Uneventfull (yet) progression of a Japanse mapple

[Alain BERTRAND]

2003 : 2 two one year JM seedlings put together through a slate. First action, first error : especially for species with great morphological diversity, one would prefer use cuttings from the same mother tree.



2005 first repot



2007 repot again. It is very much like "Edge of Tomorrow", always the same while going a little bit farther.

 

[Alain BERTRAND]

2010 Again


Summer 2011 : I want to get more taper and lower branches. Chop the tree.


I think I have lost a repot and an important action: The difference of color and shape of leaves between the two tree was really a no-go so I grafted the child tree with a branch of the main tree.

2015 Repot again

The apex of the child tree is the result of the graft.

Another mistake: on the main tree, I have let a branch at the base of the big scar of the main tree (I had seen a result that appeared as if it had been done like that on a Japanese production tree, and thought it was the correct way of doing things). The axillary branch sucks the sap flux and greatly slow healing.

 

[leatherback]

Nice to see the "pancake nebari" develop due to repeated rootwork and aging.
Time beat all other actions.

 

[Alain BERTRAND]

winter 2018 : starting working on the canopy. Note the high quality pot.


Slip-ppoted in a cheap Japanese pot last fall (2019)


Today

Close-up on the nebari (I like it)

 

[Alain BERTRAND]

Thanks for watching.

 

[BobbyLane]

Looking good, nice project. nebari is great.

 

[PA_Penjing]

Wouldn’t call that uneventful at all. Looks like pretty well documented progression, plus some mistakes for others to avoid. This thing will look awesome in five years.

 

[0soyoung]

Thanks for watching.

It was a pleasure.

I still wish it were possible to do this in the same 17 minutes it took to go through all he pix in detail instead of 17 years.
You must have something like 100 other trees that kept you entertained.

 

[james]

Fantastic work, very well done. Only suggestion, which you may already have addressed is the intended apices, best to go in same direction. With mother/daughter twin trunk, usually that is toward little tree. As pictured that would be to the right.

 

[Alain BERTRAND]

You must have something like 100 other trees that kept you entertained.

Yes, started literally hundreds of seedlings. Did killed some, put most of them in my garden for growing (and they will stay there) but I have now far too many trees to work on each of them as I should.

With mother/daughter twin trunk, usually that is toward little tree. As pictured that would be to the right.

Thanks for your advice. In fact Clem told me so when I posted this tree on a French forum and I think it is very true.

 

[AndyJ]

Brilliant thread Alain. Thanks for sharing - I followed a similar route when I built a trident clump. Now I feel inspired to give this a go and make a twin trunk

 

[Projcinco21]

Loved this
Thanks for sharing

 

[Davidlpf]

Nice progression, congratulations and thanks for sharing.

Could you please, post any photo of the state of the wounds? I'm very interested in see how they are closing.

It's look they are healing extremely well!!

Cheers!

 

[Alain BERTRAND]

Thanks for your interest.
First, a wound made on the front this spring to suppress a bulge that bothered me, then wounds on the back of the tree from top to bottom.

 

[Davidlpf]

Thank you so much for the snapshots!

I wish they close complete soon.

Maybe next winter you could apply a bit of lime sulfur all around the trunk, even the wounds, It will help with the fungus and blend the textures of the bark.

 

[thatguy]

Thank you for sharing this progression! Really shows what time will do for a tree and is especially helpful for beginners such as myself. Cheers!

 

[Alain BERTRAND]

Maybe next winter you could apply a bit of lime sulfur all around the trunk, even the wounds, It will help with the fungus and blend the textures of the bark.

Thanks for your advice. I bought a bottle of lime sulfur, years ago but never used it, time to try!

 

[Eric Group]

winter 2018 : starting working on the canopy. Note the high quality pot.
View attachment 324765

Slip-ppoted in a cheap Japanese pot last fall (2019)
View attachment 324766

Today
View attachment 324770
Close-up on the nebari (I like it)
View attachment 324768

I’d cal this pretty eventful! What a progression! 17 years in the life of a tree that was grown with a clear plan in mind the entire time and is progressing well, nice work!

Kinda wish the large trunk had a little more taper but it has nice movement! The nebari is looking great overall- a few big honking roots coming off it, but that is to be expected... really great flare at the base! This is a quality thread!!