Grow Your Own Amazingly Beautiful Japanese Maple Bonsai - Part II

In my previous report we dealt with the proper fertilizing, watering, light, and humidity needs for the Japanese maple bonsai. In this second article on the way to care for your Japanese Maple we will focus on when and how to re-pot, root-prune, and branch-prune your Japanese maple, and how to care for it during the winter.

Pruning

The Japanese maple bonsai is formed, partly, by means of careful and planned pruning. The very best time of year to prune the Japanese maple is in the fall because the tree will bleed far less than if pruned in the spring. It's also much easier to prune when there are no leaves. This bleeding will be reduced if the tree's roots are pruned in advance. All injuries resulting from pruning the tree's branches ought to be sealed with a wound dressing sold at your local garden store or nursery. If you are going to prune the tree's roots and perform some branch pruning the best time of year will be to do both in the fall.

Fine, delicate branches are a feature of superior Japanese maple bonsai specimens. After you prune your tree to prevent long internodes the result is going to be delicate branches. The space between one pair of leaves and the next pair of leaves on a branch is call the internode. To shorten the internode you need to regularly pinch back all of the new growth throughout the growing season. You'll want to pinch back new shoots by pruning them back to just two sets of leaves (internodes). When you pinch off new shoots it creates a shorter internode on the next shoot, and when the internodes are shorter the foliage is always denser.

Pruning your Japanese maple's leaves , also called defoliating, can be carried out each alternate year in early summer to encourage smaller leaves. Defoliating necessitates the removal of all of the tree's leaves, but leaving the leaf stems undamaged on the branch. By removing the leaves in this way the tree believes it is fall and it will then produce a second set of leaves which are smaller than the first set produced in the spring. Defoliating should only be performed every two years, and you should not defoliate your plant during the same year that the tree has been repotted.

Repotting

Most bonsai trees need to be re-potted about every second year. It is crucial not to let the bonsai's roots get overcrowded in it's pot. The perfect time of year to re-pot your bonsai is in the fall. The primary purpose of re-potting is to give you an opportunity to prune the trees roots. The effect of root pruning will be to stimulate healthy new growth. Once you have carefully removed the tree from it's pot you can rinse off the roots with running water.This will make it easier to prune and to re-pot. Be sure to carefully examine and remove all dead or damaged roots. Re-pot your tree in a potting mixture that consists of 1/3 loam, 1/3, peat, and 1/3 coarse sand. For all styles except a cascading style, you want to use a shallow pot. This will compel the roots to spread out and will create a stable root base.

Root Pruning

The pruning of your Japanese maple's roots should always be combined with branch pruning so that the root system is not over-stressed seeking to supply water and food to the plants branches and leaves.

Root pruning really should be performed about every other year for younger plants, and then every two to three years for mature plants.

As a result of root pruning your Japanese Maple will lose some of its ability to transport water and food to its leaves and branches. This is the reason fall is the best time for you to prune the roots because the tree is slowing down it's systems of moving water and nutrients through the tree anyway. Late fall or early spring are the times that are the least stressful for the tree.

The Japanese maple will normally have stopped providing it's leaves with water by late fall. The roots of the Japanese maple will remain active long after all of the leaves have fallen off, provided that the temperature remains above 55 degrees. When you prune the roots prior to the temperature dropping below 55 degrees the roots should have a chance for some new growth.

Spring is also a good time to prune the roots of your Japanese maple because temperature have not yet risen and the tree's leaves have not yet formed so there are no losses of water from the leaves through transpiration, so stress to the plant is minimized.

Caring for Your Japanese Maple During the Winter

Water the tree completely as the last few leaves drop off in the fall. Your Japanese maple ought to then be moved to a location for the winter that will provide it shelter from drying winter winds. If not protected, the dry winter winds may cause extensive injury to your Japanese maple. The soil in your bonsai's pot will quickly dry out when subjected to the winter winds. Don't water your Japanese maple bonsai very much during the winter, but do check the soil from time to time. Give it a drink of water whenever the soil in the pot feels dry at a depth of one-half to one inch below the surface. You should also make sure that your tree's roots will not freeze during the winter. If you are unsure of the hardiness of your tree, keep the tree in a cold frame to prevent the soil from freezing, and safeguard it against frosts.

Bonsai gardening is a hobby that is fascinating, affordable, and easy to get involved in. Bonsai can be enjoyed by people of all ages, and can last a lifetime. Click this link to learn more about growing your own amazing Japanese maple bonsai, and sign up for your FREE 7-part introductory mini-course on how to grow miniature bonsai trees. Or, to get started growing your own bonsai trees right away check out the highly regarded "how-to" bonsai book "Beautiful Bonsai Secrets".