Sad Looking Maple

[lieuz]

I have a japanese maple tree last year that suffered pretty severely by a heat wave. The top of the maple wilted and simply died off. The lower portion, after i clipped off the top, survived and looks like lightening struck it. It was able to power through the growing season and now buds are emerging for this growing season. I am kind of at a loss of ideas on how to approach this tree but the initial design was to have a very informal upright but now that the tree is half the size, I would like to approach the broom style. To achieve this I have to get rid of the middle dead stump and possible carve out a notch like shape to better create branching. Is this a feasible idea? Any suggestions on how to approach this poor guy?

Here is what it looks like.

 

[lieuz]

Here is a larger resolution picture. I almost lost all motivation to keep going with this tree when it got hit with the heat. But maybe this might be a blessing in disguise. The old height of the tree was about 3 feet tall, not including pot.

 

[Eric Group]

Cut that sucker down to the lowest node- that little knob sticking off the left side- and you will be on your way to an informal upright.

 

[MACH5]

I would also plant the tree slightly in an angle to give it a bit of movement so is not so straight. A little trick that's effective, easy to accomplish and often overlooked.

 

[lieuz]

Any MS paint masters?

 

[lieuz]

Did some work on this maple. I did a little carving and cut away a bit of the dead wood.

 

[fviljoen963]

I think its looking cute- some double (and bar) branches sprouting from the same spot and so but its a nice little upright. Why not try a inf upright with another tree, this one has ideas of its own
Chopping this down till there is almost nothing left would be a waste

 

[erb.75]

I think its looking cute- some double (and bar) branches sprouting from the same spot and so but its a nice little upright. Why not try a inf upright with another tree, this one has ideas of its own
Chopping this down till there is almost nothing left would be a waste

Chopping down till there is almost nothing left is how most masterpieces are made with deciduous bonsai...it's how you get a lot of movement rather than a straight tree

the tree looks OK as is. Not my preference, but that's just my opinion. The biggest problem with the tree is taper. But it will still make a nice little tree as is

 

[edprocoat]

Lieuz, you need to have the growth upwards for a broom not wired down like you are doing.

Something like this may help you.
lieuz broom by edprocoat, on Flickr

ed

 

[Eric Group]

Man... I am telling you, this one is a prime candidate to get a trunk chop. See those buds popping off that bulge a couple inches above the soil? Chop just above that, seal it, let it grow a new leader, then whittle your chop site back to make a nice even angle between two new branches, or a 45 degree angle off the back of one... Seal it again... And you will have a tree with a decent start to a thick trunk base, some good movement, and a new leader started that you can make ANYTHING from. As it is, if you try to keep working with it like this... You will always have this odd looking tree that looks like it just barely survived something.

Why not shoot for the "oh that is a cool Bonsai" look, instead of the "yep it is still alive" look?

Aside from that- if you don't want to really go for it- what is your goal with all those branches? 1- the wiring should have a goal of adding some movement to the branches, and I don't see any wiggle there. 2- there are many spots where you have 3-4+ branches coming from the same point in the tree which will create a swelling (like that big knob I keep pointing out and telling you chop to) and reverse taper.

And finally, if it wasn't repotted within the last year or so, you might want to do that before the buds break- go hard on the roots, remove that big lone surface roots, find where there's a good root spread, cut the downward growing roots and any thick roots back HARD, plant it on top of a tile or a board or something to stimulate a nebari!

Not beating you up man, but you seem to have relegated yourself to having a "sad looking tree" when I see a blank canvas with some years of growth under it's belt and some potential if you have to guts to go after it and the vision to carry it out! You will never learn how to develop a tree from scratch if you don't do it a few times- what better material to start with than something you see as a "sad"/ ugly tree anyway?

 

[Eric Group]

Lieuz, you need to have the growth upwards for a broom not wired down like you are doing.

Something like this may help you.
lieuz broom by edprocoat, on Flickr

ed

This is the kind of chop I recommend at well, but more to get an informal upright... You could probably make a broom from it if you wire it up, but that would take a while, and require an additional LARGE chop.. Regardless, to get anything cool you will need to chop it a good bit lower I think.

 

[edprocoat]

Eric I seen you recommended the same chop earlier I just did the virt to give him the idea so he could see what needed to be done. The upper chop would create a bulge with all the branches there but would yield a broom within a couple seasons until it filled in the v-chop and started a bulge. I suggested the lower one, as you did previously also, as that would be the place I would chop it and wire that existing bud on the right side up and grow for taper with a strong trunk base. That way in 5-6 years he would have a powerful tree he could make a broom from or a nice informal upright <- my choice for a goal.

ed

 

[lieuz]

Man... I am telling you, this one is a prime candidate to get a trunk chop. See those buds popping off that bulge a couple inches above the soil? Chop just above that, seal it, let it grow a new leader, then whittle your chop site back to make a nice even angle between two new branches, or a 45 degree angle off the back of one... Seal it again... And you will have a tree with a decent start to a thick trunk base, some good movement, and a new leader started that you can make ANYTHING from. As it is, if you try to keep working with it like this... You will always have this odd looking tree that looks like it just barely survived something.

Why not shoot for the "oh that is a cool Bonsai" look, instead of the "yep it is still alive" look?

Aside from that- if you don't want to really go for it- what is your goal with all those branches? 1- the wiring should have a goal of adding some movement to the branches, and I don't see any wiggle there. 2- there are many spots where you have 3-4+ branches coming from the same point in the tree which will create a swelling (like that big knob I keep pointing out and telling you chop to) and reverse taper.

And finally, if it wasn't repotted within the last year or so, you might want to do that before the buds break- go hard on the roots, remove that big lone surface roots, find where there's a good root spread, cut the downward growing roots and any thick roots back HARD, plant it on top of a tile or a board or something to stimulate a nebari!

Not beating you up man, but you seem to have relegated yourself to having a "sad looking tree" when I see a blank canvas with some years of growth under it's belt and some potential if you have to guts to go after it and the vision to carry it out! You will never learn how to develop a tree from scratch if you don't do it a few times- what better material to start with than something you see as a "sad"/ ugly tree anyway?

I am really liking the sound of trunk chopping. I particularly like the idea of chopping it down to the lower suggested angle. I haven't really trunk chopped anything other than a huge persimmon tree that is in the ground, MAN did it come back strong like no other!! Is it the right season to trunk chop? Also this tree is in need of a repotting. Because I want to pursue a trunk chop, should I leave the tree in the current pot? It's been about two and a half years. The substrate I'm currently using is certainly not the best of substrates, just some small pea-gravel, pumice, oil dri, and organic mixed together. I did however, order from bonsai dallas some of that awesome akadama. I haven't gotten a chance to work with the stuff because it is simply too expensive, but I do need to try at some point and finally kow-tow'ed and bought the damn stuff. I figured, with a trunk chop, it'd be fitting to give the tree an awesome substrate to begin its new journey. I also ordered pumice and some of that shale (haydite).

 

[Eric Group]

Well... I have taken a tree- almost as ugly as yours- chopped it down to one low branch, hacked the hell out of the roots and planted it on a tile in the ground all at the same time, around this time of year, even a little later... And it shot out about 3-4 feet of growth from that one leader in the next year! So, yeah... I think you could do both. I don't know how healthy this tree is now, but if it grew well after incident that killed it's top and you feel it is healthy, go for it! Do NOT chop below that lowest bud he marked though! I would recommend making the initial chop a straight cut about an inch above the red line, let it throw out some new growth and use the branch you like best for the new leader.

 

[edprocoat]

I have a Trident Maple clump and another that is a single trunk that I chopped just over a month ago. The clump I chopped below all but three buds which were on branches I wanted to keep, they were both about 8 feet tall and the clump is chopped at about 7 inches including the branches and the single trunk was chopped at about 4 inches. The clump is now about 3 feet tall and the single trunk is much smaller but doing well. I did massive root work on both and planted them on a circular piece of plywood I cut to a diameter of an inch less than the pot I have them in which is a deep pot to allow the roots to grow outwards off the board and escape into the bottom to have planty of room to put out root growth to feed the canopy.

ed

 

[lieuz]

Well... I have taken a tree- almost as ugly as yours- chopped it down to one low branch, hacked the hell out of the roots and planted it on a tile in the ground all at the same time, around this time of year, even a little later... And it shot out about 3-4 feet of growth from that one leader in the next year! So, yeah... I think you could do both. I don't know how healthy this tree is now, but if it grew well after incident that killed it's top and you feel it is healthy, go for it! Do NOT chop below that lowest bud he marked though! I would recommend making the initial chop a straight cut about an inch above the red line, let it throw out some new growth and use the branch you like best for the new leader.

As far as I know, this tree is really healthy. It rebounded a lot from last year when it suffered that heat wave. It actually grew so much I had to prune it back because it just exploded in so much growth. I remember when I potted it into this plastic pot, this tree has a very nice nebari. I can't wait to repot to reveal what is hidden below. So I want to say that in a few weeks, 1-2 weeks, I'll make that trunk chop.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, this is my game plan to approaching trunk chopping this bad boy:

1) locate lowest bud and cut an inch above initial bud

2) apply the cut paste to heal the wound to reduce die back

3) repot into new pot with new bonsai mix

4) wait 1-2 months before applying fertilizer

5) wait for new leader to rear its pretty head

6) select new leader

 

[lieuz]

There are actually a few more buds breaking around the area of the lowest bud. It's probably a good decision to cut above that point because there is so much happening around that area already.

 

[Eric Group]

As far as I know, this tree is really healthy. It rebounded a lot from last year when it suffered that heat wave. It actually grew so much I had to prune it back because it just exploded in so much growth. I remember when I potted it into this plastic pot, this tree has a very nice nebari. I can't wait to repot to reveal what is hidden below. So I want to say that in a few weeks, 1-2 weeks, I'll make that trunk chop.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, this is my game plan to approaching trunk chopping this bad boy:

1) locate lowest bud and cut an inch above initial bud

2) apply the cut paste to heal the wound to reduce die back

3) repot into new pot with new bonsai mix

4) wait 1-2 months before applying fertilizer

5) wait for new leader to rear its pretty head

6) select new leader

Yep, pretty much nailed it! Deff seal the wound... Once you picked the leader you want, cut a diagonal from the leader you select across the trunk at about a 45 degree angle, maybe a little steeper- if you CAN, locate a bud/ branch on the opposite side of the trunk lower than the new leader and cut to what it is coming out right around the edge of the wound. This acheives two things- the wound will heal much faster with a branch on both side of the cut, AND you have your first branch placed perfectly on the outside of what will heal over to become a curve in the trunk if going for an informal upright (or the second branch to start your Broom with if you want to go that route). For the informal upright, you would wire to encourage your new leader to grow upwards at approximately the same angle as your cut, and wire the first branch on the opposite side to go straight off the trunk horizontal with the ground pretty much, or even lower than that... Maybe we are going too far with it at this point, but I hope that gives you a visual of what you are shooting for at least!

 

[edprocoat]

Sounds like a good plan, I would make the slanted cut I posted in the virt as the red line and grow that out as the new leader. If anything pops below that keep it to thicken the lower trunk more. Cut paste will not hurt but many people do not bother with it on Maples, I believe Al Keppler (Smoke) does not use it anymore. Check out his blog he has done some amazing work with Maples, just look up his profile and in his signature line of his posts is the link.

ed

 

[Smoke]

I always use cut paste. The rubber kind in the toothpaste tube, not the clay like stuff in the plastic jar. Works for me and what I do to maples which is always severe.