AusBonsai

Hi all just have a few quick questions, thank you in advance.

I have a couple of Maple of variouse types that where trunk choped and the new shoots are well below where it was carved can I carve this back down to give it a more refined shape? can i do this now or what is the best time of year? i belive the section needing removal is dead.

when can i trunk chop a swampy or can i carve it to give it the apperance of taper ie take of size verticly?

Carving won't really work on a maple - you normally get the bark to roll over the scars. The swampy you can do anything you want at this time of year - it's a really good time for chopping.

Tony

From what I understand with maples, you should chop, trim or prune (whatever the case may be) a little further up that way you allow for die back which is quite common in this species. If you are into maples, do yourself a favour and get Peter Adams' book called "bonsai with Japanese Maples" it is a fantastic read

ELiass . With the maple u have chopped and already experienced the die back . Now is an ok time to tidy uP the wound and try get it to blend and callous over .

Photos always make it easier to explain here is the maple..



Heres the swampy I't annoys me that it is so straight. Will V cut.



Thanks for all the responses so far!

Hi Eliass

For what it's worth

Your swampy is following the natural shape for that type of tree and you've already got something that is substancially thick anyway . Until you have the height you want, don't worry about side branching, as they will back bud profusely and you can develop branched in the next few years. Swampies do take to small vertical cuts (1 cm nics vertically) randomly around the trunck, which eventually develop fissured and textured trunks early.

If you mean carving an actual taper by whittling wood away from the top down, i think you'll damage the tree and not have an end product that is pleasing to the eye (reading again i'm not quite sure what you mean though ...) What you may possibly do is create a shari and carve upwards from the lower end of the trunk to give the appearance of a 'wider' base.

Also, i'd sit that little beauty in a bucket of water and seasol - up to but a bit below the base of the tree. Your tree will explode with delight and growth will be apparent. No offence mate but your swampy doesn't look super healthy and by doing this for a season, you'll have a much healthier and workable tree. I don't trim off the lower branches but let them fall off naturally, as it all helps to thicken the lower trunk.

Other may disagree with my advice and i'd be glad to hear what more experienced members think, but my swampies are going great guns with this regime.

All the best

Stew

Thanks Stew! How long in the bucket and what concentration of seasol?

Keep it in the bucket for good and change the water every few weeks they don't call them swamp cypress for nothing- they just love having wet feet. I know it seems crazy i was nervous when i did it but i have never looked back. As for seasol just a little dollup to cloudy the water, but you need to stir it around a little as you water so the nutrients get mixed in again.

Eliass you can reduce the dead wood on maples pretty much any time except maybe just before and after budburst. Seal the cuts so that it doesn't die back further and will heal over quicker.

Those trident maples in the picture look like telephone poles. They are going to need lots of work to get good bonsai from them! Good luck.