wrote:

In a message dated 6/14/04 12:05:53 PM, writes:
Have you ever tried sugar maple, Iris?

No. I have seen enough pathetic attempts not to. Likewise silver maple and
Norway maple. The red maple I collected in 1991 is coming along very slowly, but
it is not yet ready to show its face in public. It is very hard to get it to
start new branches. I may have to do some thread grafting.

I've got a couple of red maples I collected a few years ago in Maine. They're
coming along pretty well. Fairly good size--5"-6" at the base.


With so many tried and true species for bonsai, why bother with something
futile?
Iris

Well, I wouldn't have experimental trees as my only trees.

I guess my point is this:

1) Just because some have tried the species and may not have succeeded (in the
estimation of some) does that mean the jury is in? Not in my book.

2) It would seem that the "tried and true" species were discovered only through
experimentation. So what's the harm in experimenting? I have a sugar maple with a
pretty good size base, about 6" and it's developing pretty well. Still a long way
to go. If in the end I decide it will never be a good bonsai, then I plant it in
the yard. No harm done. This is going to be a big tree too--probably 30" or so.

Awhile back someone posted on the list that they had reduced sugar maple leaves
down to under two inches. On a large bonsai, what's wrong with that for leaf size?

Another point with leaf size--there are some instances where leaf size does not
correspond to trunk size in terms of scale. I've seen a lot of forest plantings of
either trident or japanese maple, and the leaves are far too big. Not that I
necessarily have a problem with that.

Craig Cowing
NY
Zone 5b/6a Sunset 37

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