Sycamore is endowed with all the wonderful qualities we want in an outdoor bonsai. These instructions show you the way to a successful cultivation of an Acer pseudoplatanus as a mini tree for balconies, terraces and gardens.

The sycamore maple is easy to train as a bonsai even for beginners

Fast-track start - this is how it works

The cultivation of a sycamore maple from seed takes many years. The "quick bonsai" method gives you a specimen with which you can quickly start the creative work. It's that easy:

  • Select young, 200 cm high sycamore maples with a beautiful trunk and well-developed roots
  • Shorten with a sharp, disinfected saw to 30 to 50 cm
  • Potting in a bonsai pot with a mix of 2 parts Akadama and 1 part potting soil and perlite

If you come across the ideal specimen as a boulder in a garden or park, please ask the owner if you can dig up the young sycamore.

Properly caring for sycamore as a bonsai - you should pay attention to this

A sycamore maple feels in good hands in a sunny to semi-shady location that is bathed in air. Acer pseudoplatanus is suitable for almost all styles, with a height of 50 to 80 cm being recommended. The focus is on the following care measures:

  • Water regularly with normal tap water, several times a day in summer
  • Fertilize every 2 weeks from spring to autumn
  • Prune branches during the leafless period, but not in spring (sap flow)
  • Ideally, remove thicker branches in summer
  • From the end of May, one- to two-year-old branches are wired into the desired shape

Although a sycamore maple is completely hardy, there is a risk of frost damage in the small-volume bonsai pot. Plant older trees in the garden for the winter, under the protection of large deciduous trees. It is best to overwinter a sycamore bonsai in the development phase in a bright, frost-free winter quarters. Alternatively, place your little one in a large wooden box on a thick layer of bark mulch and place the improvised winter quarters in a garden niche that is protected from the wind.

tips

While regular pruning of sycamore bonsai is important for targeted growth control, the same is not true for its imposing counterparts in the garden. Only cut an adult Acer pseudoplatanus according to the minimum principle in exceptional cases. So that the valuable tree does not bleed to death afterwards, a day between October and December is recommended

Category:

Trees