Japanese maple bonsai - starting afresh with a neglected tree
Published by on April 21st, 2007
Below (click on the image for a larger version) you can see one of a pair of trees I have neglected for a number of years. Now that our home situation allows us to have space for these trees, I can begin the process of caring for them once more. Though both trees are healthy, there is a lot of damage and neglect, which is likely to take 5 or more years to correct.
As you can see from the picture (click for a larger view), the entire top of the tree has died off leading to all kinds of unwanted and erratic growth below. The advantage of this, however, is it provides options for encouraging the development of completely new branches, hopefully just where they are required. Apart from the dead main branch, the tree is in good health, not pot bound, and has a strong root system, so there is no need to wait before getting on and pruning and training this tree. First stage, of course, is to plan the development. There is no way now to resurrect the original planned shaping of this tree, so a new one must be sought.
The plan can be seen in the rough sketch on the right. The entire top of the tree will be removed - right where the main trunk forks into the old, dead trunk, and the far too long branch to the right. The small branch which is currently growing horizontally to the left will be trained into the new main trunk, with one of the tiny new shoots there to the right becoming another branch. This will help to provide a classic shape to the overall tree as the trunk meanders upwards.
Thickening of the lower trunk is necessary. This can be carried out by growing the tree in open ground for a while, but we do not have the capacity to do that here at home. So the thickest of the current sprouting branches on the left will become a major branch and be allowed to grow long and thick. This will encourage the lower trunk to also thicken producing a more tapered appearance to the trunk as a whole.
One of the pitfalls of creating a great bonsai is impatience. The final planned design must be carefully planned and executed over a number of years. This maple is approximately 12 years old, and due to its neglect will take at least another five to bring it back into shape. The irony is that originally it was difficult to visualise a strong design for the eventual tree, but now, with some of the die-back and growth issues, a possible plan is very much clearer to establish.
I will post another pic or two of this tree once the pruning and basic wiring has taken place. Full wiring will not take place until later in the year once the tree has recovered from this initial work. Only essential pruning next year to avoid too much stress, with further shaping and wiring during 2009 to start establishing the final shape.
Watch out for a post on the other tree - a 35+ year old larch - in a day or two once I have decided on the ongoing training plan for that tree.
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