This little guy is turning out quite well!!!

[Bonsaikev1985]

This little Maple I collected last spring out side of my resturant. Just a little seedling and I'd say it was about 8inches tall. It was just something to collect for fun and keep out back to mess around with on break. Threw the spring and summer I left it at work and just basically just kept a eye on it and let it grow. Fall comes and awesome bright red leaves came with it so figure I'd take it home with me and give it a proper overwintering. Spring comes and I forget exactly what happened, but trunk chopped it for experimental purposes. Grew back great creating a leader branch on its own but with huge leaves. Figured this be a good practice to work on leaf reduction since it had no real value I could risk losing it. I have to say it's working out well and this little guy is really starting to grow on me. My goal is to keep it this size and do a little Mame bonsai. Any advice on keeping it this low to the trunk, but maybe more dense? Thanks!

 

[Bonsaikev1985]

Don't mind the pot ha ha! It's a bottom half of a Hot Sauce container with holes poked in the bottom from work. Also wrapped black duck tape around the sides because it was clear. Figured if I cut it low enough it could play the part lol. Hey it did survive all winter in it and made it out alive !!!

 

[0soyoung]

Nice. I mess with stuff like this that i find in my yard. Many species' leaf size reduce by just keeping the tree small - IOW, put it into a smaller pot. Walnuts are the only Deciduous exception I've come across so far.

Fun stuff!

 

[Bonsaikev1985]

Yeah it's pretty cool. I have had so many trees that I left in the past that I did things to or haven't payed attention to and they ended up becoming pretty cool on they're own

 

[Cadillactaste]

Food for thought...

Trunk chops...look it up in the search engine. It may change your direction you're headed.

Just remember a tree must grow to be strong and healthy. Chopping puts movement in the trunk. Shortens it back each time.

Enjoy your journey...

 

[j evans]

Hate to say it but it is "cute". Have fun!

 

[Smoke]

Wh....wh....wha...What?

 

[Cadillactaste]

It's a sapling...it needs tossed in the ground to really see results. I grew a wisteria sucker in a pot same size one I trained in ground. The one in the pot was a stick in the pot as the wisteria thickened. I'm not one to push ground growing...but it's so young I think if you wish to see quicker results that would be the direction to take it.

 

[Smoke]

It's a sapling... .

I think this would be a "seedling"....I doubt this has ANY sapwood yet.


Wh...wh...What!

 

[Cadillactaste]

I think this would be a "seedling"....I doubt this has ANY sapwood yet.


Wh...wh...What!

Well, you could be right...I don't start with material this small. Other than that one time thing with that sucker off a wisteria. Just for curiosity sake...did a pot,and ground grown comparison. It was HUGE what I seen. That I don't know terminology of raw...very raw material.

 

[Bonsaikev1985]

Yeah this was just something for fun. I have many mature bonsai I work with and was just trying to mess around with other areas of bonsai. My goal now is to maintain it this size. Keep in a Mame bonsai. But I do agree with the ground growing. Did it to one of my Jap Maples and triple in trunk size in just 3yrs.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Would imagine a trident showed better success in thickening I hear they are trees on hormones. Very fast growing.

Mind s harinf a photo of where you took the others?

Wish you luck...Just remember a tree can look older with a bit of a thick trunk. This you said was 8"...unless it's shorter now. Mame is 6" max height. Not sure where your headed. But wondering if wanting a smaller tree...if you should have made your initial chop down lower. But...put some movement in it. Wire the leader if your happy with said trunk then. If no intentions to chop again.

 

[Bonsaikev1985]

When I said 8inches I was talking about when I collected and before the trunk chop. The trunk now is 2.5 inches and the total height is little over 5 inches

 

[petegreg]

When I said 8inches I was talking about when I collected and before the trunk chop. The trunk now is 2.5 inches and the total height is little over 5 inches

To help you, this is 2.5:5 ratio approx, just measure trunk diameter. An adept for ground growing, the time will do it.

 

[Saddler]

To help you, this is 2.5:5 ratio approx, just measure trunk diameter. An adept for ground growing, the time will do it.
View attachment 149156

It is possible I am missing something, but isn't 2.5:5 just a 1:2 ratio meaning the trunk is half the height of the tree?

 

[petegreg]

It is possible I am missing something, but isn't 2.5:5 just a 1:2 ratio meaning the trunk is half the height of the tree?

No, you are missing nothing. But if OP's tree is 5" tall, its trunk doesn't look to be 2.5" in diameter.

 

[Bonsaikev1985]

No, you are missing nothing. But if OP's tree is 5" tall, its trunk doesn't look to be 2.5" in diameter.

I'm saying the height of the trunk is 2.5 not the diameter. That's probably maybe a inch wide.

 

[Bonsaikev1985]

I'm happy with the height from top of leader to the trunk, width of the trunk, and overall size of the whole thing. I just want to maintain it this way. Don't want to get the trunk fatter or grow it taller. My goal is to keep it this size and work my way into a smaller and then even smaller pot. Until the pot size fits the tree accordingly. My goal is how to keep it small. I'm assuming pinching and cutting back why continuing to reduce leaf size. But thanks for all the info given

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I'm happy with the height from top of leader to the trunk, width of the trunk, and overall size of the whole thing. I just want to maintain it this way. Don't want to get the trunk fatter or grow it taller. My goal is to keep it this size and work my way into a smaller and then even smaller pot. Until the pot size fits the tree accordingly. My goal is how to keep it small. I'm assuming pinching and cutting back why continuing to reduce leaf size. But thanks for all the info given

From your questions, it seems you need to get a grasp of some basics: how trees grow, how they respond to pruning and pinching, and how to build trunks with actual taper and movement. Here are some articles that will help you learn:
http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/articles.htm
http://www.phutu.com/incremental-progress-trident-maples/
https://bonsaitonight.com/bonsai-blog/bonsai-development/
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2015/07/25/juniper-pinching-pruning-and-wiring/
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2015/02/14/wiring/

 

[Cadillactaste]

Leaf reduction is the last of your concern. That is the last step to bonsai. You can't focus on that...when wishing to focus on ramification. But...would love for you to draw up a virtual of where you see this tree. So we might be on the same page. For we see a seedling...

I'm saying the height of the trunk is 2.5 not the diameter. That's probably maybe a inch wide.

I'm having trouble seeing an inch thick trunk in the photo...sorry. Maybe that is where we all are off. What size is the container it's in?