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Restoring a Japanese maple grove

March 25, 2011 by Jonas Dupuich

Working on old or neglected bonsai is one of my favorite tasks. At a recent Bay Island Bonsai workshop, an old Japanese maple grove got the works. The owner is working to make something of these old trees whose roots have fused together long ago.

Japanese maple grove

Japanese maple grove

The project is not inspired by wonderful trunk lines or branching – these elements will be built from scratch, as evidenced by numerous scars.

Scars

Scars – major work underway

The rootbase is in better shape, though it too needs lots of work.

Nebari

Nebari

To improve the nebari, the tree’s owner removed roots growing from the bottom of the rootbase. This is slow work that will encourage the lateral roots that make the transition from the rootbase through the base of the trunk more attractive.

Rootbase

Rootbase from below

After extensive root work

Root work complete – downward growing roots removed

Once the rootbase is in shape, the tree goes back in a pot.

Ready to repot

Ready to be repotted

Repotting complete

Repotting complete

Repotting rarely provides the dramatic moments we look for in demonstrations, but it makes trees healthy enough to withstand the dramatic moments that come later. I don’t know what the future holds for this maple grove, but I’m confident that it will grow well this year.

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Filed Under: Bonsai Care Tagged With: Japanese maple, Repotting

Previous Post: « More from BABA’s 29th Annual Exhibit
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. John KIRBY says

    March 30, 2011 at 10:51 am

    Scary, but it really works.

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