WARREN HILL JAPANESE MAPLE CLUMP

[Orion_metalhead]

Well beauty, and thus value, is in the eye of the beholder as they say. It sounds like if you feel you will have a better bonsai in this tree than the other within the time frame you are working with, then you made the better trade ultimately.

Great stuff and I see a great tree as well with this one in the style of the large old sugar maples we have here in NJ. Here in Freehold, therr are a row in front of the high school and off Monument St. By the courthouse which are exactly in the style you are working towards and they are magnificent.

 

[pandacular]

But someone else would probably say it was me who lost in that "even" trade since this maple still needs a lot of development and flaws that need to be corrected.

well to me it seems that both parties (and the trees!) won, as you have a great track record of identifying and fixing flaws. I don't think I can think of anyone that would take better care of this tree.

 

[MACH5]

Well beauty, and thus value, is in the eye of the beholder as they say. It sounds like if you feel you will have a better bonsai in this tree than the other within the time frame you are working with, then you made the better trade ultimately.

I think ultimately for me is the tree I traded was just too "bonsai" for me. It was beautiful and pretty much finished but it bored me to be honest. Of course this is not my only measuring stick by which I sell a tree. Sometimes I have given up trees (read linden) that I had to sell to fund stuff that I need.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I dont have measuring sticks.... i have measuring sticks in pots lol... so if you say the trade was good for you, then i am sure you got the better end of things.

 

[MACH5]

well to me it seems that both parties (and the trees!) won, as you have a great track record of identifying and fixing flaws. I don't think I can think of anyone that would take better care of this tree.

Yes fair to say that both parties were happy with the trade! So we'll go at it and see what we get with this one!

 

[Nybonsai12]

I bet this clump was happy where it landed with this trade!

Looking forward to updates on this one!

 

[RJG2]

If you go ahead and decide to experiment with puncturing the cambium, be aware that the process needs to be repeated every so often before you can see results. It is not a one time deal.

Tattoo gun as a new bonsai tool?

 

[MACH5]

Repotting time for Bonzo! And a few root grafts for good measure.










All done... for now! I gave the tree a very slight tilt to the right. In the next repotting I'd like to move it a bit to the left. The pot is from Walsall Studio Ceramics in England.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Nice going there with that one.

 

[Maros]

Repotting time for Bonzo! And a few root grafts for good measure.

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All done... for now! I gave the tree a very slight tilt to the right. In the next repotting I'd like to move it a bit to the left. The pot is from Walsall Studio Ceramics in England.

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Great work as always

 

[Maiden69]

Looking great Serio! That there looks like Matt O bag of goodies!

 

[MACH5]

Looking great Serio! That there looks like Matt O bag of goodies!


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Indeed it is! Just too busy (or lazy) to grow my own!

 

[Maiden69]

Indeed it is! Just too busy (or lazy) to grow my own!

I don't blame you, I bought quite a few seeds this year... I think they will go to waste as I have no space or desire to sow them at this time. I received 2 bags of goodies this year, momiji and zelkova from him.

 

[MACH5]

A quick update. Not a significant change from last year but improvements will now come in smaller increments.






Two thread grafts were made. The one indicated below was made for two reasons. One, I need a future branch at that location. Second, it will also prevent potential severe dieback along the trunk (dotted lines) once I cut off the ugly stump (green line).






A fun and quick at-a-glance of where it was and where it is. The tree had left my garden for a few years and sadly it was mismanaged. Came back to my garden after I saw it for sale at Maple Leaf nursery. Getting it back on track albeit slowly.

 

[Dav4]

I have NO idea how this could be the first time I've seen this thread, but here we are! The chops from 9 years ago are paying off now! Gotta love an old and gnarly multi-trunk tree!

 

[MACH5]

I have NO idea how this could be the first time I've seen this thread, but here we are! The chops from 9 years ago are paying off now! Gotta love an old and gnarly multi-trunk tree!

Painful when I did it but happy I did Dave. I tried to salvage the original size of the tree but ultimately I knew it would not result in a better one.

BTW the appeal for me is that this tree looks like so many of the sugar and other maples that grow in the northeast. Classic single trunk splitting into subtrunks just a few feet up.

 

[misfit11]

It was bold to do those significant chops for sure. It had to be a difficult choice, but I agree that it was the right one. Those trunks were pretty straight and taperless. Now you've got a more powerful tree with great movement. Well done!

 

[Dav4]

Painful when I did it but happy I did Dave. I tried to salvage the original size of the tree but ultimately I knew it would not result in a better one.

BTW the appeal for me is that this tree looks like so many of the sugar and other maples that grow in the northeast. Classic single trunk splitting into subtrunks just a few feet up.

I grew up with trees like that and can absolutely see your inspiration in this piece.

 

[JudyB]

Something makes me want the left sub trunk to be the tallest trunk, but I think the unexpectedness of it being shorter adds authenticity to the design. Well done, and looks like one of your trees now...

 

[MACH5]

Something makes me want the left sub trunk to be the tallest trunk, but I think the unexpectedness of it being shorter adds authenticity to the design. Well done, and looks like one of your trees now...

And I would agree with you Judy. If you refer back to the 2017 pic the left trunk was supposed to be the tallest. When I sold the tree, the new owner thought it was a great idea to cut off my graft and instead use a back branch to continue the trunk line resulting in a huge scar facing the front SMH!! He got out of bonsai and not a moment too soon as I believe he would have destroyed this tree.

So... my hope is to get that trunk to be the tallest. It will take a while but if not I think I may be ok with it as well.