Nursery JM bargain

[SeanS]

My girlfriend and I went to a local nursery earlier today to buy some lavender bushes. The nursery usually has some expensive grafter named cultivar landscape Japanese maples, so I don’t usually bother looking around for maples when we go there.

But turning down one of the rows of plants some bright green trunks caught my eye. They had 4 regular maples in 20L bags for R200 each ($11.50). I found the one with the fattest base. There’s another with a bit more movement down low but the nebari wasn’t as good.

Tell me what to do with it! It has a bit of a bulge where it changes direction but it doesn’t look too bad. Maybe a taller tree with a chop a bit higher up? Or a chop at that first branch?

I might go back for the other one later in spring if they still have it.



2” nebari


Just over 1”

 

[SeanS]

Possible chop?

Help me with a plan? Leave in nursery bag and chop in summer, repot next spring?
Repot now in spring, chop next year? Repot and chop this year?

Need advise.

 

[Nybonsai12]

how does the nebari look all the way around? It’s swollen but how are the roots? Ideally you want a nice radial spread of roots at the same level all the around the base. It’s hard to tell from the pics. If it doesnt look so great you may want to try a ground layer.

If nebari is ok and it is spring by you I would bare root to get it into better soil And probably Chop at the same time to Start working on getting some trunk movement.

 

[SeanS]

I’ll take a proper look at the nebari tomorrow. From my initial dig around it’s not fantastic, definitely not radial.
If I don’t need to layer it I’ll definitely bare root and plant on a board in a wooden box with the necessary root work.
Does my proposed chop look ok?

 

[Nybonsai12]

I’ll take a proper look at the nebari tomorrow. From my initial dig around it’s not fantastic, definitely not radial.
If I don’t need to layer it I’ll definitely bare root and plant on a board in a wooden box with the necessary root work.
Does my proposed chop look ok?

i would probably chop just above the first branch, but that’s me. im sure some more folks will chime in to give some opinions.

 

[SeanS]

i would probably chop just above the first branch, but that’s me. im sure some more folks will chime in to give some opinions.

And use the first branch as the new leader or hope for buds to pop at the chop?

 

[Nybonsai12]

And use the first branch as the new leader or hope for buds to pop at the chop?

New leader

 

[Beelz]

You should wait until next spring and do a few air layers on it. The three main branches you could probably about a third of the way up, air layer each one at the start of spring. Then the season after that air layer it like half way up. That way you went from one tree to 5 trees in two years.

While the branches are all quite straight you could probably do a sweet forest of the branch air layers. This is what I'm doing with my JM.

 

[james]

I would pass on this tree. Poor nebari + no taper = very frustrating project. You will also have large scar at chop, which may give you reverse taper.

 

[mattspinniken]

You could make a cool tall tree that would be nice but not amazing. I would air layer it at points where two branches emerge. Try 3-5 layers and grow them all out in the ground. You will have many potentially amazing trees (with enough time).

 

[BobbyLane]

sorry to be blunt, but its just a stick that breaks into 3 more sticks, i really dont see any point in messing about with layers. the base is also very problematic.

 

[Sean Walker]

Cool find!
Just a newb opinion but the opportunity to practice air layerings, root work, and chopping is well worth your money spent!
Have fun I know I would!!!

 

[MrWunderful]

Develop the nebari first. Ground layer it next year, and allow all the foliage mass to fuel the new roots.

Then slowly layer pieces off the top, and over the years the nebari will continue to develop.

By the time you get to the small stump at the bottom you’ll have an incredible nebari, and yeah a large scar but quality deciduous is long term projects anyways.

 

[Pitoon]

The JM has a 2" trunk at the base....but has no presentable nebari.

I think you could improve this JM but it will take at least a decade to make a nice shohin. First off, air layer the top branches to use their roots to fix the nebari by doing thread grafts, after they take then chop to start the taper.

Do you have to patience to do it?

 

[clem]

Can you take pics of the other "sides" ? Maybe it will be more inspiring.. On the side you showed, i would try air layering on a few branches to start new projects with young trees. I prefer to start with a thin but interesting 'skeleton' that i'll cultivate to make it grow & thicken, than with a big traight trunk with no tapper ^^

 

[SeanS]

The photos really don’t show the taper that is there very well. It looks much better (well as good as it can be) in person. Compared to other taller trees with chops high up that I’ve seen online I still think it can make a decent tree.

The nebari isn’t great, I’ll need to work on that.

I sound like I’m trying to justify the tree after a bit of a brutal lashing

I’ll try take some Better photos tomorrow

 

[clem]

It will become a decent tree & maybe there is another 'front' on another side with a good trunk line

On the pic you posted, i think i would keep this part of the trunk with a good taper ->

 

[Dav4]

A. palmatums are easily ground layered. Start there, then consider a chop in a year or two.

 

[Paulpash]

A. palmatums are easily ground layered. Start there, then consider a chop in a year or two.

Agreed. Here's one I did this year - a layer of a layer. I've topped the surface with sphagnum and netting to keep the birds off & for shade (keeps the moss moist til the next watering). I can see soft white roots just under the surface if I gently brush the moss away.

Damage to lower bark - it would always look ugly.


An overly thick low branch - we could make an attractive twin trunk though & solve both problems by layering again. Initially I did not see the damage or register the thickness of that low branch / trunk.



A moisture retentive mix, 50-50 chopped sphagnum and moler, ready to be poured into the split pot.


Pot, knife and mix ready. Slice the pot down the middle, poke 3 x 2 holes close to the edges of the cut pot.


Ring bark completed & scraped to remove all cambium. Pass the pot around the base and "lace up" the pot with some 2mm wire. Pour the mix into your pot. Apply moss to the top to keep it moist. Put netting over the whole shebang to stop the damn birds from attacking it, water thoroughly and wait . I'll wait a season til I remove the old roots and start nebari work. Hopefully I'll be lucky and get a radial, even spread.