Seiryu Japanese Maple

[Cabin Fever]

I hit a couple nurseries in search of some cheap pre-bonsai material and picked up
this Seiryu Japanese Maple which is a bit ugly but has what I thought was a decent trunk to build from,
and the $20 price seemed right..
I could use some guidance on where to chop it and if I should wait tell spring to do that.

 

[Cabin Fever]

My initial thought was to chop between the 6-7 inch area.
I’m also wondering if I should stick it in the ground after the chop or if I pot it.

Bryan

 

[Cypress187]

You want the chop to heal fast I think.

 

[0soyoung]

Like most acer palmatum varieties, I think your 'seiryu' is grafted onto a generic acer palmatum root stock. It is a high quality graft making it hard to discern in your pix. I guess the union is in the neighborhood of 5 inches above the ground, even though the unions are typically lower than this. Regardless, you ought to figure out where the graft union (if any) is because you risk chopping away all the 'seiryu' and winding up with a generic acer palmatum which can be made an excellent bonsai,

If you bought this tree just for having a generic green acer palmatum bonsai, chop it about 4 inches above the ground next spring, On the other hand, 'seiryu' does quite well on its own roots and would as well make a very nice bonsai. If this is your aim, I would air layer it at a point higher up, closer to the lowest branches, next spring. The process should pop buds below the girdle and may make it easier to spot the graft union by finding different leaf shapes on those new shoots.

 

[Cabin Fever]

Thanks Osoyung. I really like the small leaves of the Seiryu so I will air layer next spring and then
see if I can do something with the remainder of the trunk after that. Being new to Bonsai I keep forgetting
that most of these trees at the nurseries have been grafted.

Bryan

 

[Melospiza]

Like most acer palmatum varieties, I think your 'seiryu' is grafted onto a generic acer palmatum root stock. It is a high quality graft making it hard to discern in your pix. I guess the union is in the neighborhood of 5 inches above the ground, even though the unions are typically lower than this. Regardless, you ought to figure out where the graft union (if any) is because you risk chopping away all the 'seiryu' and winding up with a generic acer palmatum which can be made an excellent bonsai,

If you bought this tree just for having a generic green acer palmatum bonsai, chop it about 4 inches above the ground next spring, On the other hand, 'seiryu' does quite well on its own roots and would as well make a very nice bonsai. If this is your aim, I would air layer it at a point higher up, closer to the lowest branches, next spring. The process should pop buds below the girdle and may make it easier to spot the graft union by finding different leaf shapes on those new shoots.

I can see the graft union in the fifth picture, an inch below the red line. It is where the bark turns from green to grey. If the OP did a trunk chop there, it is likely that the new shoots will come from the stock. It would be nice looking, but it won't be 'Seiryu'.

 

[Melospiza]

Please don't do a trunk chop but rather do an air-layer a few inches below the messy area with 3-4 branches coming out. You will get an instantly interesting tree out of it, and the part of the tree below it will send out new shoots, which will give you another tree. If you chopped it where the red line it, you will likely get new growth from the stock (you can see the graft union at the 4.5 inch mark in the 4th picture). This won't be 'Seiryu', just normal Jap. maple. You will have lost your Seiryu for no purpose.

 

[Cabin Fever]

Please don't do a trunk chop but rather do an air-layer a few inches below the messy area with 3-4 branches coming out. You will get an instantly interesting tree out of it, and the part of the tree below it will send out new shoots, which will give you another tree. If you chopped it where the red line it, you will likely get new growth from the stock (you can see the graft union at the 4.5 inch mark in the 4th picture). This won't be 'Seiryu', just normal Jap. maple. You will have lost your Seiryu for no purpose.

Thanks for your advice.. That’s exactly what I’m going to do next spring..
What should I do with until then? Re-pot? Stick it in the ground, or just leave it in its nursery pot.

 

[Melospiza]

Thanks for your advice.. That’s exactly what I’m going to do next spring..
What should I do with until then? Re-pot? Stick it in the ground, or just leave it in its nursery pot.

You could slip into the ground for winter or repot in early spring followed by air-layering in late spring.

 

[Melospiza]

You could slip into the ground for winter or repot in early spring followed by air-layering in late spring.

But not sure this maple is hardy in winter in your area.. If it's not, you would have to give it winter protection.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I am assuming the maple was sold to you from a local nursery that was selling them for outdoor, landscape use. It probably is hardy in your area.

Given that I would stick it in the ground. Simply dig a large enough hole and slip it in the ground without disturbing the roots a huge amount. Just roughen up the outside of the root ball.

Reason is, if you repot and then immediately follow with trying to get an air layer to take you have a higher probability of failure. Normally don't disturb the roots the same year you are doing air layers. Wait until the following year. The ringing of the bark that you do to create an air layer cuts off the portion of the nutrition to the roots that would normally come from the part of the tree being air layered. Roots won't grow back if their nutrition from the leaves is severely cut off. So keep repotting and air layering in separate years.

 

[Cabin Fever]

Great information Leo.
Thank you.