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Hi guys,

Earlier today I was walking near Eiho-Ji temple in Gifu prefecture when I spotted a minuscule Japanese Maple shoot sitting in the shadow of a larger tree.

I am in love with the foliage on these trees so I decided to try to take the shoot and make it into a bonsai.

I put a few larger stones across the bottom of a shallow ceramic bowl about 4cm deep, put some sand and akadama on that, topped the bowl up with soil from a garden center and put the shoot in and spray watered liberally. Have also put a bit of moss on the surface of the soil that I took from the same site as the shoot.

This is an experiment, I'm not expecting it to succeed, the shoot is tiny - two light green leaves with brownish orange edging, a whisper of a 'trunk' and a small root system that came up with the shoot.

I just want to know information that I have been unable to find online to date as these bonsai are usually showcased once more grown. I want to help this guy get a foothold in the pot then just let it grow as it likes for a few years. What kind of things do you think I should keep in mind with regards to watering frequency, location, sun exposure, and just giving it the best chance I can to survive? Keep in mind that I live in Tajimi, Japan, famously the hottest place in the whole country during summer (a humid 40 degrees)

ps. i've attached an image of the shoot in situ, my dear girlfriend added some extra moss, might go back on that one be aware that the pot is sitting in a wider dish, the image makes it look a bit like the dish Is the pot

Thanks!

Rich

for now keep it in semi-shade, with a bit of morning / evening sun. Ensure the soil does not get too wet, but also never dries out. (Tricky balance ). And let it grow this year to get rooted well.

Fun, Japan. Netherlands here!

You must know that you do not have a bonsai. The cutting you took is unlikely to survive. The soil you put it in is not the best for trying to root a cutting. I would have put it in a pot with a peat compost and put the pot inside a polythene bag to keep the moisture in. It would then need to be placed in a spot that has shade for most of the day especially in the afternoon. Until and unless it produces roots there is nothing else to do.

I think this was a seedling, collected with roots. not a cutting..?

that's right

leatherback wrote: for now keep it in semi-shade, with a bit of morning / evening sun.
..
Fun, Japan. Netherlands here!

Thanks for these tips Yeah it's a rooted shoot..

I should keep it outdoors the whole time, I assume?

It's a nice place the netherlands sure has it's charms though!

Yeah, keep it outside

(Pst.. Don't tell anyone.. I actually have lived in Germany for a decade now )

leatherback wrote: Yeah, keep it outside

(Pst.. Don't tell anyone.. I actually have lived in Germany for a decade now )

The next day and the leaves show no sign of shriveling up to die so huzzah. (in the images it has just been watered via spraying)

A lot of videos etc talk of fertilizing. I'm unsure what that means, could you enlighten me? Do bonsai stores in the west cell pre-mixed fertilizers for certain tree types?

(i lived in berlin for 3 years when i was a teen, are you near there?)