My Acer exsperement.

I've been out today and bought a few plants with a Japanese theme in mind. I bought an evergreen azalea, Some bamboo and two small acers.

Now I've put all in to pots and I plan to train the small acers in to a desirable fanned out shape.

At the moment there very upright and I often see them left to grow like this but I like the weighted over looking acers that resemble bonsai trees.

I bought two very smiler because it is the first time I've ever attempted any think like this and thought I'd better give my self a second chance. lol

Has any one got any tips that may help me I really am playing it by ear? I've potted them in to pots 5 times the current root ball size to give them freedom to grow as I don't want to restrict there growth just manipulate how they grow. Have I don't the right thing?

 

I guess you can train any small tree/shrub like an acer with patience. I've trained mine to be "dome shaped."

This one's about 25 years old and about nine feet in diameter. I try to keep it that size and now just keep it that shape using shears. It's completely hollow underneath, like a mushroom.









To get the "dome shape" I surrounded them with bamboo canes stuck in the ground with a wire connected round the circumference of the canes which kept them in a perfect circle. You have to be ruthless and prune off any "untrainable" branches. I then attached other wires from the canes to the branches and bent them down as far as I dare towards the individual canes. Every few weeks I'd go back and pull them a bit further.




Eventually I was able to remove the canes and the branches retained their positions. It takes about a year if the acer is of a suitable shape. Two or three if you've got to fill "gaps" in the circle.

This ones now about five years old, it cost £40 in B & Q and only had two trainable branches. It's still not quite perfect, but give it another year...



I noticed a few week's back that Bent's garden centre wanted £3,000 for one nowhere near as nice as our large one, which made me smile. Maybe it was that price because it was in a big pot. I think ours cost about £9 when I bought it.

I'm not sure what you mean by "fan," but I guess a method would be more or less the same.

 

LOVE that shed.....did you buy or build it.....want one...remember Bents garden centre from the 90's when i lived in the north...not suprised about the prices!!

 

Thank you for your kind words jennylyn.

That's our "Tea-Shed" which I built twenty three years ago and is still going strong.
Photos of the construction of this you'll find "on about page 359" on my "Doghouse's Garden" topic in "Garden Projects."

It could take "half a day" if you're daft enough to read it, but a quick scroll down will find the photos.

http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/doghouses-garden-t23916.html

 

Thanks for the advise regarding your experience of training acers. The look amazing as dose your Tea house which I have already spotted and have plans to replicate in my own 'Japanese garden' once it takes a real Japanese shape rather than the small newly planted garden with a couple of Japanese plants thrown in for good measure.lol

I've been to see a customer of mine today and discussed starting of a couple of bonsai trees.

I'm really excited about it all!