Very large Acer rubrum

[Bonsai Nut]

Out of everyone in the comments I think we are on the same page as far as this red line chop points you pointed out. I Intentionally left the three leaders long because most likely they will be lowered during the growing season but thought leaving more right now would help the tree recovery from all the trauma it Endured during the excavation process. I'm really just waiting for a good transition for each trunk to lower the tree a bit. I'll definitely get my chance during this summer.

If you decide to go this route, be very careful about inverse taper - and the likelihood that the tree will develop a thicker trunk where the three upper trunks join together.

 

[jeef16]

good luck on this! I'm growing a lot of acer rubrum myself currently! Apparently they respond decently to the more traditional maple techniques like pinching, once you start to get to refinement

 

[MMJNICE]

If you decide to go this route, be very careful about inverse taper - and the likelihood that the tree will develop a thicker trunk where the three upper trunks join together.

I doubt I'll cut back as short as your red lines so that should help to lessin the inverse taper i hope. I'm kinda playing it by eye for the time being.

 

[MMJNICE]

good luck on this! I'm growing a lot of acer rubrum myself currently! Apparently they respond decently to the more traditional maple techniques like pinching, once you start to get to refinement

I have a at least one red that has entered into refinement so all the traditional techniques are starting to be implemented with very good results . All that tree needs is a bonsai pot. Will be looking for one to repot into in a year or two when I get the ramification where I want it.

 

[MMJNICE]

Just a couple of updates on the maple. It’s been growing very strongly all spring and has been cut back three times as of today. First picture is before cut backs and the other pictures of cut backs I've made today. Didn't take pictures of the before today but im having a lot of double branches growing from one spot up top. It's coming along nicely so far and I haven't had the urge to do any hard prunning of the trunks to reduce the number or to make them smaller..... yet..

 

[MMJNICE]

 

[MMJNICE]

Also I like this little 5 inch shohin red maple though it's definitely deserved to been seen one's or twice

 

[MMJNICE]

View attachment 599075

Would like to get the leaf size reduced a bunch but that will come over the coming growing season and next couple of years. Overall im pleased

 

[MMJNICE]

Just a little update the larger red i can't wait till leaf drop so I can do branch selection and bring some of the vertical growing branches horizontal to complement the future design. They're is a lot of branches i can't really use too. But it has had a halfway decent growing season so far. I had a problem with black spot because I stopped spraying for it around late June. I thought I had it under control but that was not the case. It has mostly recovered so no real issues with that.

 

[MMJNICE]

I'm still debating on taking some of everyone's suggestions on future designs for the tree like possible airlayering the main trunk shorter or removing one trunk down to two main trunk lines. The shohin red maple i showed is doing a fairly good job keeping its internodal leaf distance tight and compact. It's still under 8" even though it had grown a bunch. That tree will need some serious branch selection this winter because I have branches going on top of each other. Ohh yea i dropped the grow box and broke it so i replanted it in this pink colander...