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How to Take Care of Your Japanese Maple Bonsai

There are many kinds of trees that you can use for bonsai. A lot of experts however have a marked preference for the Japanese maple. If properly attended to, the Japanese maple can stay strong and continue to sprout beautiful foliage. The Japanese maple bonsai can be red or green with many other variations. All Japanese maple bonsai types however are fine and elegant.

Sunlight

Just like other living organisms, the Japanese maple bonsai needs sunlight too to survive. You should take note though that the Japanese maple bonsai has particularly sensitive leaves and may burn easily due to sun exposure. It would therefore be a good idea to expose it to mild sunlight and away from exposure during the middle of the day and in summer. Autumn and spring are good times for sun exposure because sunlight is mild but winter should be a time for intensified protection against the wind and cold.

Water Properly

You may water your Japanese maple bonsai everyday. Limited water can lead to dry soil and poor hydration. You should however choose the time and place to water your Japanese maple bonsai. There is some evidence that watering combined with sunlight exposure could lead to more leaf damage. Evidence suggests that water droplets could increase the effects of the sun. Another theory points to the possibility that chemical or mineral content in water could react with sun exposure resulting in burns.

Prune at the Right Time

Pruning is the way to shape and manage a Japanese maple bonsai. You usually prune roots, branches and leaves with additional internode control. It is suggested that pruning should be avoided during spring since this could be harmful to your bonsai. There are pruning schedules that you should ideally follow. Leaves can be pruned during the early to mid parts of summer while root, branch and extensive pruning should be done in the fall.

It is also possible to simulate the autumn effect on a Japanese maple bonsai in the summer. Doing so will produce finer and better looking leaves. The rule for Japanese maple bonsai defoliation is that it should not be done in the same year as repotting. Once you are done pruning you should take extra care to dress the pruning wounds.

Internodes are another point of concern. A lot of bosnai keepers prefer short internodes to long ones. A Japanese maple bonsai with short internodes look cleaner and better kept. You can have this look through careful shoot removal and branch pinching.

Wiring

Japanese maple bonsai wiring is a point of dispute. There are those who maintain that pinching and pruning are enough to properly shape a Japanese maple bonsai. If you really want to wire your bonsai then you should consider doing this when it is not winter and when the leaves are not in full bloom. Winter is a time when your bonsai could be a little fragile.

You should be careful during spring wiring since the wires could damage the bonsai during its growth and healing phase. It is usually recommended not to leave the wires for longer than half a year.