Suggestions on shaping and wiring these Acer's?
- Thread starter Utah-Bonsai-Student
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pandacular
Masterpiece
not sure about styles, but I would focus my efforts on setting a basic structure to the trunks of these trees while they're still bendable. you should be aware that maples can "bite in" to the wire (in other words, start to grow around it, leaving scars) remarkably quick, so you must keep a close eye on any wire that is applied.
you should also keep in mind other techniques for shaping these trees. guy wires and directional pruning are both equally valuable to wiring, and have their own upsides.
Personally, I would focus mostly on the vigor of these trees for the time being. Wiring a tree will hurt it's ability to grow, so that's always a tradeoff to consider.
you should also keep in mind other techniques for shaping these trees. guy wires and directional pruning are both equally valuable to wiring, and have their own upsides.
Personally, I would focus mostly on the vigor of these trees for the time being. Wiring a tree will hurt it's ability to grow, so that's always a tradeoff to consider.
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
Both still very young so anything is possible. They don't have enough yet for the existing growth to dictate a shape. Personally I prefer Japanese maple bonsai to look like Japanese maples so would urge you not to do the informal upright with horizontal branches.
If you think you might like bends in the trunk now is the time to wire and bend. Next year they will be too stiff to bend. However, consider brow and chop as a development strategy. Works well with maples, adds taper to trunks and also adds bends wherever the trunk transitions into a side branch as new extension of the trunk after a chop.
Your next move depends what you want these to turn out like:
small trees in pots - keep trimming as the shoots extend. Simple and quick but not very impressive as bonsai.
old looking thicker trunks - Grow in larger pots and chop occasionally to increase trunk and taper and add bends. Much longer term but the results can be well worth the wait.
I see the smaller, sad looking tree is in a terracotta pot. Terracotta dries out quicker so that tree might be getting drier more often than the taller tree in the plastic pot. Maples need lots of water in summer in most places. Terracotta probably doesn't help in this case.
If you think you might like bends in the trunk now is the time to wire and bend. Next year they will be too stiff to bend. However, consider brow and chop as a development strategy. Works well with maples, adds taper to trunks and also adds bends wherever the trunk transitions into a side branch as new extension of the trunk after a chop.
Your next move depends what you want these to turn out like:
small trees in pots - keep trimming as the shoots extend. Simple and quick but not very impressive as bonsai.
old looking thicker trunks - Grow in larger pots and chop occasionally to increase trunk and taper and add bends. Much longer term but the results can be well worth the wait.
I see the smaller, sad looking tree is in a terracotta pot. Terracotta dries out quicker so that tree might be getting drier more often than the taller tree in the plastic pot. Maples need lots of water in summer in most places. Terracotta probably doesn't help in this case.
