JM - Sharp's Pygmy

[RJG2]

Got this at an "intermediate" class at Bonsai West. Wasn't too impressed with the class, information seemed much more beginner. Basically just did a repot and light pruning.

This is my first "real" JM, so we'll see how it goes. It is a grafted tree, but the graft isn't bad.

At the class:





Leafed out:

 

[RJG2]

There are some heavy branches I wanted to eliminate during the class, but left them to air layer later.

Now is later.

Test fit:



Ring the bark:



Hormone:



Done (about 65% milled sphagnum, 35% small grain akadama and pumice):

 

[RJG2]

Once I'm done with the air layers, I'll get to wiring.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Sharp's Pygmy is an excellent cultivar for bonsai. That was a nice workshop tree!

 

[RJG2]

Sharp's Pygmy is an excellent cultivar for bonsai. That was a nice workshop tree!

Biggest lesson from the day: sit close to where the stock is lined up.

I went with @yashu - I got the second to last one, he got the last one. I got lucky, he did not

 

[yashu]

Biggest lesson from the day: sit close to where the stock is lined up.

I went with @yashu - I got the second to last one, he got the last one. I got lucky, he did not

Truth.


I’ll make something of that damn thing yet!

 

[Mad Tabby]

So what do you do about the graft mark if anything?

 

[RJG2]

So what do you do about the graft mark if anything?

On this one I'll probably do nothing. It should blend in as it ages. The green will turn grey/tan just like below the graft.

Take a look at the color of @MACH5's, not grafted, but the color is the same:

Acer palmatum sharp's pygmy [#07]

There's bonsai and then there's bonsai!

www.bonsainut.com

 

[RJG2]

Well, both my air layers failed - not even the start of a callus. Guess the tree just didn't even want to try and save those branches.

Figured I might as well do some thinning and structural wiring now that I wouldn't be disturbing the air layer attempts...

Almost before...



After:



Will have to do some cut-backs down the road.

 

[19Mateo83]

Well, both my air layers failed - not even the start of a callus. Guess the tree just didn't even want to try and save those branches.

Figured I might as well do some thinning and structural wiring now that I wouldn't be disturbing the air layer attempts...

Almost before...

View attachment 554490

After:

View attachment 554491

Will have to do some cut-backs down the road.

Stinks about the layers but damn that’s a nice little tree

 

[RJG2]

Stinks about the layers but damn that’s a nice little tree

Thanks @19Mateo83. Yeah too bad about the layers, but they were both low horizontal branches; not the most vigorous.

I plan on putting it in a box to work on the roots and grow it out a bit - so I'll probably get another chance or two.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Sorry to hear this. That’s a nice graft though!

One thing about Sharps is the branches thicken fast and need frequent clip and grow to keep any sort of taper. But your tree looks nice.

A couple thoughts about air layers that we use may or may not help.

When you cut the ring top and bottom around the branch, cut deep enough so the actual ring peels off when cut vertically. Once done gently scrape the green off so as not to disturb the layers below. Then put alcohol on the cut areas and wait a day before finishing the packing up.

Good progress so far!

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[RJG2]

Sorry to hear this. That’s a nice graft though!

One thing about Sharps is the branches thicken fast and need frequent clip and grow to keep any sort of taper. But your tree looks nice.

A couple thoughts about air layers that we use may or may not help.

When you cut the ring top and bottom around the branch, cut deep enough so the actual ring peels off when cut vertically. Once done gently scrape the green off so as not to disturb the layers below. Then put alcohol on the cut areas and wait a day before finishing the packing up.

Good progress so far!

Cheers
DSD sends

I don't usually do the alcohol, but do thoroughly scrape.

I may have gone deeper scraping than I normally do on these ones. Who knows, I also may have gone too deep cutting the rings.

Edit: thinking about it, all the other air layers I've done have survived, but these were by far the thinnest. I guess I need to be more careful on smaller diameter stuff!

 

[stubmle]

@RJG2 I hope it's not too impolite for me to ask- roughly how much did you pay for this tree? If you don't want to disclose that I understand completely! Just trying to get an idea of how much these typically go for in this part of the country.
I have a lead on a decently-sized one (about 2'-2'6" tall from soil, trunk about 2" wide at base), but I have no idea if they price they're giving me is fair. They're asking $300 for it, which is about as high as I'm comfortable going for unworked nursery stock, so I'm debating if I should wait for a better deal to come up.

 

[RJG2]

@RJG2 I hope it's not too impolite for me to ask- roughly how much did you pay for this tree? If you don't want to disclose that I understand completely! Just trying to get an idea of how much these typically go for in this part of the country.
I have a lead on a decently-sized one (about 2'-2'6" tall from soil, trunk about 2" wide at base), but I have no idea if they price they're giving me is fair. They're asking $300 for it, which is about as high as I'm comfortable going for unworked nursery stock, so I'm debating if I should wait for a better deal to come up.

Not at all. The tree was free... Along with a $400 class where all we really did was repot (into turface based mix ) and trim a bit.

So I take that back, the tree was $380 with the rest going towards soil and Chinese production pot </end snark>

$300 seems like a lot, but for a 2" base, maybe not too bad.

 

[stubmle]

Not at all. The tree was free... Along with a $400 class where all we really did was repot (into turface based mix ) and trim a bit.

So I take that back, the tree was $380 with the rest going towards soil and Chinese production pot </end snark>

$300 seems like a lot, but for a 2" base, maybe not too bad.

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! I've been trying to find other nurseries in the area with dwarf maples for sale to compare prices, but so far none have had a Sharp's. Other dwarf JM cultivars seem to run anywhere from $150 to over $400 for stock that's about the same size. Between that & what you described, $300 doesn't seem too bad. This is actually the first Sharp's I have seen for sale anywhere around here, so maybe I should jump on it before it's gone... It's grafted, but it's nicely done so I could live with that for now.

I've done a class at Bonsai West too, not bad & the instructors are nice but definitely seems to be more beginner-focused, at least the one I took. I was a bit taken aback by the Turface too but it seems to work well for them, I guess. I'll change it out next repot.

Did you totally bare-root this when you got it? Seems like it handled it well.

 

[RJG2]

seems to be more beginner-focused,

This.

Did you totally bare-root this when you got it?

No I didn't. I wanted to, but the instructor advised against it - but didn't give any real reason. I probably will next repot however.