See The Most Popular Japanese Maple Bonsai

Japanese Maple Bonsai: The Popular Choice

The Japanese maple bonsai is the prettiest of them all. The leafy tree has a variety of shapes and colors and the leaves change colors with the seasons. You have not completed your bonsai collection if you don’t have this stunning Japanese maple, in miniature.

Background

The Japanese have a quaint tradition – watching the colors of the leaves change. What better tree to watch but the Japanese maple? In autumn, the green maple leaves turn to red or yellow or a combination of both. In Japan, momijigari is observed during the fall when maple leaves change colors. People go as far the mountains to view this phenomenon.

The Japanese maple bonsai is a popular choice because of its profuse leaves and the trunk is perfect for a miniature tree. Why not have your own maple bonsai and view the changing of the colors in autumn right in your garden?

The Japanese maple or the Acer Palmatum is native to China, Korea, and Japan. The Japanese maple bonsai has many varieties but the best ones are the Acer Palmatum Palmatum, Acer Palmatum matsumurae, and Acer Palmatum Amoenum.

This maple has several hybrids that give stunning results when they have fully matured. The leaves of the Japanese maples vary from light jade green to deep ruby red. The leaves are tough and can stand pollution and insects. These trees also grow best in fertile, moist soil.

Growing Japanese Maple Bonsai

The Japanese maple grows to great heights in the wilds. It makes good bonsai material because it exhibits both juvenile and adult plant characteristics. Japanese maple bonsai cultivars are sold in local nurseries.

The local nurseries generally have maple seedlings and cuttings. Cultivars that have grown from cuttings with trunk diameters of 4 to 6 inches are ready for styling and inexpensive at this stage of growth.

Start with the basics if you are a newbie in bonsai gardening. Get your hands on excellent soil, fertilizer, and the bonsai basin or tray. To assure your success on your first venture, choose the right type for your bonsai tree. Japanese maple bonsai may not be perfect for your first try but if you get the right resources, you can grow your Japanese maple bonsai, although with much trepidation.

Bonsai Size

Take note about the design of your Japanese maple bonsai. Small-leafed Japanese maples are perfect for small bonsai. Larger leaf types are ideal candidates for bigger bonsai. But for smaller bonsai, choose the types with short internodes. Longer internodes are promising bigger bonsai. The leaf size should also be taken into account for your bonsai size. Japanese maples, with larger leaves, make good 2 to 4 foot bonsai.

Where to Plant

Cultivated bonsai are still plants. They need sun and water to grow but a word of caution; the Japanese maple cannot stand too much sun. If grown outdoors, this should be placed in shaded areas or areas where there’s not too much direct sunlight. This can be grown outdoors but if you wish to have them indoors, these must have a regular dose of sunshine everyday. A deeper tray for your Japanese maple bonsai is recommended because it will contain sand, gravel, and soil and must have good drainage.

Growing Japanese maple bonsai is not easy. But if you follow the rules, you can grow them successfully. Ask bonsai aficionados – they’ll tell you that it is not always easy but once they got it right, they now have beautiful miniature Japanese maples.