Next course of action for my jm?
- Thread starter kale
- Start date
AlainK
Imperial Masterpiece
If it was bound to be a patio plant, I would just prune the top.
If you want to work it as a "bonsai", I would cut it drastically :
If you want to work it as a "bonsai", I would cut it drastically :
Kodama
Shohin
Air Layer top and then chop base?
AlainK
Imperial Masterpiece
kale
Shohin
Thanks! Def want to bonsai it. It is long and unkempt currently bc I’m wanting to thicken the trunk
leatherback
The Treedeemer
DO rootwork. PLant in a traing tray. Let it grow. Only once you think you are getting a trunk nearly thick enough, chop it.
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
What size and style is your goal?
Eckhoffw
Masterpiece
Exactly. If you want to trunk up, let it run crazy. Then layer and chop then. Maples are fairly fast growers. So maybe double trunk size in a few years time? Your baby.
MrWunderful
Omono
Chop it as low as you are willing to go.
bwaynef
Masterpiece
I don't see a lot that's interesting in this tree as it is. Chopping it ensures the trunk won't ever be much thicker than it is (unless you change its growing conditions). Hard pruning it will give you more options but that too ensures your trunk is going to be about this size for quite a while. Both of those are valid options if you're satisfied with the trunk thickness.
Were this tree mine, I'd lean toward repotting it into an Anderson flat. Concentrate on flattening the rootball during repot. Looking at the pot its in now, you may not be confident in reducing it back as far as it needs to go in one fell swoop so cut off any downward growing roots at this repot and lay out the remaining ones so they grow laterally. Next repot cut those back so that you develop interest in the nebari. (It's likely possible to do this all in one repot, but you may need to be creative in securing the tree w/ such a small rootball.) Make sure after each (no, any, ...no, every) repot that the tree is completely immobilized.
This would give you the option of making a more compact tree in the future if you choose, ...or a tall elegant tree WITH a nice nebari.
Were this tree mine, I'd lean toward repotting it into an Anderson flat. Concentrate on flattening the rootball during repot. Looking at the pot its in now, you may not be confident in reducing it back as far as it needs to go in one fell swoop so cut off any downward growing roots at this repot and lay out the remaining ones so they grow laterally. Next repot cut those back so that you develop interest in the nebari. (It's likely possible to do this all in one repot, but you may need to be creative in securing the tree w/ such a small rootball.) Make sure after each (no, any, ...no, every) repot that the tree is completely immobilized.
This would give you the option of making a more compact tree in the future if you choose, ...or a tall elegant tree WITH a nice nebari.
rodeolthr
Shohin
Not related to ultimate size, but something to consider now that you've moved it inside. It appears to be in terra cotta, which is great to prevent water-logging, but pay extra attention over the winter as I'm familiar with the low humidity in the Rocky Mountain states and this could easily become excessively dry.
kale
Shohin
My first time messing around with deciduous roots today. Pretty fun! Hope she does ok!
AlainK
Imperial Masterpiece
It looks fine, pretty good actually for a first try.
kale
Shohin
Here is an update on this tree and how its grown all summer. I am needing to stuff it into winter storage in a couple months and wanting to know if ok to trim it down so itll fit in my window-well this time of year? It would need a pretty hard prune with how much its grown this year.
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TN_Jim
Omono
Looks like a healthy J. Maple tree. What’s next for it? I wouldn’t cut t
Window well??? What and why is that?
Window well??? What and why is that?
kale
Shohin
Just thickening and waiting for a nice nebari. Tempted to chop but not quite thick enough yet. So either next spring or give it another year.
TN_Jim
Omono
Another year…thread graft?
kale
Shohin
Seems ambitious for a noob like myself! But yeah I have lots of long skinny shoots to work with. I could graft a few branches nice and low.
That is a great thought. Thanks!
Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
Just bury the pot in the ground along the foundation of your house. Don't chop it now.
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
Speaking as a Treebler, you 'Taters almost always violate the rules for growing taper because you don't chop often enough. No guts, no glory. You wait forever until the nebari is whatever you want and then chop. Then you have something that looks like a beer can for the duration and need to hide it with twigs that represent branches that never quite look right. If you chopped every other year at the most or every year being better, you'd get your nebari, eventually, and also taper and I'd quit making fun of you. Or, not.
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