New to forum

[Pugs]

Hello. Short time lurker, first time poster here. Not sure if there is a sub-forum for introductions. At least I can't find one. I found this forum while research air-layering JMs. I have 5, about 25 years old, that are growing in the wrong places. I want to get starts from them. Next spring is when I start that fun adventure.

Another (not one of the 5), a Mountain Maple, that was damaged when the city took down a tree near it, and then by two ice storms. Bracket fungus are now growing out of the trunk. I'll be taking many, many air-layers from it. I'd like to try a forest with some of them. The tree itself needs to come down. A friend suggested that when I take it down, I let it send up a new shoot from the trunk and let that grow back. Is this possible for a 25+ year old JM?

I'm not talented with bonsai, so I'll just be playing with the starts I take. More for personal fun that trying for a "perfect" tree. If this is offensive to you folks, I'll quietly exit, stage left and never darken you corner of the web again.

Thank you for your time.

 

[Carol 83]

Welcome to the forum! I'm sure someone with Maple expertise will chime in to help you.

 

[BonsaiManic]

I don't think this should offend anyone, especially since we don't have to ask where you're from; well done starting with your location in your profile! I can't seem to keep JMs alive here in the desert, so I can't really help with that, but as you introduced yourself, I wanted to welcome you to the most fun, most educational, most helpful bonsai folks you can possibly meet online! I'm very much a learning noob myself, but if you ask the right questions, maybe some day I'll be able to help you out.

 

[ShadyStump]

Totally the place for introductions. Welcome aboard!

I swear there's someone else around here from Salem, OR, but I can't recall who exactly.

 

[leatherback]

when I take it down, I let it send up a new shoot from the trunk and let that grow back. Is this possible for a 25+ year old JM?

Absolutely. Ideally due to all the work you are doing you will get some lower branches to sprout which you can use and cut back to. JM can show die-back from big reductions. So I would reduce first to a frame / main trunk of several feet tall, wait a year, see what comes and then go further. No guarantees though; I have had one not come back from a big chop, but that included a transplant.

I'm not talented with bonsai, so I'll just be playing with the starts I take.

Haha, there is only one way to GET talented.. TO get started.

I'll just be playing with the starts I take. More for personal fun that trying for a "perfect" tree. If this is offensive to you folks, I'll quietly exit, stage left and never darken you corner of the web again.

Anybody who finds that offensive should find another forum. Bonsai for most people is just having fun. And in the process, at some point, you might realize, hey, these little trees are actually starting to look like something cool.

 

[Zac]

Welcome. This is the right place to come to learn. These NUTS are the best most helpful people and are not rude snobs like on some other forums. Have fun make mistakes and learn because as someone said I can't remember who but there's no such things as mistakes just learning experiences.

 

[Pugs]

Thank you all for the welcome and advice. I've lurked enough to have seen the many requests of "what is your location?" to not forget to fill that in! Happens on another forum I'm on.

 

[JackHammer]

It sounds like you have some good ideas. You might look up thread grafting as a way to get shoots in different places, that might help you save your trees without using them exclusively for donor material. I have been trying for several years to get air layers from an ornamental JM in my yard and it has been really difficult. There are many many threads, on finding the best variety for propagating and also air layering. If you turn up an old thread, continue the conversation and add any questions.

 

[Ruddigger]

Welcome.

 

[ShadyStump]

If you turn up an old thread, continue the conversation and add any questions.

THIS is important to know around here: necroposting is not a huge concern. We all have things going on that can take YEARS or even decades to bare results, and sometimes we forget to update for a year.
Best to double check dates and make sure you're at least skimming through the whole thread before posting, though. Often a question has already been answered.
But just asking for an update is always cool, even if it's been a long time.