Nursery stock - Acer Palmatum - want your input!

[leus]

Got these three plants to entertain myself during my vacations. I want to use three different approaches on them, like an experiment. These are $20 nursery stock so I’d like to learn as much as I can and not being too careful.

Tree number one:




Tree number two:




Tree number three:



As background, I’m about three years into the hobby and I’m capable to keep trees alive now, but these are my first acer. It’s summer here but climate is nice (I’m less than a mile away from the Pacific Ocean) so about 25 degrees Celsius during the day, never under 17 during the night (near Valparaíso, Chile). I’ll be traveling back to Santiago on march where is much hotter and dry, but I plan to get measures to protect these from the sun.

All that being said, I’m open to suggestions and tips on what to do to them. I don’t have any plans yet.

 

[leus]

Aaannd since I’m bored as an oyster decided to start before waiting for suggestions. So for tree number one I just trimmed it a lot, removed dry leaves and fanned the branches out a bit.


The nebari situation is not good. I think this could be solved by placing a rock under the roots but I really don’t like bonsai over rocks, just not my cup of tea.



Suggestions welcome!

 

[coltranem]

I don't think a rock is going to make those roots any better. However the tree is young so you can fix the roots. You could look at layering above the highest roots or removing the highest roots and working with what is below them.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

All of them could be layered. Can you plant one in the ground? I think I'd cut off all the remaining trunks in the one you wired and just go with the one you shaped

 

[Shibui]

Many beginners think it is a great idea but placing a rock under or near poor roots rarely solves the problem. Almost always looks like a beginner stuck a rock under the roots.

As mentioned, sometimes upper roots can be removed but check that there is a good layer of roots below to form new nebari. Also check trunk thickness. High roots very quickly cause trunk to swell so when upper roots are removed there's reverse taper.
Maples will voluntarily produce new roots if they are given the opportunity. Obviously can't do that if the area is above soil level so first option is to add soil to cover the area and keep damp.
Chances of new roots increase if other roots are pruned hard. Try root pruning at the appropriate time and remove as much down roots as possible and shorten remaining lateral roots as much as you dare. Maples in good health will cope with severe root reduction.

So for tree number one I just trimmed it a lot, removed dry leaves and fanned the branches out a bit.

Might seem like a lot of pruning to a beginner but not to me. At some stage I think you'll need to chop all those long, straight branches way back to stimulate some side branching to form ramification.

You have not mentioned what 3 different approaches you plan to try with these or are we supposed to suggest some?

 

[leus]

All of them could be layered. Can you plant one in the ground? I think I'd cut off all the remaining trunks in the one you wired and just go with the one you shaped

I can. I'll wait until April or May to do it (southern hemisphere).

Many beginners think it is a great idea but placing a rock under or near poor roots rarely solves the problem. Almost always looks like a beginner stuck a rock under the roots.

Good thing that I don't like rocks under roots!

As mentioned, sometimes upper roots can be removed but check that there is a good layer of roots below to form new nebari. Also check trunk thickness. High roots very quickly cause trunk to swell so when upper roots are removed there's reverse taper.
Maples will voluntarily produce new roots if they are given the opportunity. Obviously can't do that if the area is above soil level so first option is to add soil to cover the area and keep damp.
Chances of new roots increase if other roots are pruned hard. Try root pruning at the appropriate time and remove as much down roots as possible and shorten remaining lateral roots as much as you dare. Maples in good health will cope with severe root reduction.

Thanks for the good advice. Plan to put all in practice when repotting in a couple of months.

Might seem like a lot of pruning to a beginner but not to me. At some stage I think you'll need to chop all those long, straight branches way back to stimulate some side branching to form ramification.

I'm a daredevil with a pair of pruners, so it's good to hear that. I've read and seen a lot of videos about acers and they always mention how vigorous these trees are. I have a big one in my backyard and even after a scorching summer where almost all leaves get burnt, I've observed it always comes back with a even more strength than before.

You have not mentioned what 3 different approaches you plan to try with these or are we supposed to suggest some?

I got these trees to learn, so I'm open to suggestions.

 

[leus]

Some work on the second tree.

First some trimming…

…and some bending and wiring. I plan to keep these wires only for a short while.


And as for the third one, I just pruned it a little bit because I want to plant it in the ground and work it there. Now to keep them alive!

 

[dbonsaiw]

The nebari situation is not good.

More a question than a suggestion, but could you plant the tree on a mound on a more extreme angle so that all the roots are underneath. Something like the style of the attached tree is what came to mind.

 

[Shibui]

More a question than a suggestion, but could you plant the tree on a mound on a more extreme angle so that all the roots are underneath.

Sometimes just tilting the trunk can be enough to even out existing roots for better nebari. Most bonsai styles look much better when the lower trunk is leaning anyway. Some trunk chops will give shoots that grow back the other way to give informal upright, etc styles anyway.
With very young trees, try not to look at the trunks as they are, look to what might be after future growth, trunk chops, etc. Bending existing trunks rarely produces great deciduous bonsai. Better trees are from repeated grow and chop cycles.

 

[dbonsaiw]

With very young trees, try not to look at the trunks as they are, look to what might be after future growth, trunk chops, etc. Bending existing trunks rarely produces great deciduous bonsai. Better trees are from repeated grow and chop cycles.

Being able to picture the future tree is so essential to development and where I have some serious gaps in my learning. To help bridge the gap, I've been looking at tons of bonsai trees. Those that interest me for one reason or another get saved into files. I've been trying to organize the files by trunk design, as opposed to species/cultivar. My twin trunk file is also being split into subfiles in recognition of basic design differences (1 up 1 to the side, both up, both outwards etc.). I'm still far from where I want to be, but I at least have a catalogue of trees to help me picture possibilities. Next step - understand how to better realize these possibilities.

 

[Shibui]

Being able to picture the future tree is so essential to development and where I have some serious gaps in my learning.

I don't think you need to be able to imagine the entire tree. Just understand the general results produced by different techniques.
Retaining long, straight trunks generally gives a tree with long, straight sections with little or no taper.
Chop and regrow adds taper to the trunk, adds bends where the new shoots grow at a different angle and usually produces some extra side branches.
Etc, etc.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Much good advise above. Cut backs of trunks often develop much better trees eventually as do angle changes and layering of roots. If not labeling and photoing of trees likely will not recognize in 10 years as future masterpieces. One thing to remember is keep major cutbacks on back side of tree if possible.

 

[leus]

I’m taking notes. Thank you for your input!

 

[leus]

Some progression. This one never managed to plant in ground. It’s autumn here, so I’m not worried about the leaves.

These two haven’t received the memo I guess. They spent more time in semi-shadow so I guess it makes sense.