Grow and train a Japanese maple bonsai tree like a pro with these expert tips.
Courtesy of Getty Images // Aleroy4
Love Japanese maples but not sure you haveroom for one in the yard?
And it just so happens thatJapanese maplesmake a great candidate for this growing technique.
Credit:Courtesy of Getty Images // Aleroy4
Get started with this simple DIY guide filled with expert tips for success.
Steve Pettisis a commercial and consumer horticulture agent for the North Carolina State Cooperative Extension.
A dwarf tree is going to be a lot easier to manage in a bonsai pot.
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And Shishigashira has a dwarf, highly-sculptured look with small leaves, making it a favorite for bonsai.
He recommends the more robust palmate Japanese maples for those new to bonsai.
Buy One or Start One?
If youre an enthusiastic gardener, then I suggest you do your own.
Start one from scratchits more rewarding, Pettis says.
And it doesnt hurt to have more than one.
I have a couple.
That way in case one doesnt make it, you always have a backup.
But thats how the hobby begins.
You get one, then you feel like you need two and before you know it you have 10.
Those with less patience can order a readymade bonsai online.
Cover drainage holes with mesh, held in place with glue or wire.
Spread the trees roots over the soil and anchor the tree with the U-shaped wire.
Its best to trim roots in spring, before the tree has leafed out.
Work in the shade and dip roots frequently in a bucket of water to keep them from drying out.
“You dont bump up the potsthey stay in the same pot forever,” he adds.
Bend the branches into the desired shape, removing the wire after 6 months.
To coax branches downward like a waterfall, weigh the branches down with paper clips or wooden clothespins.
Maintenance
Shallow pots dry out quickly, so your Japanese maple bonsai tree may need daily watering.
The more sunlight they get, the more water they will need.
Plants also will need to be fertilized.
Some growers use an organic slow-releasegranular fertilizer, which feeds gradually throughout the season.
Pettis uses a diluted water-soluble fertilizer every three weeks startingafter the last frost in springand ending in early August.
Again, its a feeling thing.
Growing plantsa lot of it is intuition.
When temperatures are above 85F,indirect sunlight will help plantsavoid leaf damage.
Verticillium wilt is a fungal disease that is easily transmitted through pruning.
However, there are a few common pitfalls to avoid.
But dont overdo it.
Its more of a passive kind of management where youre letting it do its thing.
And then occasionally you give it tweaks so it will shape up and do what you want.
