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CARE INFORMATION partially defoliate in mid-summer by cutting off a burned leaf
and keeping only the bottom 1/4" of the petiole; do not defoliate two years in a row; leaves are more easily
burned if the roots are too dry; don't ever clip healthy (non-burnt) leaves on young/thin-trunked trees or
those re-potted this same year or on any of the exotic cultivars; don't healthy leaf-clip even larger trunked
trees after mid-June or thereabouts; use low Nitrogen fertilizer, especially after mid-summer; don't keep
soil too wet; don't prune heavily after January or so when sap starts to flow too easily; repot every other
year; consistency in soil quality and moisture level is said to be more important
than protection from sun/windJapanese red maple (Acer palmatum) "Japanese maples can be wired, shaped, pruned and repotted about [March]. If your maples were placed in a protected area for winter storage like a cold frame, lath house, cold greenhouse, or a garage, you will notice that the buds are starting to swell, and this means it is the best time to start working on them. Any pruning or cutting of the branches should be treated with a cut paste, or bonsai bond paste, to prevent bleeding. Keep maples' soil on the dry side when pruning to prevent bleeding. Sometimes if you wait to prune a maple when the sap is going up or growing actively it will bleed to death. To prevent this keep the soil on the dry side, and prune the roots the same time you prune the branches, and this will shut off the sap flow to the branches. Most Japanese maples will grow in a wide range of soil, if aeration and drainage is good. A good soil mix for maples is 60 percent sand to 40 percent organic matter, screened leaf mold, peat moss or bark. The soil should be kept evenly moist. Maples should be placed outdoors where there is good air movement, but out of hot drying winds that will cause the leaves to turn brown and scorch around the edges. The first set of leaves must be protected from the hot windy weather until they become leather hard to the touch. Once the leaves have hardened they can take direct sunlight in the summer without leaf damage, and beautiful coloring of the leaves in the fall will take place without any leaf burn." SEE ALSO:
Bonsai Clubs International species care guide, http://www.bonsai-bci.com/species/japanese-maple.html Brussel's Bonsai care sheet, http://www.brusselsbonsai.com/care/care_sheets/japanese_maple.shtml Evergreengardenworks care guide, http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/japmaple.htm Bonsai4me Species Guide, http://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/AcerPalmatum.html |