名媛直播

I found a Japanese Maple at a local store that looks like a nice candidate for me to start working with. It has not been grown as a bonsai and is at least 24 inches tall. It is budding now and looks healthy so I'm excited to go pick it up this weekend. When I do, I will be repotting it. Will I be able to knock some of that excess growth off this season or will I have to wait until next spring to do a substantial pruning?

Go for it, Maples are pretty tuff.

That is what I was thinking. There are very hardy trees and this one is definitely a few years old so I think I will go for it.

At least I will get some first hand experience if I kill the poor thing.

Substantial pruning might be better done in summer, after the first flush f leaves. At a certain ppint the growth slows down. If you then prune hard, the wounds may seal quickly, and new growth may harden off before winter. Strong pruning now that the plant has started to build sappressure, may lead to a serious loss of nutrients. THat, with the roots pruned off, may seriously weaken the plant.