Small palmatum

As I was putting my trees away for the winter I took the opportunity for some quick pics of them naked.  Sorry for the shadows.  This is a kotohime (edited - originally stated was kiyohime) cutting whose trunk I have been working on for three or four years.  I have been trying to get something that has some dynamic tension, and is slightly uncomfortable for the viewer without being too awkward.  After a number of changes to plan this is what I am settling on.  I did a crude virt to see if it would work with development of the branches it currently has.  The emergence of the second branch is a little awkward but the best I have been able to do.  It emerges toward the back.  The branch in the same location that emerges toward the front is nicely tapered and delicate but will have to go for this design.  The first and third branches will tend toward the front, as will the apex of course.  The fineness of the ramification in the virt is probably a bit better than I will be able to get in reality.  Comments welcome.

I think you're off to a good start!

yes. this good plan for you

Thank you for the encouragement. I would be happy to get something similar to the virt. It seems like i don't see many Japanese maples with interesting trunks these days. I have a couple more I may post soon at similar or earlier stages of development.
Mike

There's another thing you don't see with J.Maples, a Bunjin design. You could go either way with this tree, and a Bunjin would be something that I can see as being something very appealing with this tree. JMHO.

Velodog,

I think the virt you have is pretty good and achievable in about two years time (ofcourse branch refinement will take more time). There are other options worth thinking about.

One option is that if you have its sibling cuttings propagated as well, then maybe create a multi-trunk tree by grouping odd number trunks close to a base. After some years when the base fuses you could shape the branches to depict a more naturalistic multi-trunk.

Other option is more long term; you could plant the tree in a large pot or ground and thicken the trunk for a larger tree. I personally would go with the option with multi-trunks.

Vance Wood wrote:There's another thing you don't see with J.Maples, a Bunjin design. You could go either way with this tree, and a Bunjin would be something that I can see as being something very appealing with this tree. JMHO.

Ha, yeah, I have resisted removing the lower branches and going that way. I have already removed low branches a couple of times as you can see from the scars. I love literati maples as rare as they are I think they are a perfect species for it. But I don't want to keep chasing the tree upwards any further for the time being I think. I'm guessing that even if I can attain the style I show in the virt I will be able to maintain it that way for only so long. It may be that I can remake it as a literati down the road some time?

Feel free to try a virtual if you like. I may!
Mike

Is the other side of the trunk less scarred? I like the trunk movement, but that circular scar midway up it is very distracting.

Thank you Jim. The other side has been an option all along, although at this time the partially healed wound from a branch removal further up is even more distracting. These are temporary problems until the trunk loses the rest of its green, and I can modify the shape of the scar if it's still too noticable then. The other side is tempting because it's a little more comfortable and inviting in some ways, but as I said that's not what I want this tree to be about and i think its current front is best overall. Also there is a thick root there that would have to be dealt with, and the branches are not optimal either at this point.

Aman I agree with your time frame as this tree is quite vigorous and buds back very well. It would be great fun and challenge to make multiple trunks move in sympathy with this one but I purchased the tree rooted and have no more at this time. The suggestion is giving me ideas for future trees however! Also I like its current proportions and size and don't want to thicken it. That's also a different tree.

Bored with laundry tonite so did a quick literati edit of this tree. Again not sure the scale of the branches/twigs is quite realistic but one can get an idea.

I like it a lot!

Velodog2 wrote:As I was putting my trees away for the winter I took the opportunity for some quick pics of them naked.

We love a good naked picture.

It's coming along ...

You must have left a picture of that first virtual out for the tree to see. It grew just like it!

Nicely done. Very unique Japanese maple I like it a lot!

Thank you!

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This springs growth was lush and healthy, if a little leggy from having to spend too much time indoors due to late frosts. This will have to be trimmed back sometime but for now enjoying the fresh.

I really enjoyed this post.  Love the tree. Thanks for sharing.

Like the tree a lot.As a matter of fact,it is great to see them handled like this.

Fun little tree, very cool!

Thanks again everyone. Yes it is a fun tree and I've had enormous enjoyment working on it.

It unfortunately looks like nearly all of the internodes are so long this year as to be mostly unusable. I think I may have over fertilized last year, but my first priority is having trees strong so it's ok and for that reason I did not pinch back new growth this year as it emerged. Have to consult my Peter Adams books but guessing I'll cut back to first set of leaves sometime mid season like in a defoliation.

After some fall pruning. Internodes a little long but I may be able to live with them. In the four years since I started this thread I've learned maples are hard. Maybe especially small ones. The apex has been a problem since I snapped the original one by accident, and I had to prune the right branch there back hard. Hope it buds back. If it works I may try doing that to the actual apex next year to get more branching.

The tree looks great (I'm a sucker for a Japanese maple at anytime and yours is very nice).

I haven't tried Kiyohime myself but am I correct in thinking that they are one of the more basally dominant varieties? If so has this effected the development of the apex at all or does it still grow strongly at the top?

Either way, good luck and keep us updated. It's a lovely little tree.

Regards

Richard

Thank you Richard. I believe it is actually kotohome however. I should edit the original post. I'd gotten two cutting grown trees that year that I thought were the same but clearly weren't when they leafed out. The other one I think is kiyohime and is being grown as a semi-cascade. Regardless I have not seen a lot of evidence for basal dominance in it.

Nice maple.

I am not sure about Kotohime, the leaves are very large. I am growing one from a small pre-bonsai and fertilized it very much. The leaves and internodes stayed much smaller than yours.

On the other hand it does not look like Kiyohome either. The branches are not "stubby" but the leaves look like Kiyo.

However there's lots of variance. I have some type of yatsubusa maple which I cannot identify.

Good luck, keep up the great work.