Maple progression over 6 years

I was running through some archives of images off an old camera and I got these together of this maple I've been growing for the last few years.

2014 - Focus on the side branches has improved the shape and give more fine branches. The inter-node length is also much improving now. My maple ( and general ) pruning and technique is also much improved.

2012 -  Ice cream cone shaped. Target height achieved so its time to focus on the side branches now. and develop more fine ramification.

2011 - Growing happily. Full of wires and weights to move the fine branches.

2010 - great colour on the autumn leaves. Bigger pot.

2009 - Trunks held apart with trimmed lengths of chopsticks. I got over enthusiastic and defoliated - would have been better off selectively trimming.

2008 - First trunk chop. Needed to be done early to have any chance of taper. At this point i had had this maple for about 2 years.

Some thoughts on maple pruning

Sometimes when pruning a Japanese maple you can get some undesirable results. This one is the most annoying one where the two terminal buds both grow forwards parallel to each other.




 

Its a hard situation to recover from and usually you end up just having to cut back behind the bad node. If you allow the buds to grow on these parallel branches the foliage collides and makes an unsightly mess. Fixing this afterwards with wire is difficult as opening that join up to 90 degrees mostly results in splitting.




My aim with pruning this way is to set up the tree for good ramification after mid season defoliation or for the following years growth. Im trying to plan my growth more on my trees so taking care with the pruning is becoming very important. Selecting the correct point to cut back to so that the new growth goes where it is wanted is the prize.

It comes down to the timing of the final pre-defoliation cut backs. Sometimes I get over zealous and cut back too early. The soft stalk isn't woody ( lignified ) and dies right back to the node creating this problem. The node needs to have some wood between the buds to fork nicely.

I now don't bother with bud pinching or cutting back too early as I get these ugly nodes. Once the branches have hardened off I cut back a little - I try to leave at least 3 nodes on the branch early in the season. Sometimes when the tree is over zealous I do cut back big chunks. I certainly don't do any of the bud plucking with tweezers.

Usually the first growth branches will terminate with one of the ugly nodes when it runs out of puff. Its important to remove all these ugly terminal buds. Hopefully there are 4 or 5 nodes behind it to work with.

I can already see the new buds forming at the base of the current leaves - I'm going to wait a while longer until they are pushing out. When I cut I leave a nice long piece of stalk in front of those buds. This stalk can be trimmed back during the winter when its completely dead.

Hopefully I end up with a nice open V when the branch splits. The image below contains a nicely split branch - almost 90 degrees.There is a neat piece of dead stalk left that can be trimmed back later.

Not just lawn ornaments

We made some asian food for dinner tonight. So i though I'd bring one of the trees in to make things look nice inside. We usually make a Japanese meal when the cherry blossoms are out - but I though that the fresh maples leaves needed to attention too - they aren't just good in autumn.

I hadn't trimmed this Deshojo or fiddled with it for display - its just as it is. Vibrant and Vigorous - and somewhat unruly. The colour is still lovely.

I do try to bring them into the home when I can. The average British home doesn't have any display space so I just stand them where I can. This is really the reward for the many years of careful cultivation.

Wabi-sabi

I completed the repotting and root maintenance on my maples for this year. A bit early - but i suspect they will wake up early this year. They are having their third repot and and potting up to their final pot sizes. All of them at least a year late for their new pots - but poverty and the ongoing recession put and end to any new pot purchases over the last 2 years.

Luckily they were in well shaped pots - with no internal lip - and a nice taper on the walls - so they popped out easily. This is the root system of my Deshojo - they are in nice(ish) condition - but heavily compacted. A little bit dark and a tiny bit stinky.

 

A little help from the cat to get the positioning in the pot right. The position was adjusted for favourable wabi-sabi before soil was packed in.

 

The roots were combed out and any crossing ones removed. A little shaking and poking to settle the soil in and it was time for watering. The roots on the bottom were trimmed in tightly so there was no spring in the base. This maple is a random Acer Palmatum i got from M&S. Its thickening nicely and has a wonderful autumn colour - a deep wine red. The soil is old Akadama from before the Fukushima disaster so there is no danger of radiation. Its got a lot of Fuji grit in it as well - 2 scoops to 4 of Akadama i think - it looked right.

The soil mix and potting method is exactly as the Japanese nurseries do it. Their centuries of experience with this species gives us valuable knowledge. I have varied the particle size a little - the palmatum random getting the larger particles. The drainage layer is biosorb though. The rest is 1.5 to 5mm akadama with 25% fuji grit. plus minus.

I do wire the big maples into their pots as the wind can easily knock them over. These wires will also anchor the guy wires for the training rigging later in the year.

I gave them a really deep watering to get all the dust out and make them at home. Cat is assisting as usual. Note I am barefoot watering the plants on the lawn in January.

The soil level is well below the rim so that it will be easy to water - even after some growth and the usual moss invasion. This pot also has a nice taper and no internal lip - so when its time comes it will come out easily.

Here is the Deshojo's new pot. The ever present cat was assisting as usual. Really liking my new pots this year. I found a terrific vendor on Amazon with a really nice selection - and amazing fulfilment.

I'll pose some nice pictures of them in their new homes in the following weeks.

various things

Its been a strange winter so far. Only a few frosts - and no sign of snow at all. Several of the bonsai still had leaves out - and the hawthorns still aren't completely bare. Given how mild it is I've left some of the maples out on the lawn and not don't a great deal to protect much else either.

I've been fortunate this year and got some nice new pots for Christmas. Couldn't afford all the new ones I wanted last year - so the maples have had to stay on an extra season. Their roots got a bit messy and they grew strangely - but no long term harm.

Please excuse the crap photo - This is to illustrate the improved ramification on this maple. Its really come along very nicely this summer. I've taken it all back to 1 node and done a lot of wiring. All the work last year with weights on the younger branches has set them in position nicely so there wasn't much need for heavy wiring - just some tweaks on the newer growth.

Part of the upcoming summer program is improve the lower growth on this maple as the shape isn't great like this. A bit too much like a snow cone right now - I want to get a few big low branches happening. There's going to be almost daily pinching of buds during the peak season.

I didn't feel like working outside so I took it in and stood it on my desk. The picture is of it standing on the cats perch. No hanging out in the dojo with the sensei catching flies here.

I've got a nice 38cm pot for this one to be planted into over the next weeks. Really looking forward to getting the roots cleaned up and sorted out.

Next up is the major pine work. A lot of rafia and wiring to be done over the next week.

Those damned yamato sunball things still persist - no sign of decay yet. Ive bought some new korean seedcakes to test out. They look better - just need to see if they work. Wish someone would import cheap bio-gold again.

Edit -

Measure it - its 95cm tall from the ground and the base of the trunk is 5cm thick. So i have to watch the height carefully as its getting on a bit.

New Pot

This is the pot i picked up in Southhampton. Its a rather nice 40cm pot and just what i needed for this larger maple.

Yes i know the maple is scrappy. Il give it a good haircut once the roots are established. I didn't want to repot and do a major pruning at the same time - so last seasons late growth spurt is still there.

Last year it receive a substantial mid-year pruning - eliminated crossing branches and useless internal foliage. The process was helped by a nice gold glass of hoegaarden.

I also tried out some different cutting tools for the pruning. My busted up old Japanese still work best though.

The roots were cut right back - much further than this image. If last years repottign is any indication then this will take 4 months to get its vigour back and it will have a late season growth spurt.

The cat is seen assisting as usual.





While talking to the people in Southhampton I also learnt that the toxicity of Azaleas isnt that great to cats - so I'm allowed an Azalea now. I wanted one purely for the hysterical flowering.