The Japanese maple - including in this case the species "Japanese fan maple" (Acer palmatum) - is the ideal bonsai for beginners, and the beautiful ornamental tree is also traditionally cultivated as such in Japan. The Japanese maple is suitable for various styles and forms of design, whether as a single tree, double or multiple trunk or even forest.
The Japanese maple makes a colorful bonsai
location
The Japanese maple is quite demanding when it comes to location: On the one hand, it needs a lot of light for vigorous budding and intensive autumn colors, on the other hand, many of the approximately 500 cultivars do not tolerate direct sun. For this reason, you should place the tree in the sun in spring and autumn (but avoid the midday sun!) and offer it a semi-shady spot in summer. The location should also be sheltered from the wind, as the Japanese maple reacts to strong winds with brown leaf tips.
substrate and repotting
The substrate should be as loose, permeable as possible, rich in nutrients and slightly moist. A sandy loam soil is ideal, which you can mix yourself from humus soil, Akadama (a dimensionally stable, burnt loam granulate) and a fine-grained mineral substrate (e.g. lavalite). Repotting is done every one to two years at best. Older specimens from the age of about 10 years only need to be repotted every five years.
watering and fertilizing
Although the Japanese maple likes it slightly damp, it does not tolerate waterlogging or strong water fluctuations. It will most likely react to constantly changing dry and wet conditions with brown leaf tips. It is better to let the bale dry slightly and then water it moderately. If possible, leaves and shoots should not be wetted, this only increases the risk of fungal infection. Otherwise, between April and August, the tree is supplied with an organic fertilizer about every two weeks.
cutting and wiring
When it comes to pruning, the Japanese maple is a difficult candidate, as it tends - like almost all maples - to bleed profusely. In addition, pruning increases the risk of fungal infection, to which the maple is unfortunately very susceptible. Therefore, any necessary pruning should be carried out in autumn if possible - when the sap pressure is no longer quite as great. In the spring, diseased and dead shoots can be removed. Cut wounds should always be closed. Leaf trimming or pinching is possible at any time, wiring takes place in June.
tips
Although the Japanese maple is considered to be hardy, it can suffer frost damage in the shallow bonsai pots. Therefore, a frost-free hibernation at a maximum of six degrees Celsius is recommended.