Next month I will be going on my hol's (holiday) close to the Lake District National Park and local to me us a nursery with loads of suitable material. It has loads of Acer Palmatum's. The trunks are really slender. Lots of images on Google of Bonsai Acer's are seen with thick trunks. Could I keep an Acer with a thin trunk or must I ground plant them for a few years to allow the trunk to to thicken?


This is a pic of the material there.

You got nice azaleas there. I would ground plant them for a few years to thicken the trunk.

I have an Azalea and someone did suggest then to ground plant them to allow the trunk to thicken but if you recall the flowers were found to be too big for the leaves. That made me wary of buying another Azalea. The fear of making the same mistake again. What also makes me wary is knowing if I have dead-headed the flowers in the right place. I am never sure. I am I guess just very hesitant to persevere with them. I just feel there is so many things you need to bear in mind when buying and caring for Azaleas.

The Azalea pot blew off the table in very strong winds a few weeks ago and broke.

I would like to try Acer's. But hey, you know more than I ever will. I bow to your better experience. If you think I can persevere then that is some encouragement to have you believing in me.

honestly, I am great full that you comment on my experience but the truth is I have very little with acers and many other species, I just have a lot of theoretical knowledge. I have every faith in you and I know you will do well in this art as long as you enjoy this wonderful aspect of nature . This year I am hoping to fire up my bonsai and gardening engines and gain as much fun, experience and knowledge.

You will benefit by planting in the dround unless you can find a tree with a decent trunk. Look also for one with a graft that does not show and the base is the same as the top. As for Azalea, I don't know where you are or what your soil is like but Azaleas must have an acid soil so if yours is alkaline then you must not plant it in the ground. I woild go into a much larger pot if it is needed that is. Thye flower size to leaf size is not something to worry about. There are smaller leaved varieties available if you look around, but wh not enjoy the flowers and forget about the size of the leaves. When you prune them you need to prune hard removing the seed pod below the flower.

You can do either! If you like slender trunked species, you can stick with a 1 or 2 inch trunk and forget about thickening up. But if you like heavier based trunks, you can stick the acer in the ground. Once they are well rooted, you can expect a lot of grith growth.

Azaleas thicken very slowly, especially when you look at regular garden shrubs. You should grow them for nice flower display in spring, or be willing to wait a LONG time. Satsuki are somewhat better but still you need to think decades, not seasons of growth for heavy trunked specimens (In japan, Satsuki shows are not even considered bonsai).

as an example, this azalea has taken 45 years to reach this size:

You can do either! If you like slender trunked species, you can stick with a 1 or 2 inch trunk and forget about thickening up. But if you like heavier based trunks, you can stick the acer in the ground. Once they are well rooted, you can expect a lot of grith growth.

Azaleas thicken very slowly, especially when you look at regular garden shrubs. You should grow them for nice flower display in spring, or be willing to wait a LONG time. Satsuki are somewhat better but still you need to think decades, not seasons of growth for heavy trunked specimens (In japan, Satsuki shows are not even considered bonsai).

as an example, this azalea has taken 45 years to reach this size:

leatherback wrote: You can do either! If you like slender trunked species, you can stick with a 1 or 2 inch trunk and forget about thickening up. But if you like heavier based trunks, you can stick the acer in the ground. Once they are well rooted, you can expect a lot of grith growth.

Azaleas thicken very slowly, especially when you look at regular garden shrubs. You should grow them for nice flower display in spring, or be willing to wait a LONG time. Satsuki are somewhat better but still you need to think decades, not seasons of growth for heavy trunked specimens (In japan, Satsuki shows are not even considered bonsai).

as an example, this azalea has taken 45 years to reach this size:

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That's a very impressive Azalea. Grow for nice flowers,eh? So could twiggy branches be forgivable if you intention was to display for the flowers? That's a very lovely way to think about it.

That is certainly very helpful to me.

Just found my thread on my Azalea:

www.bonsaiempire.com/forum/bonsai-cafe/1...e-yourself?start=180

www.bonsaiempire.com/forum/general/6954-azalea-bonsai-flowers

Regarding the Aceryou have put my mind at rest. I am happier knowing that they have a better growth spurt than Azaleas. Is there any food which may aid girth growth?

Nah, sun, water, fertilizer and let it shoot out.

Just make sure you reduce top growth, to allow bottom branches the biggest increase: It will help taper.

Growing trunk is not easy; You should have some idea of what you are doing. Have you seen this: www.growingbonsai.net/advanced/growing-trunks/ ?

Been reading the link to growingbonsai.net and I have to say I found it fascinating. But visualizing is not a strong point with me. I find that difficult to do. Though I can see the point..sort of..in what it says that cutting top branches but leaving lower ones helps taper I think I will go with the cut and grow method I want to know something.

When it says to bend the branch down and 'put a side branch in its place', where does this new side branch come from?