What size Bonsai pot for this Deshojo? Any help appreciated.

[bennybonsai]

Also how close can I cut the knub to the new branches?

 

[bennybonsai]

In this photo?

 

[Juanmi]

Okay cool. So like this? Would I leave the one on the left opposite the new leader? And would I leave the new leader or wire it to bend slightly to the right for movement? Would you use concave cutters for these cuts? It's fine to do the Cuts repot and root cut at once or not? Sorry for so many questions.View attachment 582679

Yes, like this.

I probably get rid of the branch opposite to the new leader because they would both grow vigorously, they will compete to become the new leader.

As for the wiring, it's a matter of taste. It is very difficult to evaluate the volume of a complex form as it is a tree from a single 2D photo. You could wire it, you could leave it as it is.

I would use concave cutters only on the branches that I would cut next to the trunk (so mainly the first branch to the right) and it wouldn't even be necessary, straight cutters would do the job just fine given that maples have a thin bark.

For the cutting of the current leader I would also leave a few cm for dieback.

On my trees I often do root work and pruning at the same time. Some would say that is better not to over stress the tree and do it over two separate seasons.

 

[Juanmi]

Also how close can I cut the knub to the new branches?

You can remove it completely, but maybe, I would do that during the autumn dormancy. It could be dangerous if the new branches are too thin, so I would give them a season to thicken, it would be safer.

 

[Shibui]

I'm going to be changing the media to akadama, pummice, and lava. What ratio would you reccomend?

potting media is always a very personal thing. So many other variables that different mixes will work in different places. Local weather, humidity, how often you can water, how well you are able to water, size of pot, type of pot and so many more variables. I get better results with a high organic mix, probably because summers are very hot and dry but others get great results with the APL mixes. Note that akadama, pumice and lava rock are quite variable depending on the sources so the same ratios using different brands of media may perform quite differently.
Suffice to say that bonsai can be successfully grown in a wide variety of potting mixtures. The one truism is that you need to match your care to the soil or vice versa.

When you say regular reports how often do you mean? Also do you mean just changing the soil or root work every time. Lets say I put it in the suggested pot size you mentioned above, what would you consider regular repotting? Once a year? Is that soil change and root work?

@Juanmi has already given great advice. Japanese maples grow a little slower than something like trident maple. I root prune tridents every 12 months during growth phase. This helps establish a good root system. I do JM every 2-3 years and that includes root pruning as hard as necessary to direct roots in desired directions but that's trees growing here under my care. Trees growing in pots may have even slower development so might not be ready for root pruning for 3 years. I would start with a good formative root prune then check again in 2 years to see what's happened. You will gradually get a feel for how your tree is growing under your conditions. We are all happy to prune branches to form good branch structure but for some reason many seem to baulk at doing the same with the roots which are equally important IMHO.
After a few years in a pot the roots fill the soil spaces. Residual nutrients begin to run out and soil mix may begin to decay. All these things make it harder for the tree to grow well and growth will slow down. Regular repotting will promote optimum growth and development.

I would love to hear any advice you have to have to give as I have noticed any problems. (Maybe the last Cutts have not been cleaned up)

Once again, @Juanmi has picked up on most of the things I see.
JM are particularly sensitive to the way we prune and grow them.
Long internodes have been mentioned. Few trees can grow new buds between nodes so long internodes limit the possibilities for branching.
The top of your trunk has a very long internode. I've marked it in blue. No chance of any branches from that section. That could be Ok if you plan on a bigger bonsai but at the size you have that will leave a bare section near the top where you really want more branching. Other long internodes also marked with blue.

Growing JM can be frustrating because we don't want long internodes but the trees keep insisting on growing them, especially when we are pushing accelerated growth. You will need to cut off long internodes and encourage shorter growth to achieve a good bonsai.

Clusters of buds lead to local swelling.
JM seem to love to grow lots of shoots from the nodes, esp after pruning.
This top node is a classic example

I can count 11 shoots as well as the older stubs. It's way too late to be able to use that lump as any part of a good bonsai. Fortunately we plan to remove it to get rid of the long internode below.
The same seems to happen when we leave a side branch after pruning.

So like this? Would I leave the one on the left opposite the new leader? And would I leave the new leader or wire it to bend slightly to the right for movement? Would you use concave cutters for these cuts? It's fine to do the Cuts repot and root cut at once or not? Sorry for so many questions.

The cuts you've marked are just what I would do. JM are so sensitive to overthickening that it is even more important to stick to the 2x2 ramification, ie no opposite branches.
I would also remove the branch opposite the new leader. Normally that could be left to grow but they do seem to grow so fast you usually end up with 2 thick leaders instead of a trunk and a branch. It may seem you won't have enough branches but JM are so good at new shoots you will almost certainly get new buds from tat node after pruning. One of those can be used as a branch. I've marked those in brown (always with fingers crossed.)

Concave cutters are the ideal tool for this pruning as it can cut clean and neat right through the middle of those forks.
Wire whenever you feel the need to change the line or angle of any part of your tree. Note that leaving wire on Jm can quickly result in major wire marks which looks horrible. Young branches set very quickly. Wires may only need to be on for a few weeks so keep checking and remove any wire at the first sign of it tightening on any part of the tree.

Some species resent too much work at on time but no problem pruning, repotting and root pruning JM in one operation. In fact I find it advantageous as root pruned Jm do not bleed after pruning.

You are likely to discover that developing a JM is not so much growing it up. I find it more a case of grow and cut, grow and cut, repeat. To control taper, to control internode length and to control inverse taper and local thickening it is necessary to prune often and prune hard.
Already you can see that much of the existing trunk has been sacrificed for a better result. I would expect that to be repeated several more times as this tree grows and develops which is a good thing because that gives us plenty of chances to remove our mistakes and have another try.

Good luck.

 

[bennybonsai]

Yes, like this.

I probably get rid of the branch opposite to the new leader because they would both grow vigorously, they will compete to become the new leader.

As for the wiring, it's a matter of taste. It is very difficult to evaluate the volume of a complex form as it is a tree from a single 2D photo. You could wire it, you could leave it as it is.

I would use concave cutters only on the branches that I would cut next to the trunk (so mainly the first branch to the right) and it wouldn't even be necessary, straight cutters would do the job just fine given that maples have a thin bark.

For the cutting of the current leader I would also leave a few cm for dieback.

On my trees I often do root work and pruning at the same time. Some would say that is better not to over stress the tree and do it over two separate seasons.

Thanks so much. I'm going to post a reply at bottom with a couple of day photos with side view.

 

[bennybonsai]

Thanks so much Juanmi and Shibui. So im going to go with the cuts you guys suggested including the removal of the branch opposite whats going to be the new leader next month.

With regards to soil after what said I was thinking of going 60% organic soil and 40% A,P,L for drainage. What do you guys think of this mix?

I've put couple of pics in the day with a side view too. There is a smaller branch below the new leader which splits into two branches that couldn't be seen in the last photo. I'm assuming I chop that too?

Thanks again guys you are a wealth of knowledge and help so much which makes me sleep better.

 

[Juanmi]

With regards to soil after what said I was thinking of going 60% organic soil and 40% A,P,L for drainage. What do you guys think of this mix?

I've put couple of pics in the day with a side view too. There is a smaller branch below the new leader which splits into two branches that couldn't be seen in the last photo. I'm assuming I chop that too?

I think my climate is very similar to yours (I live not far from Paris), we have mild winters and mild summers, but sometimes we can get some weeks of a bit more extreme temperatures, and overall very rainy weather, and lots of ambient humidity.

My go to soil was 70% Akadama - 30% Kiryuzuna. It worked great, but it's a bit expensive, so at the moment I am experimenting with a new soil mix : more or less 30% Lava - 30% Zeolithe - 40% Organic. Your mix sounds good, maybe I would put a little less of organic if it's usually rainy.

Rather than telling you what to cut and what not, I think it would be better to teach you how to think for yourself:

1 - Do I need this branch / section for the main structure of the tree? If the answer is not, you can cut.
If the answer is "I'm not sure yet", you could make a decision later.
Or if the answer is I need a branch here but the one I have is too thick, or it has too long internodes, cut and re-grow.

2 - Do I need this branch to thicken the section of the trunk below it? (Or what is called a sacrifice branch)
If the answer is no, you can cut, if the answer is yes, let grow like crazy.

I think those are the main questions, I don't know if I'm forgetting something.
Again, I encourage you to read the John Naka book, it's my personal favourite in terms of design.

 

[Juanmi]

Oh, I forgot, there is a lot of content on YouTube for beginners.

You can check for exemple Peter Chan from Herons Bonsai, he's situated in southern England, and he has lots of content for beginners about decision making and Japanese Maples.

 

[bennybonsai]

I think my climate is very similar to yours (I live not far from Paris), we have mild winters and mild summers, but sometimes we can get some weeks of a bit more extreme temperatures, and overall very rainy weather, and lots of ambient humidity.

My go to soil was 70% Akadama - 30% Kiryuzuna. It worked great, but it's a bit expensive, so at the moment I am experimenting with a new soil mix : more or less 30% Lava - 30% Zeolithe - 40% Organic. Your mix sounds good, maybe I would put a little less of organic if it's usually rainy.

Rather than telling you what to cut and what not, I think it would be better to teach you how to think for yourself:

1 - Do I need this branch / section for the main structure of the tree? If the answer is not, you can cut.
If the answer is "I'm not sure yet", you could make a decision later.
Or if the answer is I need a branch here but the one I have is too thick, or it has too long internodes, cut and re-grow.

2 - Do I need this branch to thicken the section of the trunk below it? (Or what is called a sacrifice branch)
If the answer is no, you can cut, if the answer is yes, let grow like crazy.

I think those are the main questions, I don't know if I'm forgetting something.
Again, I encourage you to read the John Naka book, it's my personal favourite in terms of design.

Okay yeah our climates are fairly similar for sure. I haven't been to Paris for about 15 years! I love it there. Yes it's very rainy here a LOT of the time but we do get the occasional mega hot days here, sometimes a couple of weeks of solid hot weather. But I'll be here to water them if needs be. So I may go for 30% Organic soil 70% A,P,L. Hopefully that works well.

Thanks for that little lesson too that rally helps and makes a lot of sense. I'll get myself a copy of that John Naka book too, is it just called John Naka Bonsai? I'll have a look at your msg after and find out aha.

 

[clem]

hello, is the little branch -indicated by the white arrow- alive ? If yes, if there is a bud, you could use it to create the new trunk line... you can also use the lower branches as sacrifice branches to make the trunk grow and thus have a better taper...

on your JM, we don't see the nebari.. we don't see if it is good, or bad

on my virtual, the branches are created with auto thread grafts (very easy to do, but you need to let branches grow to have sufficient length)

 

[Shibui]

There is a smaller branch below the new leader which splits into two branches that couldn't be seen in the last photo. I'm assuming I chop that too?

The tutorial from @Juanmi is excellent. A great set of questions that will help make decisions on almost any pruning situation.
When faced with a spot with many shoots to choose from you can choose to cut any or leave any depending what you want. Look at:
Direction - which direction do I want this part to grow?
Length - how long can I afford internodes to be in this part of the tree?
Thickness - is the shoot too thick for that section?
Sometimes you will keep the thicker shoot, sometimes a smaller, thinner one will be better. If there's no suitable shoot cut all back to the node and wait for new shoots to grow.

 

[bennybonsai]

hello, is the little branch -indicated by the white arrow- alive ? If yes, if there is a bud, you could use it to create the new trunk line... you can also use the lower branches as sacrifice branches to make the trunk grow and thus have a better taper...
View attachment 582941
on your JM, we don't see the nebari.. we don't see if it is good, or bad

on my virtual, the branches are created with auto thread grafts (very easy to do, but you need to let branches grow to have sufficient length)

Thanks Clem. I have my heart set on the virtual that Juanmi suggested and am going to go with that. After what you've said though I may just cut the two bottom branches back to half and keep them as sacrifice branches to thicken trunk more. Any thoughts on this Juanmi, Shibui?

 

[Juanmi]

Thanks Clem. I have my heart set on the virtual that Juanmi suggested and am going to go with that. After what you've said though I may just cut the two bottom branches back to half and keep them as sacrifice branches to thicken trunk more. Any thoughts on this Juanmi, Shibui?

I'm digging Clem's virt, but it would need more advanced techniques (actually they are not that hard either)

Sure, you could do that, but you might want to leave only one sacrifice branch and maybe start constructing the structure of the other. So, you would only cut to the firs internode the branche you want to keep, and the other one you let grow.

The thing with sacrifice branches is that you have to ask yourself how big a scar you're willing to leave. Luckily Japanese Maples are quite good closing wounds.

I will try to make a proper virt myself

 

[bennybonsai]

Brilliant! Thanks Juanmi.

I'm digging Clem's virt, but it would need more advanced techniques (actually they are not that hard either)

Sure, you could do that, but you might want to leave only one sacrifice branch and maybe start constructing the structure of the other. So, you would only cut to the firs internode the branche you want to keep, and the other one you let grow.

The thing with sacrifice branches is that you have to ask yourself how big a scar you're willing to leave. Luckily Japanese Maples are quite good closing wounds.

I will try to make a proper virt myself

 

[Juanmi]

 

[Juanmi]

Ok, so that would be the main idea.
It won't always go according to the plan, so you might need to adapt and add extra steps.
In some cases you would need to graft.
Also, don't forget to form also back branches, they are very important for the design adding depth

 

[bennybonsai]

Ok, so that would be the main idea.
It won't always go according to the plan, so you might need to adapt and add extra steps.
In some cases you would need to graft.
Also, don't forget to form also back branches, they are very important for the design adding depth

Thanks so much Juanmi. I now have a clear picture in my mind of what ineed to do next month. I'll put a pic up once chopped next month. Thanks again.

 

[bennybonsai]

One more question. When would step 3 be undertaken?

 

[Juanmi]

Let's say step 1 and 2 would be this season. February (cut) to June (growth) aprox. During the summer the tree will enter in a bit of dormancy. No need to fertilise, just take care of it.
Step 3 might depend on the tree strength. It could be done at the end of the summer, because during autumn the trees have a second growing season (less significant than spring), but to be cautious, I would do it next year, just before the main growing season. (End of February / begging of march, or better said, when the tree wakes up from dormancy and buds start swelling)

After that it's just a cycle : clip and grow, clip and grow, fertilise, check for parasites, repot, clip and grow