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MAPLES

If Pines are the Kings of Bonsai then surely the glorious Maple must be the Queen.

In the late Meiji Period when Samurai and Lords turned to the Arts of Japan, Bonsai were often compared to people.

"The delicate tracery of twigs on an elegant maple in the winter with the promise of buds ready to burst into lusty growth. Oh but what growth. Soft tiny leaves glowing with warm colour swelling into full firm contours until you are overwhelmed with passion for this most lovely of things and then after her final glorious colour has fallen away and you are confronted by this magnificent apparition naked and proud the ramification tracing out the shape of summer passed and memories of happy and warm days !

WHAT WE WANT IS A MAPLE NOT AN ESSAY BY GIUSEPPE UNGARETTI !

I grow all sorts of maples in all sorts of styles. I get deep and detailed ramification using reasonably simple techniques .

Species easiest to work on are the green leafed types such as pure Japanese Maple (acer palmatum), and Trident Maple (a.buergerianum)

I suggest that as the Yastsubusa varieties are more delicate do not leaf prune these types unless you are sure that they can take it. Varieties such as acer palm. Atropurpureum, are sometimes weak and not easy to back bud do not leaf prune this colour group which is deep red to purple. You develop this variety through Bud pinching.

Kiyohime are by nature very dense but as they are stronger at the sides keep the side growth down or the upper portion will die back and you will have a bald tree.

All maples will leaf burn if you put them out into the normal windy weather of springtime. The time to put them out is when the soft leaf becomes firm and hard. So keep them in a sheltered area away from wind if possible. If you can not do this then grow other species or build a shelter!!

The easiest technique is to remove all last year's growth from the structure during December getting back to the basic branch and twig structure. Remove all non essential growth and seal all tips.