AusBonsai

Can anyone help me out with some advice for Acer palmatum dissectum, they are seed grown plants from a Acer palmatum viridus. All that i am doing at present is feeding and re-potting it but I am starting to think about shaping (without wire of course) but can it be cut and pasted now? I have paid attention to the roots and the initial angle of the trunk but from there it is a bit of a tangle. I know I should just get in there but I think I need a little motivation to get me on track
If you need some pics, let me know.

Hi Damian,
I'm interested that you have seedlings of dissectum old enough to start training. I find them easy enough to germinate and they grow ok for the first year but rarely survive for more than a couple of years. I only have one seedling that is about 15 years old and another about 3 years but have lost hundreds of others. Mostly now I graft a piece off each seedling just to keep it alive until I can see if it might be a variety worth propagating more of.

As far as pruning your tree I can't see why it shouldn't be pruned now. The only time I am wary of pruning Japanese maples is when the buds are swelling. They seem to 'bleed' excessively when pruned then but after the leaves have opened and hardened its fine. By the way, I have never had any problems using wire on Japanese maples.

I just don't like wiring all that much, it is a combo of not having enough time or practice so I use clip and grow.
The maple I like most of the two has a nice fine leaf and growing habit and is about 3 this year. I will post a pic shortly. Shibui, your Tridents looked quite chubby, I would love to get my maples to that stage, they are a bit of a new fad for me .

Hi Damian,
I purchased one a little over a year ago, I believe it is about 20 years old and breaks every bonsai rule but there is something about it which I like very much.
It has been grown "clip and grow" has only three branches which includes bar branches which I am still unsure about removing one. I decided to defoliate a few weeks ago in the hope of getting some new buds on very old wood.

Please post pics.

I have three which have resolutely refused to thicken, and ended up literat-ish gangly space cadets. Fine spindly leaves suit the trunks. Maybe weepers by nature go long and thin. If you want back-budding, possibly grow long and fertilise, then cut back late in the season.

Did you see the peg-weight technique Alpineart uses on his maples to get the branches flat? Would seem to be useful. I'll admit to hating wiring, but sometimes you've just gotta.

Gavin

Will do.

Tom Simonyi in the US has a Spectacular one I have seen in pics Quite often which you can see here
http://bonsaivaultforum.freeforums.org/ ... &mode=view

I have several Lace leaf maples and Wire them in winter as needed. One is a Grafted tree, but the graft is good and will be hard to see when the tree is developed (I hope )
Treat them like any other Maple and you will be rewarded with Spectacular Foliage

Learn to wire you trees, it is not hard to do properly and just takes a little practice after being shown the ropes initially

Ken

Hi KC, I know I should learn to wire and I can do some basic technique but time just does not allow for it on a large and constant situation. As an example, I have one Azalea which has one branch wired, the rest is left to clip and grow.

I have posted some photos (late night snapshots) of the maple.

The young branches are very supple up to 18months old, then they turn a little brittle.

I am looking to achieve some decent taper so I am happy to cut back severely and train the new shoots.

I am letting the tree decide its style to a great extent and I hope to style it within its growing habit. I am open to wiring but only to a limited extent. For now I want to concentrate on the trunk line.

With its color, leaf size and shape, vigor and growth habit I believe it will make a fine Bonsai (one day)