About Japanese Maple Bonsai Trees
Japanese maples (Acer Palmatum) are deciduous, medium to large bonsai trees with five-lobed leaves that turn red in fall and bark that turns silvery with age. Does this Spark an idea?
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Cultivars
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There are over 250 cultivars of Japanese maple bonsais including the Chishio, Deshojo, Dissectum, Dissectum atropupureum, Kagiri Nishiki, Kashima, Katsura, Kiyohime, Nishiki gawa, Sango kaku, Seigen, Ukigomo and Ukon maples.
Climates
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Maples generally like full sun and partial shade in the summer. They need cold winter conditions to induce dormancy and shed their leaves. They do well in temperate climates.
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Color
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Japanese maple bonsais are often grown for their vibrant colors. Many varieties are a bright green in spring and turn to a russet red in the fall whereas others may turn from bright red to deep scarlet as the weather cools.
Maintenance
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These bonsais enjoy water daily throughout their growing season and prefer to be kept damp during the winter. They should be repotted every other year for the first 10 years, then as necessary according to Harry Tomlinson in his handbook "Bonsai."
Style
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New shoots can be cut in the spring and leaf cutting can be done in midsummer. They can be pruned in any style but are not suitable for the literati-style like conifers are.
Pesticides
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Aphids like to prey on deciduous trees such as maples. Insecticides containing bifenthrin are suggested by expert bonsai artists Peter Chan because they are kinder than malathion to younger leaves. Malathion can turn young leaves black. A light spray during winter will kill any eggs.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Photo by Sooner Plant Farm
