Wire Trained my 4 yr old Bonsai Maple today!!!!!

10 years ago

Just thought I'd share a picture of my Fire Burst Amur Maple 4yr old sapling grown from seed that I wire trained today. May she look like this for years to come.

And check out those buds.... she's about to burst!

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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

Just to clarify - red maples (Acer rubrum) are not at all shy about growing in sun, even full sun in very hot climates. They are native to parts of Texas!! But they do need moist soil, prefer some soil acidity and dislike excessively dry conditions. If these are not adequately present, it is not unexpected for the tree to suffer some stress which may have resulted in die back or a "burned" appearance.

Many maples will sprout shoots from the root system or cut trunk but that does not mean these shoots are any easier to root nor can they be easily "divided" or separated from the main portion of the tree.

Most maples grow rather easily from seed so either collecting seed or finding free standing seedlings close to a mother tree should not be all that difficult. Or one should be able to find red maple seedlings available through the local DNR in areas where they are native. Which includes the entire eastern half of the US :-))

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Comments (7)

Todd C
10 years ago
You should be a photographer. N I ce shot of you thumb. Is that a coat hanger you used for wire?
magpiepix 5b/6a
10 years ago
Looks like a soft coated wire to me. Enjoy the new look of your plant, and especially the new leaves! Welcome spring!
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Peter
10 years ago
...that huge tree in the background which lines up with your sapling, that's hilarious!

But, really, great job growing your maple tree these past years, I have to admire the diligence. Good news is that every year your maple should grow exponentially, and I'm sure it's been very rewarding to watch it at every stage of its growth.

In fact you've inspired me to take a shortcut and try to root a branch off my parent's red maple this spring and hopefully skip those long years of nursery because I should have grown from seed YEARS ago!
Mike McGarvey
10 years ago
Seed just might be quicker and more dependable. Maples, as a rule, are hard to root from cuttings or branches. It would take a year or two before it had enough roots that you could transplant it successfully. ....if it rooted.

Better yet, get a seedling from under, or near, your parent's tree.

Mike
Todd C
10 years ago
If it's a bonsai in progress don't even worry about wire yet. First you have to grow it up. Then you chop it back, then you grow it out. Trunk is first. Wiring is for branches. Much later
Peter
10 years ago
@miketann:

That's why I love this forum, I can learn SO much. I had no idea about the poor rooting rate of maples.

Apologies for drifting off topic, (but we kind of are talking about decidious saplings as bonsai stock).

Ok, so two summers ago that lone Red Maple out at my parents' got sun burnt. That's how I found out they prefer more shade than most other trees. Last summer it showed signs of life and sprouted many branches at ground level. We'd eventually keep one as a leader, but anyway, would I have a better shot at rooting those, or dividing them somehow so there's already some bits of root at the ends? I would figure now is the time as the buds are just about to open up.

...or would this all be futile, possibly risking the health of the maple even further in the process? I guess Matt (OP) just might have the best idea. I mean, if it were a hard-to-find-in-the-wild sort of tree, or if garden centers charged obscene prices for small trees that need way too much time to work, then yeah, grow from seed in the meantime.