Anticipating to pruning your Japanese Maple right on time? This is one of the best autumn maintenance tutorials on Acer palmatum bonsai I have seen to date. Graham Potter of Kaizen Bonsai shares meticulously why the timing is so important and how to pay attention to pruning, detailing his vision of long term development of his tree.
Why should we prune our Japanese Mape right before leaf drop ?
Graham Potter: "the reason to prune the tree right before the leaves naturally drop is because we've got a few weeks where it's not going to be typically cold. So even if the tree has no leaves, the roots are still actively pushing nutrients into the tree and the buds. For that reason, the growth in the spring will be much more even. This is the benefit of this pruning."
Acers Require a Different Approach Depending on Species and Growning Stage.
William aka Bill Valavanis, a renowned bonsai prioneer and perhaps the most experienced grower of premium Japanese Maples outside of Japan, shares his insights on how to grow maples depending on tree species and their development stage. The growth pattern of the species, but also the way you grow them -by substraction (grown in the ground) or by addition (pot grown)- require a different approach. He shows us his results on tridents and several palmatums and provides invaluable information to take into consideration.
