Jessf

Hello All,
I found this maple growing in a field behind my parents house. I was given permission to collect it and kept it in a 5 gal. pot for the first 3 seasons. At some point I planted it in the garden where it stayed for the last 8 years. I trunk chopped it twice and the rest of the tree went largely unchecked to help heal the wounds. Since it was first collected (I was 17 yr old at the time) I went to college, moved out and got a job so the tree has been left unattended for many growing season receiving attention around the holidays. Three weeks ago I visited the parents but was really there to pull that tree from the grown and throw it in a smaller container. I cut many of the major roots, leaving only small feeders. Since this photo was taken I've placed the tree back in the ground to help develop the leader and further heal the chopping wounds. I meant to bury a plate beneath the root mass to help spread the nebari out and have fewer roots going straight down, but I forgot!!. I still might go back and gently take it from the ground and place the plate. Maybe.

The tree grows like a weed, throwing shoots every-which-way. It's great material to work with but would be much better had I paid more attention to it. I've looked at photos of the tree many times over the past week and I think I've come to a design/solution. I want to chop and carve the trunk to the left, making a hollow, and I want to form the trunk out of the shoot I've left at the top.


and my crude concept sketch.
I know it's going to take a LONG time to get to this stage but I want to have a goal in mind. Nature does what it wants, budding, branch placement, all that, time will tell. I'd rather have a design to work towards.

looking for some input
thanks

Mattbonsai

Hi Jessf, I know its been a long time since this was posted, but do you know what type of maple it is? I cant tell from the pics. And have you got an updated picture of it? It should have budded out all over the place by now, and seeing which bits are growing will help to decide on a final direction for the tree.

I do like the direction you are looking to go with it, but I think I might be tempted to make it a twin trunk style, with a lovely big carved hollow in the middle.

Cheers

-Matt-

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treebeard55

Is it a box elder (Acer negundo?)

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Treebeard 55
Steve Moore
http://hoosierbonsai.blogspot.com

The most important bonsai tool is your brain.