AusBonsai

Here's a couple of Maples I'm working on. The first is a Palmatum bought from a bonsai nursery, cut to half it's height (still dainty though) and then all it's branches removed (too thick). A new leader is chosen, and new branches (more to come,) and it'll remain the height it is. I've often wanted to cut it down again but I think I'll hold on that for now.

The second is a short trident bought a few days ago with a good taper. I trimmed the thicker roots and potted it in a shallower pot to begin creating branches.

Palmatum will be nice in years to come but I can't say it does much for me. The trident is another matter. Very nice trunk, good movement, interesting character. That's a good find.

yeah the palmatum is very formal and boring I know, but hey... that's a style in it's own right.

The trident only cost me 40 bucks during a sale day.

Hey Tee, You going to do it as a Formal?

I have a trident I am attempting to make a Formal upright. Just selectd the branches last night actually

Ken

Hey Tee, You going to do it as a Formal?

Yeah they'll both be formal uprights. I might extend the branches out one side more than the other though.

That's on the trident.

teejay wrote:

Hey Tee, You going to do it as a Formal?

Yeah they'll both be formal uprights. I might extend the branches out one side more than the other though.

That's on the trident.

Then that won't be a formal then will it?

Be cool to see how they develop. Every time someone sees mine they look at me funny and say " no such thing as a formal upright deciduous tree!"

Once mine fills out in the next year or 2, I will post some photos. It is about 22inches tall now and 1.5 across the base so is a bit more than 12 -1 ratio. I have to do a root graft on it and that will widen it across the base a little, and I still have a low sacrifice branch which will add a little more. Hope to get it about 14-1 ration in the end.

Ken

I always gathered that if the trunk goes straight up and down you're getting pretty formal, might be wrong? I don't see how 'there's no such thing as a formal upright deciduous' anyway??

Once mine fills out in the next year or 2, I will post some photos. It is about 22inches tall now and 1.5 across the base so is a bit more than 12 -1 ratio. I have to do a root graft on it and that will widen it across the base a little, and I still have a low sacrifice branch which will add a little more. Hope to get it about 14-1 ration in the end.

Sounds good, you can always push the ratio on maples anyway. Would love to see a pic now though.

As requested Teejay
I had the camera out this evening and grabbed a quick snap for you
The first is the front and I will graft a root in the gap on the right later this summer

The bottom Branch on the left will go as it is only a sacrifice. I removed one on tuesday on the lower right which had thickend the lower trunk nicely

I will grow out the branching this year and next to achieve the look i want ( hopefully)

Ken

man i need to get my trident in a grow box to get to where i want it. i was thinking of shohin size sumo style but i got a long time to go to get there by the looks of it

Good on you guys. I dont think i have ever seen a formal upright deciduous tree. Might You put you in the ranks of TRENDSETTERS

bodhidharma wrote:Good on you guys. I dont think i have ever seen a formal upright deciduous tree. Might You put you in the ranks of TRENDSETTERS

Thanks for the vote of confidence Bodhi

I saw one several years ago at the show at Castle hill council chambers. Looked nice and I keep thinking I woud like to do one
When I grew this as a cutting and it was so straight and long I thought it might make a nice formal one too, so thought why not !

Nice one Ken . That is certainly the straightest trident maple I have ever seen. With time it should turn out a nice tree. I need to perform a bunch of root grafts to improve the nebari on my palmatum also, patience TJ, patience...

Thanks for sharing mate.

Just a little up date of these maples: This one is still gonna be a formal upright deciduous reminiscient of large canadian maples near where I work. I know it's apparently taboo, (although having seen photos of some good formal upright palmatums from Japan recently I wonder if it's actually as taboo as expressed in this thread) but that's what gonna happen. Next repot will be deeper though in order to improve the nebari.

This Trident however has issues: Looks OK from the front but the new leader grew oddly, kind of forward then up: So I guess I'll have to start again with that one? Then there's the nebari, or lack there of. So a deeper planting to develope this may also be in order.

I was so keen to jump the gun on these and put them in bonsai pots due to the fact that so few of my trees are, and I do have some nice pots but hey, it's for the best I suppose. I'll let you all have the glory now with your flashy old trees in their flashy Japanese pots looking all flash, but one day watch out.

Good to see you posting again Tee. I like the Japanese maple, think it's will be really nice when it ramifys. The tridents new leader grew like that because that oaths nature of them, out them up. The only way to rectify this is to wire the leader as soon as it's hardened off enough to get 1mm wire on it, them push the base of it up straight. It will eventually grow and smooth out but that will mean a lot of growing and a bigger tree.

Welcome back!

i can really see where these are going, i reckon there both going to look really great
the japanese maple is looking great, i dont why people get so worried about when a trunk is straight. formal upright trees look great when done properly and i can see that your one is going on the right path

teejay wrote: know it's apparently taboo, (although having seen photos of some good formal upright palmatums from Japan recently I wonder if it's actually as taboo as expressed in this thread) but that's what gonna happen.

very true ive seen plenty of awsome formal from japan aswell and its deffinetally not taboo, in my opinion:D

Hugh