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pruning Acers
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Author:  Furrag [ 06 Feb 2010, 01:05 ]
Post subject:  Re: pruning Acers

I echo Surrey John's thoughts regarding that tree. I love working on unsightly nebari. It's bizarrely one of my more enjoyable aspects of the hobby.

Has the root fused on top of it's rival root? If so, I would slice it to separate them, and wire the root with wire than thicker you would use for a branch of that size.

There's a nice article by Will Heath here; http://knowledgeofbonsai.org/articles/t ... ing-roots/

Author:  Ron-AU [ 07 Feb 2010, 19:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: pruning Acers

stymie wrote:
apisto wrote:
...... I don't think that I've got enough years left in me to make much of a difference now though...



As a bonsai beginner at 61, I feel your pain. Would you believe I started last December by growing some seedlings - I was so optimistic.

I've now moved on to mature trees. ;)

Author:  Jerry Norbury [ 07 Feb 2010, 21:56 ]
Post subject:  Re: pruning Acers

I started a larch seedling 26 years ago...it's still not finished.

Author:  John M [ 08 Feb 2010, 11:38 ]
Post subject:  Re: pruning Acers

And I still have the sycamore my daughter Amy planted as a seed when she was two (she's now 36). I airlayered it successfully the year before last for the first time so I now have two impossible sycamore trees, both broomish, not one. Bonsai they ain't and never can be - but they are my babies and I luvvem. Pics show the top half then the bottom half last August, one year after separating them.

SJ

Author:  PaulA [ 09 Feb 2010, 13:20 ]
Post subject:  Re: pruning Acers

Nebari in the original looks good Surrey John...

Author:  John M [ 10 Feb 2010, 01:19 ]
Post subject:  Re: pruning Acers

Might look good, Paul, but it isn't really! Close inspection will show that one main root disappears at right angles vertically downwards. There's no real radial spread. It's a purely emotional thing that I keep them. SJ.

Author:  hungkuen [ 10 Feb 2010, 01:56 ]
Post subject:  Re: pruning Acers

you could plant it lower in the pot!

Author:  John M [ 10 Feb 2010, 14:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: pruning Acers

Indeed! And that's just what I'll do when the next repot is due. SJ.

Author:  John Farnan [ 10 Feb 2010, 14:38 ]
Post subject:  Re: pruning Acers

Surrey John wrote:
Indeed! And that's just what I'll do when the next repot is due. SJ.


Keep cutting the branches back SJ and hold off on the feeding and the leaf size will naturally decrease
the take defoliation well from my experience.

I have one similar to the bottom one of yours. its likely around the same age shohin in size.

Author:  John M [ 11 Feb 2010, 01:58 ]
Post subject:  Re: pruning Acers

Thanks John for that. My new strategy for the coming year will be:

a) Feed as much as possible ("Aggressive feeding", Walter Pall calls it. He wrote that, because we need to keep cutting stuff off, it's better if there's enough stuff on in the first place - which demands growth, which demands feeding. Logical really.)
b) Prune as much as possible (I'm generally too timid and too late with pruning).
c) Cut back size to shohin wherever possible (but not with My Birthday Prezzie or the other few biggish trees).

Feeding strategy: Very dilute feed every day in the early and high season. Did this last year in the high season and it worked well.

Miracle Gro for everything except hawthorn, hazel horse chestnut, holly and Hamamelis (why do they all start with H?). For the H trees, tomato feed low in N to keep leaves down as much as possible.

SJ.

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