Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
Yup it's always best to look to species that grow in your climate
What cultivar of Japanese maple is this?
- Thread starter JustALoneSpirit
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rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Bottom line, give it a go. see what you can do. FWIW, here in a temperate zone, people want tropical and Mediterranean trees. Ficus, bougainvillea, olives, etc. They go to great lengths to keep them--greenhouses, expensive lighting, etc. They are not easy trees to keep (except in the summer) Overwintering tropicals inside a house doesn't do them any good and kills quite a few. It's a bit easier because those species don't require a winter dormancy, though
JustALoneSpirit
Yamadori
I certainly have, but all of them have like damn large leaves...
Btw will shimpakus do well in my climate?
BrightsideB
Omono
Leaves can reduce significantly with some tree’s when they are grown in a container. But not all do.
What @rockm said Ficus, bougainvillea, olives, etc. tropical and Mediterranean tree’s should be much easier to manage.
Srt8madness
Omono
Ding ding we have a winner! I discovered the same trying to grow Japanese maples. Sure I put a few in the ground that are relatively strong, but I have no confidence for when it comes time to pot them.
Instead I shifted to growing trees like JBP, junipers, and Elms, that all thrive in my climate. Surprise surprise, they are much easier and do so much better.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
If I were you, I would look to Southeast Asia--Southern China, Indonesia and Vietnam in particular--to see what species they're working with. There are some spectacular tropical bonsai coming out of Vietnam. Desmodium (blue bell) is being exported a lot for bonsai use. Some are specimen level. In Indonesia, Premna, Pemphis acidula are both used extensively. Banyan ficus (ficus benghalensis) is used extensively all over the world for bonsai. It's native to the subcontinent.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficus_benghalensis
JustALoneSpirit
Yamadori
Just potted this up. I believe this is a kotohime?
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Unless the tree was labeled by the seller who knows the provenance, it's extremely hard to determine exactly what variety it is. There are over 1,000 cultivars of Japanese maple. Some are very very similar to one another. Hard to say if this one is Kotohime.
Koto Hime Japanese Maple
The Koto Hime Japanese maple, Acer palmatum ‘Koto Hime,’ is in the dwarf or yatsubusa group of plants which are prized for bonsai training. This cultivar is best when trained as a shohin or small s…
valavanisbonsaiblog.com
Maiden69
Masterpiece
Agree with @rockm here, but from the look of the tree it doesn't look like a kotohime at all. Kotohime us a dwarf with very tight growth and really short internodes. Below are a few pictures of mine.Unless the tree was labeled by the seller who knows the provenance, it's extremely hard to determine exactly what variety it is. There are over 1,000 cultivars of Japanese maple. Some are very very similar to one another. Hard to say if this one is Kotohime.
Koto Hime Japanese Maple
The Koto Hime Japanese maple, Acer palmatum ‘Koto Hime,’ is in the dwarf or yatsubusa group of plants which are prized for bonsai training. This cultivar is best when trained as a shohin or small s…
JustALoneSpirit
Yamadori
Btw should I air layer it off from the top in order to get like a small tree. There's like 3 branches from one place so maybe 2 air layers leaving behind one for the original tree?
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
You CAN do that if you want. However, the sphagnum moss wrapping may be too much for the trunk to support effectively at this point. If I were you, I'd just learn how to care for the tree for at least a year.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
No. you just worked the roots so now you should not layer it.
It probably is just a regular japanese maple. But do ask the seller.
JustALoneSpirit
Yamadori
I did not cut a single root. I just washed off the soil.
JustALoneSpirit
Yamadori
Thanks, I thought that at first, but then I was thinking about putting it in the fridge for winter and it's too large to fit in the fridge... So thought about getting smaller plants to put in fridge.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
You asked. I answered.
Now do what you want.
JustALoneSpirit
Yamadori
I mean this is not the right time to repot right? So how do I ensure survival? I've wired it at the base to prevent movement of root ball and misting twice a day
leatherback
The Treedeemer
I am out. I think it would be best if you go to Lalbach botanical gardens.
(Maybe contact them first, and ask when the bonsai artist is in).
The lady who manages the bonsai collection there is very knowledgeable and can possibly help you to get started.
Tell her Jelle from Germany sais hi.
(Maybe contact them first, and ask when the bonsai artist is in).
The lady who manages the bonsai collection there is very knowledgeable and can possibly help you to get started.
Tell her Jelle from Germany sais hi.
JustALoneSpirit
Yamadori
Hmm... But I believe in lalbagh they grow only tropicals? I mean it's just 1 hour drive from my home
eplov90
Yamadori
Even just repotting without cutting roots generally sets the tree back and makes it weaker.
You really don't want to do an airlayer on a weakened tree as the layering process is taxing and also make it less likely that you get a solid production of new roots at the cut site. In very simple terms, anything above the place you layer will continue being supported by everything below, but the foliage above won't contribute energy back into the roots. The tree needs to be healthy and vigorous for it to push enough energy up to support the existing foliage without being fed at all.
You really don't want to do an airlayer on a weakened tree as the layering process is taxing and also make it less likely that you get a solid production of new roots at the cut site. In very simple terms, anything above the place you layer will continue being supported by everything below, but the foliage above won't contribute energy back into the roots. The tree needs to be healthy and vigorous for it to push enough energy up to support the existing foliage without being fed at all.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
They grow tropicals because that's what survives well in your climate. I'd take that to heart. You maple isn't a logical or capable bonsai candidate in your climate.
BTW, cutting roots is only one way you disturb the roots. Barerooting it and placing it in new soil out of season is another form of root disturbance. Roots disturbed in that manner don't function optimally (or at all) for a long while after. Misting is a pretty bad practice for any outdoor tree. It doesn't provide any benefit, as outdoor humidity is more than adequate--unless you live in a desert. It's simply not necessary and has a steep downside by keeping the tree too wet.
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