Note: this specimen will be identified as Monrovia 2.0 going forward; see last entry in proceeding Monrovia 1.0 for details
Whether this"last resort" will be successful, we'll have to wait a couple of years to judge, but for now, the tree survives, in a new incarnation, with our best wishes.
Aug 5, 2026
The new foliage will soon hide the legacy trunk & at this rate, I think I'm going to have to start thinking about thinning it out. One of the problems with the previous incarnation was that it would initially produce foliage, but could not sustain it; my theory is that the damaged roots could not deliver enough nutrition to feed the foliage.
One of the justifications for "the chop" was to reduce height & span that the root system had to service. All we can do now is to continue to monitor the plant.
In spite of the heat wave, Monrovia 2.0 is continuing to develop..foliage color & leaf size, and I'm wondering if he will take on fall colors, this year.
I am still amazed at the technique of basically "chopping-down" a tree, in order to save it. However, I have not de-potted yet to take a look at the roots & see if his rejuvenation extended to the root system. I pruned the roots on Monrovia 1.0 a couple of times, trying to cure whatever it was that ailed him, but that seemed to have little effect.
My plan for this specimen now is to watch & learn. At the very least, this plant can teach us about resilience..so far, the gamble is paying off.
October 2026
I had resolved not to touch the Japanese Maple until it was dormant, this winter. Then I watched a YouTube video, by a professional grower, on overwintering for Acers & it changed my mind on the subject. The advice given was NOT to wait until the tree is dormant to prune &/or re-pot, as was my plan for the 'Monrovia'.
It makes sense..given that the tree is basically asleep, it will have no natural defenses to protect it from bacteria in the soil infecting & retarding the regrowth of feeder roots or larger roots that might be pruned or completely removed. He also surmised that the trauma could interfere with the plants natural circadian rhythms, "waking it up" prematurely to respond to any intervention..his advice was to re-pot in fall or wait until next spring, in keeping with the cultivar's natural growth pattern.
The 'Monrovia' was overdue for a look-see,underground, at how the tree had fared over the last several months, since the "chop" & complete re-invigoration & rebirth of this specimen & coupled with the need to re-pot nearly every tree in my collection, I went ahead & "did the deed", yesterday.
The pruning & repot went smoothly; like many of the trees I've repotted over the last month, the new root growth was sparse (due to soil compaction), but I did some major surgery on a couple of large roots & removed what was left of the tap root, which is no longer needed.
The pruning allowed me to fit him into a bonsai training tray, where he will remain now for the foreseeable future & I hope continue to amaze me with his super-powers of rejuvenation & restoration.
(to be continued)