Bonsai of Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum': care

Acer palmatum atropurpureum bonsai is easy to care for

Image - Flickr / jacinta lluch valero

El bonsai the Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' is one of the most popular: it has palmate leaves, which in spring and especially in autumn turn a deep red. During the summer, contrary to what we might think, they are red-green or even green.

However, although it is relatively easy to care for when the climate is temperate and humid, things get complicated when it is subtropical and/or if the air humidity is also very low. Let's see what kind of care do you need.

What are the bonsai care of Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum'? As there are several things that we have to do to make it right, we are going to talk about each one of them separately:

Location. where to put my bonsai Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum'?

Japanese maple Atropurpureum turns green in summer

I will tell you first where you do NOT have to have it: indoors. Having him inside the house is sentencing him to death, because although it is small, it has the same needs as a normal Japanese maple. In fact, the only difference between a bonsai of Acer palmatum and a Japanese maple garden plant is that the former is pruned to keep it in a bonsai tray, while the latter is left to grow more or less to its own devices.

Therefore, we have to put our bonsai outside from the first day. Where exactly? Sun, shadow? Well, I recommend putting in shadow, and more if you live in the Mediterranean region since the sun is very strong in summer, so much so that it burns the leaves very easily.

In the event that you are in an area where the climate is temperate, with temperatures that do not usually exceed 30ºC during the summer season, and remain mild the rest of the year, then you could have it in semi-shade; that is to say, in a place where it would get direct sun for a little while in the early morning or at sunset, and then shade the rest of the day.

What style to give?

When we buy a bonsai (or bonsai project, because we remember that not everything that is sold as bonsai is), normally it already has a pre or defined style. This is usually, for example, chokkan (more or less straight trunk with a triangular crown), broom (slightly inclined trunk with most of the branches growing on one side), or forest (several specimens growing together). Then what we have to do is simply cut the branches that are growing too much with scissors.

Acer bonsai
Related article:
Bonsai styles

But if what we have done is to buy a purple leaf Japanese maple, we will have to be more patient. Getting a bonsai "done right" takes years, so it may be a few decades before we can say that our Acer palmatum it is a bonsai proper. These are the steps to follow:

  1. As soon as we buy it, we will plant it in a pot that is about 10 cm wider and taller than the one it currently has with coconut fiber mixed with 30% perlite. We will leave it there until the roots come out through the drainage holes of the container.
  2. Meanwhile, if possible and if necessary, we will cut the branches a little to get it to develop a branched crown. These cuts will be made with household scissors in late winter. It is important to cut only a little; that is, if, for example, the branch is 50cm long, we will reduce it by 10cm or 15cm at most. Of course, you have to cut above the bud, which is a little bump that protrudes a little from the branch.
  3. When the trunk is 1 or better 2cm thick, it will be a good time to plant it in a bonsai training pot like this (or if you want, in a round and low pot, widely used to plant succulents or flowers). This should have holes at its base, and measure a maximum of 15 or 20cm in diameter. As a substrate, you can put the same one you have been using to date: coconut fiber mixed with a little perlite, or akadama (for sale here) mixed with 30% kiryuzuna (for sale here).
  4. Now is when you can begin to style it, taking into account the shape and development of the trunk and branches. Trust me, it's best not to force it.
  5. After about 3 or 4 years you can plant it in a bonsai tray.

When to water the bonsai Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum'?

When it comes to watering our bonsai we have to take into account that it is a tree that does not support drought, and that it is also growing in a tray with an amount of soil that, how could it be otherwise, is limited. . This land dries out relatively quickly, so we have to be a little careful so that the maple does not dehydrate.

Therefore, I advise watering it several times a week in summer, especially during a heat wave, and more widely the rest of the year. Likewise, it is very important to use rainwater, but if that is not possible, a good alternative would be bottled water suitable for human consumption.

Does it have to be paid?

Japanese maple can be bonsai

It is important to do it, yes. But you have to use a specific fertilizer for bonsai such as this, and follow the instructions for use so that problems do not arise. We will pay it from the time it begins to sprout in spring until the end of summer, this way we will ensure that it grows well, with strength and that it is also healthy.

We hope these tips have been useful to you.


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