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New and need guidance 4 years 6 months ago #52823

  • Chris Luna
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So I purchased this Japanese maple this past may and have been working on it enjoying the hobby. I live in Western Germany for context. I am at a point were branch selection is coming into question and wondering what if any branch I need to cut off or reduce. For the most part, this is what I would consider the front of the tree and it's a pot that I had laying around as I didn't think it was ready for a bonsai pot. Any help would be appreciated

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New and need guidance 4 years 6 months ago #52827

  • leatherback
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Hi Chris,
This is a nice plant, looks very well prepared for Bonsai.

I would recommend to get someone to look at it in person. From a bunch of pictures it is often dificult to decide what really can go, and stay. Also, the next steps should be discussed and not just written down. I see a few options but it is slightly dificult to tell.

You are in the west of Germany. By chance near Dusseldorf? The nursery of Werner Busch (Bonsai Museum Dusseldorf) is a good place to get some initial help.

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New and need guidance 4 years 6 months ago #52828

  • Auk
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Ah! Nice material. Not rushed to get into a pot. Not in haste to make it a bonsai ASAP. Left to grow freely.
Asking advice BEFORE cutting things off.

I wish all posts from new members were like this.

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New and need guidance 4 years 6 months ago #52829

  • Chris Luna
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Thank you for your kind words. The real joy has been trying to learn as much as I can and doing as little as possible and enjoying the tree for what it is, so much so that it took me 4 months to pull the trigger on purchasing this tree. I recently got a juniper (don't know what it is) but they had it a small bonsai bot and appeared to be stressed due to its needle foliage and so I slipped it into a bigger pot. Again I am just getting into Bonsai and thought I could do well by the tree if I asked for some advice as it is not that easy getting information living in Germany as I speak just enough to get by.

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New and need guidance 4 years 6 months ago #52830

  • Chris Luna
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Thank you leatherback,

I live a bit off from Dusseldorf in an army community out in Wiesbaden but about to move out east close to Nuremberg. Maybe I will see if the wife wants to take a trip. I know its a it is difficult to tell but really I am struggling with the trees first branch should maybe when I get out there I could find someone to help me out.

-thank you again

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New and need guidance 4 years 6 months ago #52831

  • leatherback
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Wiesbaden is a bit away. I think to know that heidelberg also has a centre. Maybe reach out to them? I do realize the language challenge though. That would be a possible challenge most of those.

Fir now I would say.. let it go dormant. Once the leaves come off, you have a much better view of the branches. Then a bunch of pictures from pot level against a clear background cal tell a lot to give some ideas where to go..

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New and need guidance 4 years 6 months ago #52832

  • Auk
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As Leatherback said, it's pretty hard to give advise based on a 2D photo, so the first advise I need to give is:
Do not follow my advise. Make your own plans, study, look at examples, look at the tree from every angle, multiple times, then wait a bit longer before making a decision. Join a club, visit nurseries, exhibitions, etc. Wait for others on the forum to comment and approve or improve this sketch.

I can see a smaller tree in your tree. It would look something like this.
The lowest branch you won't need (unless when you want to use it as a sacrifice branch to grow the trunk fatter).
The next two branchs need to stay. Can't tell much about the rest of the branches as I cannot exactly see where they are/which direction they go.

The top seems to look nice, the cut seems hardly visible, so I think you can shorten it.
You can also shorten the branches. You will want to get more side branches (ramification) to fill out the space. Study how to do that.
In short, you'll cut above a node (a place where leafs used to be, and where new buds will form). Do not cut too close to that node as there will be some die-back.

That's very much in short what i think you can consider. Again, do your own study, think before you act - well... continue as you have already been doing :)

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New and need guidance 4 years 6 months ago #52848

  • Ivan Mann
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Lots of good advice here, and hard to do it all at once. Let me help with one more bit of advice to complicate even more.

Turn the tree around several times looking for the front of the tree. Don't do anything until you know where the front is.I watched a bonsai master spend fifteen minutes finding the front. If it takes him that long, I won't find it in one minute. You may come up with several options. Look at one, then the other, and pick one. Then you can think about which branch is long, how tall to make it, etc.The front tells you how to stick it into a pot, too.

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