Before I get into things, this is a maple I bought off someone on marketplace last week. It’s a Shin-Deshojo, right?
All I’ve done so far is some clean up in the middle of the main trunk (really need to invest in knob cutters).
I know the tree is still very young, but whenever I do start pruning, I want the advice to properly go about it. My intention right now is to slowly start having a canopy develop, as well as some back-budding.
I’ve done my best to do my research about back budding, so just want to confirm that you proceed by cutting the middle branch in-between two leafs buds, right?
Any help will be greatly appreciated. Pictures below.
Looks like a nice maple with some interesting potential. What is your envisioned style? That will have a lot to do with what you do next. The two I see are a spreading upright and a more formalized informal upright. I am sure you realize that it will be multiyear effort, and I think you need to thicken the trunk a bit.
if the tree were mine this is what I would do. I would work to create an informal upright. Wire the lower branch down a bit so it is closer to 30 degrees from the horizontal rather than the current 50 degrees and the trunk above that so it is closer to 40 degrees from horizontal. Then wire the trunk above the branch that goes to the right so it is about 45 degrees from the horizontal and pointed to the left. The right hand branch will then be set at about 40 degrees from the horizontal. Bring both branches somewhat to the front and lean the leader to the front as well. Ideally, you also twist the branches so the first internode has laves/buds that are horizontal and the new trunk so you can create a new left branch and trunk back to the right. Then fertilize consistently and let it grow while watching the wire to make sure it does not bite in too much and cause scaring.
Next spring you will repot into a pot that is about the same diameter and 1/3 to 1/2 the depth. I like to use a mix to about 60% aged bark or nursery mix and 40% pumice - all sieved into the 3 to 10 mm size range. If the tree responds with good growth (it should) you can cut the two branches and the new trunk line back force buds at the cut points. I would cut the branches back to the pair of leaves or buds that are horizontal and the trunk to a pair that will create a new branch to the left and a new trunk line. I like to leave about a 1 cm stub when I make those cuts. Once you get new shoots with 3-4 pairs of leaves you can wire them so they only have a 40-50 degree angle between them rather than the closer to 90 they will naturally have. if you get some low buds let them grow to thicken the base. if you get a bud between the first and second branch to the back, use it to create a back branch.
Let the shoots that are branches grow to 5-6 pairs and then cut back to the first pair that is hopefully horizontal. Let the new trunk line grow out to 10-12 pairs before you cut back. At the end of next year, it should start to look like a bonsai, hopefully with a bushy bottom. During the week after the leaves drop, next cut off most if not all of the low bushy branches and cut everything else back to one internode longer than desired. In the late winter you will cut back to the desired internode.
Hey Marty, sent you a private message. Hope it went through!
