New to Bonsai – Just Got an Emperor 1 Maple!

[Bajandit]

I’ve been watching a ton of videos on bonsai and finally decided to try it out myself. I just got an Emperor 1 Japanese maple that I ordered online, and it arrived recently. I'm super excited but also a little nervous since this is my first real experience with bonsai.

I believe the tree may be a graft, which I didn’t realize until after I had already bought it. I'm not too sure what impact that might have long-term, so any insights on that would be helpful too.

Right now, I’m letting the tree settle for about a week before doing anything like fertilizing or repotting. So far, I’ve just been watering it. I did move it from the nursery pot into a clay pot which has a drainage hole, but I didn’t disturb the nursery soil or the roots. I just added my own potting soil mixed with a bonsai soil mix (roughly 50/50) to fill in the space.

It’s getting partial sun at the moment. I’ve read and watched a lot about bonsai, so I think I understand the basics, but I have no actual hands-on experience.

I’d really appreciate any general tips or suggestions on how to move forward from here. I want to make sure I’m giving this tree the best chance to thrive. Thanks in advance!

 

[rockm]

Too late for a real repotting. Also getting late for a trunk chop

A few things to think about:

Potting soil has no business in any kind of bonsai pot. It retains far too much water.

Summer heat is going to be your biggest issue. Japanese maples don’t like the “broil” setting in Houston.

You’re going to have to anchor that pot to keep the tree from blowing over.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Welcome to Bonsai! Go ahead over to this website

Evergreen Gardenworks

And order you a couple of other maples to plant in your best location for early morning sun and afternoon shade. Then practice on the one you got while your future masterpiece is waiting to be shaped.

Edit, plant them at an angle, not straight up and down.

 

[Bajandit]

Too late for a real repotting. Also getting late for a trunk chop

A few things to think about:

Potting soil has no business in any kind of bonsai pot. It retains far too much water.

Summer heat is going to be your biggest issue. Japanese maples don’t like the “broil” setting in Houston.

You’re going to have to anchor that pot to keep the tree from blowing over.

Thanks for the advice!


I chose the Emperor 1 cultivar partly because I read it’s a bit more heat-tolerant than other Japanese maples and is rated for my hardiness zone (Zone 9). I’ve always wanted to try making a maple bonsai, so I was hopeful it could handle the conditions here. That said, I’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on how it responds once the real heat sets in—I may have been a bit ambitious considering the climate.


As for the soil, I haven’t transferred it to a bonsai pot yet, so I figured the potting mix would be fine for now, especially since it looked similar to what it was in when I bought it. And thank you for the tip about anchoring the pot—that’s a great point I hadn’t considered. I’ll work on finding a secure way to keep it from tipping over in strong winds.

 

[Bajandit]

Welcome to Bonsai! Go ahead over to this website

Evergreen Gardenworks

And order you a couple of other maples to plant in your best location for early morning sun and afternoon shade. Then practice on the one you got while your future masterpiece is waiting to be shaped.

Edit, plant them at an angle, not straight up and down.

Thanks so much—I'm excited to be getting into bonsai! That website looks very cool; I’ll definitely take some time to explore it more. Do you happen to have any recommendations for specific maple cultivars that do well in hotter climates like mine? I really appreciate the tip about planting at an angle too—that’s something I wouldn’t have thought of on my own.

 

[rockm]

Thanks for the advice!


I chose the Emperor 1 cultivar partly because I read it’s a bit more heat-tolerant than other Japanese maples and is rated for my hardiness zone (Zone 9). I’ve always wanted to try making a maple bonsai, so I was hopeful it could handle the conditions here. That said, I’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on how it responds once the real heat sets in—I may have been a bit ambitious considering the climate.


As for the soil, I haven’t transferred it to a bonsai pot yet, so I figured the potting mix would be fine for now, especially since it looked similar to what it was in when I bought it. And thank you for the tip about anchoring the pot—that’s a great point I hadn’t considered. I’ll work on finding a secure way to keep it from tipping over in strong winds.

Nurseries use soil in pots that is t meant to sustain a tree for long. They’re selling them to be planted. They use what’s expedient and temporary. Long term it’s not great stuff.

Just because the pot isnt a “bonsai pot” doesn’t make any difference. You can’t repot now but keep in mind that the fee will do better in ANY pot with better freer draining soil. Keep an eye on watering as soil like that tends to stay too wet. Adjust next spring

 

[Bajandit]

Nurseries use soil in pots that is t meant to sustain a tree for long. They’re selling them to be planted. They use what’s expedient and temporary. Long term it’s not great stuff.

Just because the pot isnt a “bonsai pot” doesn’t make any difference. You can’t repot now but keep in mind that the fee will do better in ANY pot with better freer draining soil. Keep an eye on watering as soil like that tends to stay too wet. Adjust next spring

Sorry if some of these questions seem a bit stupid—I’m still learning, but I really appreciate the good info. That makes a lot of sense.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Thanks so much—I'm excited to be getting into bonsai! That website looks very cool; I’ll definitely take some time to explore it more. Do you happen to have any recommendations for specific maple cultivars that do well in hotter climates like mine? I really appreciate the tip about planting at an angle too—that’s something I wouldn’t have thought of on my own.

Trident maples

 

[rockm]

Sorry if some of these questions seem a bit stupid—I’m still learning, but I really appreciate the good info. That makes a lot of sense.

Not stupid This is stuff that no one besides “bonsai people” think about

Fwiw in your area Trident Maples (as mentioned above) may be a better option than Japanese maples in Houston. I’m familiar with East Texas/gulf coast summers. For the most part Japanese Maples aren’t going to be durable

Trident maples (acer buergeranium) are more heat tolerant and a lot more vigorous growers than JMs. You can get seedling to extremely large tridents online. Local bonsai Clubs might even give seedlings/saplings away. Local Houston Bonsai Society club is probably worth checking out in person

Houston Bonsai Society

The Houston Bonsai Society is devoted to supporting all our members with a vast array resources to continually evolve in the art of Bonsai.

houstonbonsaisociety.org

 

[Bajandit]

Not stupid This is stuff that no one besides “bonsai people” think about

Fwiw in your area Trident Maples (as mentioned above) may be a better option than Japanese maples in Houston. I’m familiar with East Texas/gulf coast summers. For the most part Japanese Maples aren’t going to be durable

Trident maples (acer buergeranium) are more heat tolerant and a lot more vigorous growers than JMs. You can get seedling to extremely large tridents online. Local bonsai Clubs might even give seedlings/saplings away. Local Houston Bonsai Society club is probably worth checking out in person

Houston Bonsai Society

The Houston Bonsai Society is devoted to supporting all our members with a vast array resources to continually evolve in the art of Bonsai.

houstonbonsaisociety.org

alright thanks ill check it out

 

[Bajandit]

Thank you all — seriously appreciate the kind and helpful replies. Idk how I overlooked trident maples while researching good trees for my area — they seem like a way better fit for Houston. I’ll definitely visit that Houston Bonsai Society. Thanks again for pointing me in a better direction!