Young Japanese maples for bonsai How to start bonsai with Japanese Maple

Japanese maples are great for bonsai and great for beginners. Here are some tips on what to do with young Japanese maples when you want to start creating bonsai with them.
Please note: if you located in Melbourne, I provide bonsai services. Reach out to me on my email address at [e-mail] if you would like to discuss you bonsai needs further.
#bonsai #bonsaiworx #japanesemaple

[@edinborogh]

Wonderful video David. Thanks for sharing.

[@briankavanagh7191]

A nice start to the new year.

[@Bonsaicrazy]

Just found your channel dude. All the way in sunny England. You got a new subscriber in me fella 👍👍

[@dermo1981]

Happy new year David. Great to see you back 👍

[@Bonsaiworx]

Thanks.

[@hoofgripweightlifting6872]

So nice. I am in Northeast Pennsylvania. My bonsai collection are in the ground for the winter. It is so nice to see maple bonsai in full bloom. Thanks for sharing! I am looking forward to digging my collection out of the ground so I can redesign them this spring.

[@derekdouglas6147]

Hey, I'm new to bonsai and I had a question about putting your trees in the ground for the winter. I've never heard of this before. Do you just take it out of the pot and put it in the ground then dig it up in spring? I know trees grow best in the ground, but do they grow through the winter?

[@johnpereira9594]

All the best for 2022 David

[@oiinahgiiusadurrybrahchuck7209]

Awesome! thanks for this upload mate I’m up in Syd, was given a young acer palma back in winter 2020 and have been growing it out/experimenting with pruning cause and effect, fertiliser, and position preferences since, as I’m a noob. Been a bit hard to find info which seems to be perfectly aligned with growing jaMaples in Aus because most of the info comes from other regions of the blue marble. She’s getting a bit of size now and I’m sure I’ll be referring back this vid come end winter :) legend

[@Bonsaiworx]

I have a few more videos on my channel on maples. They should be grouped in a playlist. There is more info on maples in there as well.

[@bildahome]

Babe, Christmas in summer does not count but nice to see you back again

[@Bonsaiworx]

Hahaha thanks.

[@haisty]

Great video!

[@makcanno7191]

Great! Very inspiring for beginners! Greetings from Indonesia!

[@karlcottingham1472]

Hi Mate. Always appreciate the videos. I'm working on three Silver maples. Love maple leaves.

[@Bonsaiworx]

Thank you.

[@JohnSmith-ut5mv]

Thank you for the good information curious what type of Japanese maples where those

[@lorimayer9928]

Thank you so much for giving me the courage to cut my tree that I am trying to turn into bonsai. I've been growing a maple for 12 years in a pot (for trunk growth) and will now be brave to cut off the top of my tree to shorten and shape.

[@garyjohnson2989]

Air layer??? In spring. Only take 6-10weeks for roots. Duplicating all kinds of maples. Lol. Nurseries and big box stores doesn't want the consumer (which is us) to know about air layers.

[@rebeccahunter725]

Trees can provide such good camouflage for the bonsai within. Practice, confidence and a sharp pair of cutters can go a long way! Now that all the flowering bonsai are mostly finished, JMs are my favourites again.

[@sadoldgit313]

I never cut Maples back without leaving a stub to allow for die back then remove any dead wood the following year!

[@passiver]

Any chance of a guide to give the cuttings the best chance to throw roots? i know its not 100% chance but i have very similar trees and would love to see a method of planting the cuttings :) Great content as per usual! keep up the great vids!

[@Bonsaiworx]

I’m not the best with cuttings. If I had a greenhouse that could provide humidity and the right temps then I would be doing a lot more cuttings. I have used a plastic cola bottle and cut in half, use an open mix soil such as my own Bonsai mix, then put cuttings into bottom half and cover with the top half. Keep in semi shade and water daily through the hole at the top of the bottle. If you can simulate greenhouse conditions then cuttings are much more likely to strike.

[@notsoggytost2522]

Perlite, soil and a little propitiating sand, best to take a cutting around mid winter time, hardwood cutting

[@fatstratcatdaddyo]

Good info you're sharing!!! The cut paste you use... it's the exact same stuff you can buy at the big box stores called duct sealant. It comes in 1 lb. blocks, and is MUCH cheaper than the Japanese stuff. Exactly the same, even tastes the same.

[@fioribeats]

tastes!?

[@fatstratcatdaddyo]

@Inyo I always lick my finger when applying it, so it won't stick to it. So, yes... tastes the same.

[@chadcarroll9092]

Thank you for the video Dave. For maple seedlings started this spring could you recommend how much light they need. I’ve been placing mine under the pergola here in nz and noticing some are starting to get a little brown. All advice appreciated!

[@Bonsaiworx]

I have mine out in the open. Just need to make sure lots of water. Semi shade is probably the best, just need to keep the water up to them.

[@chadcarroll9092]

@@Bonsaiworx thanks so much, that’s great to know👍

[@garyjohnson2989]

I take it, its not normal for a jmaple to start its 2nd push of the yr in 97 degree heat? Since u said they dont push again until it gets much cooler. Does this mean that my tree might have a 3rd flush? Wow! Will be beautifull ! Thanks from Kentucky USA

[@user-uf3us1fu8g]

The branches you wired have the same line as before, in my opinion they should be bent down. It is just my opinion, thanks for video.

[@garyjohnson2989]

Makes 2 of us

[@razor2ts]

Great vid as always, I'm guessing the smoke is an insect repellent?

[@Bonsaiworx]

Yep, mosquito’s!!

[@damontolhurst]

I'd like to hear more people in bonsai acknowledge that anything non-horticulturally based is purely personal preference. There were numerous instances in this video equating "natural" to "better." That's just about aesthetics, and we don't all have the same goals. I might want some of my trees to have a natural look, but I generally prefer bonsai trees not look natural. So rather than, "This is better," something like, "This is my goal/desire/vision for this tree."

[@davidmorgan3508]

Aussie Dave here, regarding the first maple, could you air lay the branch that you cut off 🤔

[@Bonsaiworx]

Yep sure can.

[@isameabdo2394]

Hey mate, really great channel. As a new comer to the world of bonsai I have learnt heaps from your videos. I had a question regarding maples with very limited branching towards the base of the tree and long growth/shoots at the top. How can I envourage my maple to start growth further fown for a more natural looking tree?

[@Bonsaiworx]

Usually best way to get back budding on maples lower down the trunk is feeding heavily and continuous pruning of the top growth that will encourage buds to pop lower down during the growing season. Just avoid cutting during late winter early spring as maples will bleed. In autumn you can prune back your maple if it has long branching.

[@isameabdo2394]

@@Bonsaiworx thank you so much, would now maybe be a good time to prune? I am in Melbourne.

[@Bonsaiworx]

Yes definitely. Maples will push new growth soon. And feed your trees as well.

[@isameabdo2394]

@@Bonsaiworx Awesome thanks again :)

[@cornepienaar5413]

So validating, i always say people shouldn’t be afraid of cutting. Sometimes you cut and that just takes a tree into a total different direction.

[@whitewatersea]

Mine forks at the bottom. I don’t know what to do.

[@Bonsaiworx]

That’s a good thing. Go for a twin trunk look. It will look very natural.

[@tired.garden]

How do you get a young tree trunk to thicken?

[@Bonsaiworx]

Fastest way is grow in the ground and let it grow unhindered for a few years. Put a tile under the roots and cover with soil. The roots will spread outwards rather than downwards which will give you a great root spread called nebari.

[@tired.garden]

@@Bonsaiworx thank you so much. I’m trying to find a young maple to start and so I’m just gathering all the info in the meantime

[@tinagginnetti5741]

what is the best age to begin to wire your bonsai thanks much

[@Bonsaiworx]

They need at least two to three years of growing from seed and also depending how much growth there is on the tree. It’s a tough one to answer.

[@brucedeacon28]

👍🍎👌

[@ranjanty]

I've searched You Tube for hours trying to find the answer to this ? NOWHERE to be found. How young can you start training a Japanese Maple for Bonsai? I just dug up a large seedling which is 21 inches tall. I don't know what age it is because I just started reading about Bonsai 2 weeks ago. So I hope somebody can answer my ? Thanks

[@Bonsaiworx]

Pretty much anytime that you have enough trunk to work with. Depending on how much growth you have in the first year from seed you can start to wire the trunk after 1 year of growth from a seed. The simple answer is really anytime you have enough tree to work with.

[@ranjanty]

@@Bonsaiworx thanks, so I guess now the ? is Is about a 1/8 of a inch diameter trunk enough to work with? On every video I watched seems they are at least a half inch or larger.

[@Bonsaiworx]

If you can safely wire the trunk then go for it. If the trunk gets too thick then can be difficult to wire and bend and risk snapping.

[@mikehendrix6558]

Do you propagate any pieces you cut.off???

[@garyjohnson2989]

He said he not good at air layering maples

[@mikehendrix6558]

Aren't you suppose to sanitize your cutting shears??

[@johngonzales7317]

Why didn't you air layer that top piece or pieces then u would have two or three trees what a waste?

[@joaopais2402]

Are you smoking again

[@Bonsaiworx]

No, it’s mosquito repellant.

[@Bonsaicrazy]

Just found your channel dude. All the way in sunny England. You got a new subscriber in me fella 👍👍