Please help with my new thriving maple! (I am a total noob)

[prawn]

Hello everyone!

I am a complete bonsai beginner that started during quarantine. I purchased a small Japanese maple tree starter about a month ago and since then it has really grown! I was so surprised and happy.
If you can please offer me any advice if I should be doing something at these early stages I would really appreciate it.

I know it might be very early but I already bought different strengths of wire and wire cutters, and have it in a large pot so it has room to grow. So far I've read tons of guides and watched a bunch of videos and it seems like everyone says maybe I should just let it grow out for a few years then try to shape it?

What happens if I try to shape it now as it is softwood?

Any and ALL suggestions or advice would be loved! Thank you so much.

I attached two pictures of when I first got it and just this morning! I think it is SO pretty.

First week:



Current Growth:

 

[BrianBay9]

@prawn Welcome! Enjoy your new tree! Read and learn from this site.....lots of good info here. Generally speaking development of a bonsai goes like this - get the base and trunk the size that you want (buy something big enough or grow out for some time), then develop the shape and branches. Your seedling has a long way to go, but judging from your pic you've got the time. Personally I must resist the urge to do too much for each plant, so you might consider acquiring bonsai at different stages of development to play with. Get one that has a trunk that is already pretty thick. Get another that has trunk and branches to refine. If all you have to do is sit and watch your beautiful seedling, you might get bored (board?). Add your general location to your profile here and people can give you more useful advice, and recommend a club nearby that can really get you going.

 

[Paulpash]

Look at @MACH5 's work. Read the Ebihara maples thread. That should keep you going for a while . Welcome to the wonderful world of bonsai

 

[Shibui]

There are many ways to arrive at a bonsai.
Grow and cut back is one way.
Develop slowly with regular intervention is another way. I am currently working on some smaller maples bonsai by wiring and bending the trunks early while they are still flexible so the trunk will have some strong curves and twists when it grows thicker. maybe this will not suit JM styling but I have a couple of accidental bendy maple trunks and I think they look good so trying to engineer some more.

The choice is yours as to which route to follow. Much will depend on your vision for the ultimate shape and look of your bonsai.
If you choose to wire please do so carefully. JM trunks are quite brittle and will snap if you bend too far. At this stage you will only need the thinnest wire you have. Thicker wire is more difficult to apply and more likely to break the tree in the process.
Your tree is growing fast. You will need to check the wire every week because it will soon start to mark the trunk. At this stage the tree will probably set into the new position in just 3-4 weeks so remove the wires as soon as you see signs of the trunk swelling around any part of the wire.

 

[bonsaichile]

By the way, that looks to be a silver maple, and not a Japanese maple

 

[Shibui]

I can't see the back of any of those leaves but silver maple leaves tend to be more deeply toothed along the margins. This one has all the characteristics of Japanese maple including the bark on the trunk. I'll still go with JM.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

I like the color of that pot!

Sorce

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Welcome to the site!

Let us know where you live (in general) because we would give different advice for Miami versus Boston

Also... where do you plan to keep your tree (longer term)? It looks like it might be in a greenhouse(?)