woohoo! first bonsai... recommended books?

[Haesuse]

so, I got a 2 year old little japanese maple kiyohime bonsai today. my camera's flash is broken and only takes good pics in the day, so I'll post one tomorrow, but it's a good looking little tree. it's about 5" tall, and has split into 2 main trunks about an inch above the soil line.

I've been reading nonstop about them for days, both here and elsewhere on the net, and I have but one question at this point. what actual physical books (gasp) should I read to brush up on the subject?


pics will be posted first thing in the morning!

[kdodds]

The LIving Art of Bonsai (Amy Liang) is one of my favorites.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Bonsai Techniques I & II by John Naka will set you back a bit, but you will never need another book to tell you what to do; it's all here from America's past master. Black and white pictures and line drawings aren't as pretty as they might be, but they are functional and that is the nature of this book. The styling lessons alone are worth it, and the tips aer right out of the horses mouth...

Amy Liang's book is a wonder and she is truly a master in her own right; I have learned many functional tips from her. And her book is PRETTY!

Some of my best growing tips have come from an Englishman named Peter Adams who has several books out, all good, but The Art of Bonsai is my fave of his as a generalist tome.

But spend the bills for the Naka duo; those are the ones I go to the most...

HG

[Gnome]

Haesuse,

Here is a thread with a list of some books to consider.

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4139

One that is not on it is:

Bonsai with Japanese Maples by Peter Adams.

Norm

[Haesuse]

[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2230/3539973268_82b0a31940.jpg[/img]

[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2305/3539160527_926b4ceb01.jpg[/img]

[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2077/3539971842_5ffa82a403.jpg[/img]

[The Helpful Gardener]

A maple book from Pete Adams? Really... now I have a new one to read. Bet it's good. I really like his growing charts that show year to year steps for culture; bet he's used them again here...Nice Norm!

[url=https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Maples-J-D-Vertrees/dp/0881925012]Vertrees book on Japanese maples[/url] is a great source too...

HG

[Gnome]

Haesuse,

I like your tree, it looks like good starter material. Are you intending to keep the twin trunk concept in the future or have you not decided anything yet?

Scott,

No, the book I mentioned does not any type of chart in it. Just in case anyone is considering it, it also deals with Tridents as well as A. palmatum.

Norm

[Haesuse]

Haesuse,

I like your tree, it looks like good starter material. Are you intending to keep the twin trunk concept in the future or have you not decided anything yet?

thanks! there is a group here called the "alabama bonsai society" and they were at our local botanical gardens over the weekend. this one was a clone of a 30 year old tree, from a guy who has been doing bonsai for 50 years... I thought it was a great buy at $20.

and, no, I don't think it will remain a twin trunk. I plan on, after reading a whole lot more, severing the side trunk this fall, post leaf drop, and getting it to root, then adding them back to one single pot.


doable, yes?

[Gnome]

Haesuse,

I plan on, after reading a whole lot more, severing the side trunk this fall, post leaf drop, and getting it to root, then adding them back to one single pot...doable, yes?

Japanese Maples are not the easiest material to root although it can be done. Consider doing an air layer instead. If you take care and are patient I think you will have a much greater chance of success.

Which trunk were you considering removing? I assume you meant the one on the left. If so consider that you will be left with a very straight section of trunk with very little taper, sometimes referred to as 'stovepipe' for obvious reasons.

Norm

[Haesuse]

cool. I read that in Amy Liang's book. the stem is still kinda thin, though. it seems like performing such an operation on it, at this point, might be near-impossible to do. should I just let it root this year, and thicken up, and then air layer it maybe next spring in prep for 2010 fall final separation?

I did consider the straight trunk aesthetics. I believe, with 2 trees, if both are basically vertical, then it wouldn't be too harsh or striking. the plan is to have 2 perfect brooms, whose apexes are offset by a wee bit, and whose canopies overlap by a smidge, as well.

[Gnome]

Haesuse,

the stem is still kinda thin, though. it seems like performing such an operation on it, at this point, might be near-impossible to do. should I just let it root this year, and thicken up, and then air layer it maybe next spring in prep for 2010 fall final separation?

Yes, that is definitely an option and a good one. All too often new enthusiasts are in a hurry to begin refinement, I commend you on having the patience to contemplate a less hurried approach.

the plan is to have 2 perfect brooms, whose apexes are offset by a wee bit, and whose canopies overlap by a smidge, as well.

Group plantings are almost always in odd numbers, that does not mean that you cannot diverge from tradition, just something to be aware of. Or you could have two individual brooms.

Another option would be to layer it at the location I have marked in red. You will then have the beginnings of a twin (or possibly triple, I can't tell) trunk. Then after pruning the stub away, at the location marked in blue, the main tree will be the start of an informal upright. You will then have induced some movement and taper.

[url=https://img134.imageshack.us/my.php?image=maple.jpg][img]https://img134.imageshack.us/img134/548/maple.th.jpg[/img][/url]

Or you could layer the right hand trunk lower than I have indicated and it would then be the broom you mentioned.

Regardless, allowing it to grow out some more is a sound foundation. I don't mean to be appear contrary but you seem to be willing to consider options and that is all that they are at this point. You could handle this tree in several ways, take your time and make your choice.

Norm

[Haesuse]

Yes, that is definitely an option and a good one. All too often new enthusiasts are in a hurry to begin refinement, I commend you on having the patience to contemplate a less hurried approach.

thanks. I need practice in patience as it is. I have a green thumb, but if I do kill something, it is always because of over-zealousness.

Group plantings are almost always in odd numbers, that does not mean that you cannot diverge from tradition, just something to be aware of. Or you could have two individual brooms.

I am an amateur artist, and love to paint. before I even attempt to make composition, style and elegance refinements, I always like to become proficient in my tool-set first. ie, learn how to use each paint brush, how each color reacts to given situations, how each color interacts with each other color, how the paper/canvas react to treatments, etc.

so I rarely aim for traditional guidelines in anything artistic that I do, until I feel that I would be able to competently perform such a task. I just play around for a while...

Another option would be to layer it at the location I have marked in red. You will then have the beginnings of a twin (or possibly triple, I can't tell) trunk. Then after pruning the stub away, at the location marked in blue, the main tree will be the start of an informal upright. You will then have induced some movement and taper.

I like this idea a lot. and the twin would be a triple, or possibly a quadruplet. it has 2 woody limbs, the obvious ones, and one softer fleshy limb that you probably inferred was there. also, there is a fourth that has just begun, at the same point. I understand that kiyohime yatsubusa maples are incredibly basally dominant.

I very much like the idea of 1 tree that is either an informal upright or a broom with 1 main, interesting trunk, alongside 1 somewhat smaller tree that is very bushy in nature, a triple or quadruple stemmed squat-broom, or some-such.

Regardless, allowing it to grow out some more is a sound foundation. I don't mean to be appear contrary but you seem to be willing to consider options and that is all that they are at this point. You could handle this tree in several ways, take your time and make your choice.

I am done considering one thing only, at this point. until next spring, I will do nothing other than possibly pinch off certain new growth that is aesthetically unappealing. it needs to thicken.


thanks a ton, norm!