictures

I wonder whether the sun is the problem, or poor watering / roots / Fertilizer combi.
Mine sit in direct sun most of the day, but climate here is cool. Rarely do we get 30C + temps.


I get about 75cm - 1m of growth on deshojo branches that I do not trim. Not as much as the regular Japanese maple, but certainly not slo

 

[Noulinator]

Cool tree

Thanks!

 

[leatherback]

You can see the Fertilizer on the pictures

not sure what you mean there.
I only see some very organic substrate.

What fertilizer do you use, how often / how much?

 

[Mikea454]

Same problem here. The afternoon sun is really hot. Have you considered some mesh shade net?

I have a 40% shade cloth and it has helped a lot, the brown leaves happened at NE bonsai - I'm just trying to recover them. (pic shade cloth and beni chidori from same day and place)

main thing I was pointing out is yours looks extremely similar to mine

 

[Teacup bonsai]

Yeah. Probably the problem here. My deshojo gets burned tips if it gets too hot sun even though the soil hasnt dried out. However its currently in pure akadama and seems a bit compressed in the soil. Probably gonna get better after I repot next year. It doesnt seem to be able to get enough water up to the leaves fast enough sitting in too much sun at the moment

That makes sense, my bigger Deshojo I use for air layers has a lot more organic soil in a big nursery pot and that’s the one I never have to shade. I definitely wouldn’t suggest baking your nice tree in the sun all day, just don’t be worried about the color if it hasn’t had the chance to get a couple hours of sun (could be morning or evening, shaded by something in the middle of the day)

But remember every micro climate is different. I have 90 percent humidity many days in the summer so it takes more time for the leaves to dry out. Depending where you are, could happen much quicker with low humidity, wind, etc.

Love the tree and I’m sure you’ll figure it out and get some great pics of the foliage soon enough!

 

[Noulinator]

not sure what you mean there.
I only see some very organic substrate.

What fertilizer do you use, how often / how much?

I was told to place 3 piles of biogold spread out with each pile having 5-6 pieces. So a total of 15-18 pieces of biogold. Then leave for a month and then place 3 extra piles of 5-6 pieces on the empty spots and leave the old Fertilizer.
The pot is only about 17x15 cm large

The guy who told me this was a local bonsai guru/entusiast. I was worried that it might be a bit too much fertilizer. I was told it wouldnt be too much because it was organic and wouldnt harm the tree.

 

[Noulinator]

That makes sense, my bigger Deshojo I use for air layers has a lot more organic soil in a big nursery pot and that’s the one I never have to shade. I definitely wouldn’t suggest baking your nice tree in the sun all day, just don’t be worried about the color if it hasn’t had the chance to get a couple hours of sun (could be morning or evening, shaded by something in the middle of the day)

But remember every micro climate is different. I have 90 percent humidity many days in the summer so it takes more time for the leaves to dry out. Depending where you are, could happen much quicker with low humidity, wind, etc.

Love the tree and I’m sure you’ll figure it out and get some great pics of the foliage soon enough!

Thank you! Any ideas to create a more moist environment? I could add some moss to the tree?

 

[Teacup bonsai]

Thank you! Any ideas to create a more moist environment? I could add some moss to the tree?

I think it’s hard to replicate exactly, you have to work with the environment you have or you’ll have trouble over time. Moss may help some with water retention/how dry the top of your substrate is, but my advice would just be to be patient, follow a reasonable fertilizer/watering schedule and slowly increase light exposure if you haven’t already to get a few hours of sun (or more if partial shade). You’ll likely find that next spring you get the colors you’d expect from a Deshojo if it is in fact that cultivar.

 

[19Mateo83]

As teacup mentioned in the post above, until it’s acclimated to your location it will likely not show its true colors until next spring. I have one planted in my yard and one in a container I’m slowly airlayering down, they both get about 8 hours of hot north Carolina sun in the mornings and partial shade the rest of the day. The first year I had them they had pinkish new growth. Once they got happy they started putting on the fire engine red.