Defoliation is covered extensively in the archives.

It is usually used only for trees that are already bonsai and consists
of cutting the leaf stems. This is done once the first flush of spring
leaves have hardened. It forces the tree to produce new leaves and these
are smaller. It stresses the tree somewhat and should only be done on a
healthy, vigorously growing specimen. It is also unwise to do it in
consecutive years as the tree will be weakened.

Cheers

Kev Bailey
Vale Of Clwyd, North Wales

-----Original Message-----
From: Internet Bonsai Club ] On Behalf
Of tdlabrie
Sent: 09 June 2004 16:59
To:
Subject: [IBC] acer leaf clipping

Wow! I just got my first Acer the other day. It's still a baby. But I
never read anything about clipping leaves. Where did you find that
instruction?

Thanks.


--
tdlabrie

Terry
(Green Pea)
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Kev- Although "defoliation" usually implies complete removal of leaves,
my experience has been that partial defoliation has its value too. By
removing leaves which cover other leaves, hanging leaves, and sprouts, one
may be able to have a tidier tree without significant stress. Of course,
there is the argument that partial defoliation forces unwanted growth in the
remaining foliage. There is something to be said for that: but I still like
the process as against total defoliation.
Marty
----- Original Message -----
From: "kevin bailey"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 2:04 PM
Subject: [IBC] acer leaf clipping


Defoliation is covered extensively in the archives.

It is usually used only for trees that are already bonsai and consists
of cutting the leaf stems. This is done once the first flush of spring
leaves have hardened. It forces the tree to produce new leaves and these
are smaller. It stresses the tree somewhat and should only be done on a
healthy, vigorously growing specimen. It is also unwise to do it in
consecutive years as the tree will be weakened.

Cheers

Kev Bailey
Vale Of Clwyd, North Wales

-----Original Message-----
From: Internet Bonsai Club ] On Behalf
Of tdlabrie
Sent: 09 June 2004 16:59
To:
Subject: [IBC] acer leaf clipping

Wow! I just got my first Acer the other day. It's still a baby. But I
never read anything about clipping leaves. Where did you find that
instruction?

Thanks.


--
tdlabrie

Terry
(Green Pea)
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tdlabrie's Profile:
http://forum.bonsaitalk.com/member.p...fo&userid=1684
View this thread:
http://forum.bonsaitalk.com/showthre...?threadid=7025

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Wow! I just got my first Acer the other day. It's still a
baby. But I
never read anything about clipping leaves. Where did you find
that
instruction?

Since it is "still a baby" I suggest you forget you ever heard of
leaf stripping at least until it reaches late adolescence.

Meanwhile, keep on reading; because I can't think of a book on
bonsai that doesn't cover it in some detail.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Who suggests
that you can NOT learn bonsai on the Internet.

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Jim is right. Do take baby steps with baby trees.
Read how to devlope and maintain growth for a couple
of years or more. Then will give you the best
possible bonsai. Some of the seedlings I bought 15 to
20 years ago are getting close to being bonsai. I
worked on caliper then nebari. Now I am working to
get that wonderful branching pattern you see on the
trees in the Japanese magazines. I defoliated then
this year for the first time.

Kitsune Miko
--- Jim Lewis wrote:
Wow! I just got my first Acer the other day.
It's still a
baby. But I
never read anything about clipping leaves. Where
did you find
that
instruction?

Since it is "still a baby" I suggest you forget you
ever heard of
leaf stripping at least until it reaches late
adolescence.

Meanwhile, keep on reading; because I can't think of
a book on
bonsai that doesn't cover it in some detail.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL -
Who suggests
that you can NOT learn bonsai on the Internet.


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=====
Besides learning to see, there is another art to be learned -- not to see what is not

The eye that directs the needle in the delicate meshes of embroidery will equally well bisect a star with the spider web of the micrometer. M. Mitchell

We cannot take anything for granted, beyond the first mathematical formulae. Quetion everything else.

Maria Mitchell, scientist, astronomer, suffragette

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(Jim Lewis) wrote in message news:00eb01c44e60$143103c0$9c102cc7@pavilion...
Wow! I just got my first Acer the other day. It's still a
baby. But I
never read anything about clipping leaves. Where did you find
that
instruction?

Since it is "still a baby" I suggest you forget you ever heard of
leaf stripping at least until it reaches late adolescence.

Meanwhile, keep on reading; because I can't think of a book on
bonsai that doesn't cover it in some detail.

Good advice, there. "read twice, clip once ;-)"

I wouldn't leaf-clip an acer that didn't have a trunk at least a thumb
in thickness; that had been repotted this season; that hadn't been
fertilized in the past quarter; that wasn't vibrantly healthy.

Look for Peter Adams' book on maples; some good direction there.

Key point: if you defoliate, you should really prune at the same time.
Cut that new growth back to the first set of nodes. Then you will
achieve more compact appearance and enhanced illusion of maturity.

Have fun!

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Who suggests
that you can NOT learn bonsai on the Internet.

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On 10 Jun 2004 19:01:32 -0700, (Bernie) wrote:

(Jim Lewis) wrote in message news:00eb01c44e60$143103c0$9c102cc7@pavilion...
Wow! I just got my first Acer the other day. It's still a
baby. But I
never read anything about clipping leaves. Where did you find
that
instruction?

Since it is "still a baby" I suggest you forget you ever heard of
leaf stripping at least until it reaches late adolescence.

Meanwhile, keep on reading; because I can't think of a book on
bonsai that doesn't cover it in some detail.

Good advice, there. "read twice, clip once ;-)"

I wouldn't leaf-clip an acer that didn't have a trunk at least a thumb
in thickness; that had been repotted this season; that hadn't been
fertilized in the past quarter; that wasn't vibrantly healthy.

in such a case, what time in or around june would you recomend?

Look for Peter Adams' book on maples; some good direction there.

thank you, i will

Key point: if you defoliate, you should really prune at the same time.
Cut that new growth back to the first set of nodes. Then you will
achieve more compact appearance and enhanced illusion of maturity.

Have fun!

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Who suggests
that you can NOT learn bonsai on the Internet.

no, but there's a lot of fine minds to pick on the subject!

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mad sweeney wrote in message . ..
On 10 Jun 2004 19:01:32 -0700, (Bernie) wrote:

(Jim Lewis) wrote in message news:00eb01c44e60$143103c0$9c102cc7@pavilion...
Wow! I just got my first Acer the other day. It's still a
baby. But I
never read anything about clipping leaves. Where did you find
that
instruction?

Since it is "still a baby" I suggest you forget you ever heard of
leaf stripping at least until it reaches late adolescence.

Meanwhile, keep on reading; because I can't think of a book on
bonsai that doesn't cover it in some detail.

Good advice, there. "read twice, clip once ;-)"

I wouldn't leaf-clip an acer that didn't have a trunk at least a thumb
in thickness; that had been repotted this season; that hadn't been
fertilized in the past quarter; that wasn't vibrantly healthy.

in such a case, what time in or around june would you recomend?

Depends onenvirons. In SF Bay region, I start in early June with trees
that get more shade; late June with those that get more sun. That's
for cool summer, windy & often cloudy weather.

Also, BTW, I've only ever leaf-clipped generic acer palmatums; I don't
think any exotic cultivars will respond very well.

Have fun!