BONSAI WITH JAPANESE MAPLES PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Peter D. Adams | 156 pages | 15 Oct 2006 | Timber Press | 9780881928099 | English | Portland, OR, United States Japanese Maple Bonsai Trees | Acer Palmatum Bonsai | Herons Bonsai These include Kiyohime, Kashima, Shishigashira and Arakawa. Red leaved cultivars include the Deshojo and Seigen the Red maple, or Acer rubrum is popular as well. The young shoots in spring have yellowish, orange or even bright red leaves. The Japanese Maple is also well-known and popular for its very attractive yellow, orange and red autumn colors the orange and red maple colors are very popular. If you need help identifying your tree, try our Bonsai tree identification guide. Position : The Japanese Maple prefers a sunny, airy position but during great midday heat it should be placed in the light shade to prevent damaged leaves. Watering : A Japanese Maple in a Bonsai pot must be watered daily in most cases during the growth season, maybe even several times a day during the hottest days, if the soil is well-drained and the tree healthy and vigorous. Avoid watering with calcareous water as the Japanese Maple prefers a neutral or slightly acid pH-value. Continue reading about watering Bonsai trees. Feeding : Especially for mature Japanese Maple Bonsai the use of solid organic fertilizers is well- proven, as it takes effect slowly and gently and generally contains all the required micronutrients. Follow the dosage instructions carefully. If stronger growth is desired, for example on young plants or raw material, you can additionally use a liquid fertilizer weekly. But avoid fertilizers with a very high nitrogen concentration because this would provoke unnecessarily large internodes and leaves. Pruning : Trimming of shoots and twigs can be done year-round. The pruning of strong branches should be done in autumn to prevent excessive bleeding, or in the summer when callus growth is quick. It is advisable to apply cut-paste as the Japanese red Maple bonsai is vulnerable to some fungal diseases which can enter through wounds. Cut new growth back to one or two pairs of leaves. Mature Bonsai with a delicate ramification can be pinched in order to keep the twigs thin. After the first leaf pair has unfolded, remove the soft little tip of the shoot between them. This method weakens the tree in the long run and should be applied specifically and thoughtfully. Continue reading about pruning Bonsai trees. Leaf pruning the removal of leaves during the growing season can be done every other year in early summer to encourage smaller leaves. Remove all the leaves, leaving the leaf-stems intact. Partial leaf pruning is more gentle. You do not remove all the leaves, but only the largest and closely spaced ones or you remove the leaves in the strongest areas of the tree. A nice Japanese maple bonsai tree, Acer palmatum, unusual, elegant, 55 cm high. Outdoor bonsai plants are fast becoming a rage in the modern society. Apart from taking minimal space, outdoor bonsai plants add to the beauty of the place they are kept at. All types of Bonsai, including flowering types. Some of the leaves have fallen revealing the branch structure. This bonsai tree is created from a very average garden centre Acer palmatum sapling purchased in September It was pruned back very hard and planted in a plastic washing up bowl for a few years…. Via fb page Bonsai Duy Tran. This bonsai Acer has just been repotted into an oval ceramic glazed bonsai pot made by China Mist. Japanese Maple Bonsai Species Guides If you have a Japanese Maple bonsai tree with red leaves before, but now has mostly green leaves, you can thin out current taller trees that are creating more morning shades than required. In northern states, bonsai trees need dappled shade but not absolutely necessary. In the northern states, a full day sun is okay. Now, you are more knowledgeable when it comes to know is the best place and time to plant your Japanese Maple bonsai. Avoid leaving your bonsai tree growing in its container or pot for too long because a week or two should be fine. Japanese Maple Bonsai prefers a slightly acidic environment that is why rainwater is preferred to be used to water the plant rather than tap water. It is advisable to water the plant before the heat to ensure that the plant will have sufficient water to make it. Like any other plants if given an insufficient amount of water it may lead to some nutrient deficiencies, root problems and worst it may die. The main purpose of watering is to fully saturate the soil. Just be sure to water the bonsai tree thoroughly until the entire root mass is wetted. You can use your fingers to check if the soil is already dry at around 1 cm deep. If your soil mixture retains more water then it is not advisable to water the plant regularly. Watering is a crucial aspect of taking care of Japanese Maple Bonsai trees. Watering Japanese Maples is not a rocket science, but it is important to keep a sufficient soil moisture. In the natural world of trees, Japanese Maple trees are considered shallow rooters. Most feeder roots of Japanese Maples are within 12 to 18n inches of the surface for old and well-established maple trees. Newly planted Japanese maple trees may have all their root shallower than that. Japanese Maple trees prefer even soil moisture. Their leaves are very thin in most varieties, and dry out and burn faster when the soil moisture is not sufficient. Here are some tips for you when watering your Japanese Maple bonsai tree. Check the soil moisture a few inches below the surface. Water every 2 to 3 days for the first month after planting. After which, watering once a week is enough, but you need to regularly monitor it because windy days can dry out the soil quickly. If your bonsai tree is fall planted, water it once a week when no snow or rain cover is provided. This will help in reducing the loss of moisture in the soil due to evaporation. Because the roots of Japanese Maples are so shallow, the wind and sun can damage their shallow roots if not protected. Japanese Maple bonsai trees, like any other plant, will benefit from water. Avoid overwatering to prevent root rot and fungi. Avoid underwatering to avoid dehydration. Pricking the soil with a stick also helps. Older and more mature Japanese Maple bonsai tree is fertilized less frequently. Each element serves a different purpose. Nitrogen encourages the growth of leaves and stem, Phosphorus promotes healthy root growth and Potassium is the one responsible for the overall health of the bonsai plant. During spring, feeding the tree with a nitrogen-heavy fertilizer every two weeks is advisable since the buds need an extra boost while they are on the flowering stage. Through fertilization, you are feeding the soil not the bonsai tree itself that is why it is important to learn proper techniques to ensure that the soil gets optimum nutrients necessary for growth. Instead only fertilize t if it becomes healthy. Over-fertilizing may lead to nutrient burn. The Japanese Maple bonsai tree is a highly recommended bonsai tree for new bonsai growers because it does not require a lot of maintenance and care. Fertilizers are not frequently used for older bonsai trees. Pruning your Japanese Maple bonsai tree correctly is important to its overall health. Pruning at the incorrect time may cause major damage or possibly even killing your bonsai. Prune your Japanese Maple bonsai tree twice a year. For the first pruning, it should be done in mid-winter before setting in of a any warmer weather. In most states, early February is the best. This is the best time to do any major training or corrective pruning. Avoid pruning in late-winter and in early-spring because pruning at this time may trigger your bonsai to start growing faster as soon as the weather starts to get warmer. Early growth may result to freeze damage, and may even kill your bonsai tree. Your bonsai needs a light second-pruning right after the hardening of spring flush of growth. This is done to clean up any unwanted wild growth, thus making the tree more presentable. Prune your bonsai to remove branches or stems that are growing out of proportion, and rubbing branches. You can also prune your Japanese Maple bonsai to reduce its overall size during the deep dormancy period. As with all other bonsai trees and plants, the correct way of pruning will eliminate any unsightly looking dead stems, and it helps in training your bonsai plant to look based on your desired shape and form. These are the smallest branches that grow out of larger branches two at a time and growing directly across from each other. Just imagine it as a Y in a road, with another road that is going straight, so you now have a total of 3 roads in front of you. Shaping Japanese Maple bonsai trees is fun and exciting. The correct way of pruning will lead to faster and proper healing and become quickly unnoticeable. You can use this technique from the smallest stems to the largest branches. It is also effective in forming a symmetrical growing bonsai tree. If you are into plants and gardening then transforming a Japanese maple or scientifically known as the Acer palmatum to a bonsai tree is an amazing hobby. These are the type of trees which are perfect and ideal for bonsai growing.