Japanese Maple

Hi Everyone

I just bought my first bonsai trees. I fell in love with the Japanese Maple last year and after many months of searching found a nursery that had stock.

I bought two trees, they are still in grow bags. My idea was to re plant them in large containers so that they could grow big in tall as I would like them to be large bonsais, is an informal upright style that seems to be popular for the japanese maple.

Upon close inspection I see my little tree have had their main trunks cut at about 5cm from the soil surface.

My question is where do I go from here? Is it possible to rectify this using one of the branches as the main trunk? And will I then be stuck with the stump of the cut trunk?

The one tree has one branch growing out and almost directly up from the trunk, while the other has two branches opposite of each other growing out from the trunk.

Do I need to rethink my plan for these two little trees?

Many thanks in advance for taking the time to reply!

Do you have any pictures you could post?

Here are some pics of the bonsai trees.
Many thanks!

I suspect these are grafted. And the tree with twin trunks had a double graft (done by some growers as insurance).
I think they need to be grown to a larger size, before bonsai work.

I see no evidence of grafting Billy. Why would someone graft straight palmatum onto palmatum?

xD

I agree, not grafted, just sprouted at a pair of nodes below the cut. Both need careful trimming back with the correct tool to remove the dead (possibly diseased by their appearance) wood between the live branches. In time one will probably need selecting for removal, regrowing, reduction and so on. Learn to keep them alive for now and read an excellent book such as Peter Adams on Japanese Maples.

... I`m sorry for that smiley, but wills comment was too funny!
But for that my opinion here:

I think both techniques are possible, it depends if you want a bigger tree or a really small one. Thats up to your personal taste...
It is only important that the trunksize has a good relation to the hight of the finished tree.

That means for your wish of a bigger tree to let it grow long and prune back strong is definately the faster way
...all else you need is: love to nature, patience and "Learn to keep them alive for now and read an excellent book"

I wish you a good start in bonsai!

Cheers, Helmut!

Thank you all for the advice. I will stick to the original plan then and re pot before spring then leave them be to grow big and strong, and while they do that, continue to read up and also practice patience!