Here is one of my two Amur Maple bonsai's, (still in training pots). I make some pretty big cuts on this today, and show some history of how it got here.
You have got some great shapes from those trees. It is a species you do not see very often for bonsai. I have several seed grown ones, they grow well here in the UK but mine seem very Apical dominant so will take several more years to get some branching structure developed. Thanks for sharing more about Amur maples. :-)
Thanks! Do you notice them growing in clusters and clumps a lot? I see it in nature and it seems to happen more on these than other maple species. Totally forgot to mention that in the video
@@BonsaiBoise Mine are only in the second year from seed so most of them are just growing straight up with very little branching. Early next year I will pick a few to plant into half seed trays. I like this method as you can spread the roots out in a radial pattern and this helps thicken the trunk near the base. And remember to keep pinching out the growing tips of the leader to force some lateral growth and start getting some lower branches to form. I have some Dawn redwoods and Japanese Elms that display the clusters and clumps from existing branches that you mention, so I always pinch out the new buds as they form. But as you showed in your video you can also use these to make new smaller new branches and remove the older thicker branches.
Where I grew up in a townhouse/terraced house every household had a tree at front and we had an amur maple. They get very nice trunks as old even if not a big tree. We kids took the maple keys and split up the thick end and put it on our noses (was kinda sticky inside). OK enough with my trip on nostalgy road lol. Your trees looks good, cheers.
Good to know, thanks for the video and info. My amur does exactly what you've described: after I prune it in June, it stops growing. Maybe it's potbound? I'm definitely going to be repotting it next spring. I think getting rid of that bar branch was the right move.
@@BonsaiNorthwest thank you! I felt a little weird about it afterwards. Probably just because I hadn't planned on getting quite that brutal with the cuts. It was a bit spontaneous. And I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who experiences the touchiness with pruning Amurs. I haven't quite figured them out yet.
i love maples, you have excellent taste. you always go for classics. which i love. i am so sick of that "rare plant" fantasies. because of those firefly fantasies, we end up neglecting the classics right in front of our eyes.
Thank you! I remember watching bonsai videos when I was first starting off and see how much butchery they can take. Always made me wince a little. But now, I get it.
The growth stopping happens to me in citrus trees too: if you prune while it's extending new growth it basically stops growing for the year, it's best to wait for new growth to harden and then prune before the next push
@@BonsaiBoise Then ya might not want to Google man boy love symbol because it's pretty close. It was the first thing I thought of when I saw it. The pope often displays the real symbol. ick.
You have got some great shapes from those trees. It is a species you do not see very often for bonsai. I have several seed grown ones, they grow well here in the UK but mine seem very Apical dominant so will take several more years to get some branching structure developed. Thanks for sharing more about Amur maples. :-)
Thanks! Do you notice them growing in clusters and clumps a lot? I see it in nature and it seems to happen more on these than other maple species. Totally forgot to mention that in the video
@@BonsaiBoise Mine are only in the second year from seed so most of them are just growing straight up with very little branching. Early next year I will pick a few to plant into half seed trays. I like this method as you can spread the roots out in a radial pattern and this helps thicken the trunk near the base. And remember to keep pinching out the growing tips of the leader to force some lateral growth and start getting some lower branches to form. I have some Dawn redwoods and Japanese Elms that display the clusters and clumps from existing branches that you mention, so I always pinch out the new buds as they form. But as you showed in your video you can also use these to make new smaller new branches and remove the older thicker branches.
Never seen an Amur Maple here in Melbourne Aus. Nice looking tree.. thanks
Thank you! What kind of maples are common down under? Silver maples I'm guessing? (That's totally I guess, I actually have no idea)
@@BonsaiBoise acer palmatum, Japanese maples and tridents.. they are the most common
Where I grew up in a townhouse/terraced house every household had a tree at front and we had an amur maple. They get very nice trunks as old even if not a big tree. We kids took the maple keys and split up the thick end and put it on our noses (was kinda sticky inside). OK enough with my trip on nostalgy road lol. Your trees looks good, cheers.
@@Tybold63 Thanks! I had never really noticed them much until I started doing bonsai. Now I spot them all over the place
Good to know, thanks for the video and info. My amur does exactly what you've described: after I prune it in June, it stops growing. Maybe it's potbound? I'm definitely going to be repotting it next spring.
I think getting rid of that bar branch was the right move.
@@BonsaiNorthwest thank you! I felt a little weird about it afterwards. Probably just because I hadn't planned on getting quite that brutal with the cuts. It was a bit spontaneous. And I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who experiences the touchiness with pruning Amurs. I haven't quite figured them out yet.
i love maples, you have excellent taste. you always go for classics. which i love. i am so sick of that "rare plant" fantasies. because of those firefly fantasies, we end up neglecting the classics right in front of our eyes.
@@kizgintosbaga thank you!
@@BonsaiBoise no thank you, for sharing these tasteful beauties. i learned so much from you.
@@kizgintosbaga I appreciate that!
I agree that those cuts needed to be made. I love the resilience of nature, you cut off an arm of a tree and it grows several more in its place :)
Thank you! I remember watching bonsai videos when I was first starting off and see how much butchery they can take. Always made me wince a little. But now, I get it.
The growth stopping happens to me in citrus trees too: if you prune while it's extending new growth it basically stops growing for the year, it's best to wait for new growth to harden and then prune before the next push
Ah, that's a good observation. I'll look for that on these Amurs. Thanks!
They are sensitive to spring frost as well.
Good to know. Luckily havent run into that much yet
Quick question Mike... what's that symbol in your intro? Does it have some meaning or is it just something you like?
It's something put together. It's a variation of an old Celtic tree of life and with a sun around it.
@@BonsaiBoiseNot that symbol, I'm asking about the little one next to your name.
@@jagboy69 Oh the 3 triangles. That's called a Valknut. Ancient Viking symbol. Nobody knows what it means but Ive always loved it.
@@BonsaiBoise Then ya might not want to Google man boy love symbol because it's pretty close. It was the first thing I thought of when I saw it. The pope often displays the real symbol. ick.
@@jagboy69 whoa what the what? Ok now I have to look
(math)
Ha, did I math it wrong?