Acer breaking dormancy

F

frosty4d

Guest
Hi everyone! I have an Acer, "sango kaku", that is breaking dormancy as we speak. I got the tree from a nursery this past June and gave it a light prune and put it in a training pot. I brought it inside in mid-November when it threatened to get too cold. I live in an apartment and have no place to keep it protected outside. I keep it in a spare bedroom that stays about 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the apt.
Anyway, I brought it out 2 weeks ago to check its shape and get some wire on it. I left it on the dining room table for a week and noticed buds breaking open. Now one of the buds has about 2 inches of new growth and the rest are trying to catch up. What should I do? Should I treat it like it's spring and prune new shoots? Should I feed it? Any tips?
Thanks in advance!

PS-I'm in central Ohio.
 

bisjoe

Yamadori
Messages
85
Reaction score
0
Location
Sammamish, WA
USDA Zone
8B
This is why deciduous trees should not be brought indoors, even for a few days. My acers have survived 10F, but if it's really too cold for them you might try to build/store a small enclosure for the patio or balcony. The warm temperatures and more light triggers the buds. If it stays indoors you will get long thin leggy branches with long internodes.
 

Tachigi

Omono
Messages
1,198
Reaction score
67
Location
PA.
USDA Zone
6b
Frosty, hate to say it, but if its broken bud your screwed. If you needed to bring it in, it should have been no more than for overnight for a day or two. This is a perfect example of understanding the material before you bust out the bucks to buy it.

Sorry for your loss Frosty!
 

Brian Van Fleet

Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Messages
13,959
Reaction score
45,886
Location
B’ham, AL
USDA Zone
8A
At this point, the bullets have left the gun. I'd give it as much sun/light as you can, keep the humidity up, treating it like a tropical, and when it's safe to take it outside, give it a pretty good haircut. Most of what will have grown by then will scorch in the sunlight when it does go out...your challenge now is to keep it alive until you can get it outside! Good luck.
 
F

frosty4d

Guest
Thanks for the tips, guys!
I do have a pretty good understanding of the materials, but with 40 or 50 plants and a 2 bedroom apartment, there is only so much room. The only place outside gets the worst of the wind and there isn't a way to protect the tree. I have another Acer that I've had for 5 years or so. Always brought it in for the coldest months and have never seen this happen. Of the 4 maples I have, this is the only one breaking out.
And with all due respect, it's a little early to apologize for my loss. It's alive, isn't it?
 

Smoke

Ignore-Amus
Messages
11,668
Reaction score
20,724
Location
Fresno, CA
USDA Zone
9
Hi everyone! I have an Acer, "sango kaku", that is breaking dormancy as we speak. I got the tree from a nursery this past June and gave it a light prune and put it in a training pot. I brought it inside in mid-November when it threatened to get too cold. I live in an apartment and have no place to keep it protected outside. I keep it in a spare bedroom that stays about 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the apt.
Anyway, I brought it out 2 weeks ago to check its shape and get some wire on it. I left it on the dining room table for a week and noticed buds breaking open. Now one of the buds has about 2 inches of new growth and the rest are trying to catch up. What should I do? Should I treat it like it's spring and prune new shoots? Should I feed it? Any tips?
Thanks in advance!

PS-I'm in central Ohio.

I have a decent sized Sango kaku in my backyard. Last time I looked I think I saw some seeds. If you wish, PM me and I may be able to send you some new seed to start a new one. When I looked there were very few seeds so I have no idea how many are left.

Edit: Sango Kaku is known as "coral bark maple" because the bark turns a very coral red in winter. During summer it gets rather brown on old wood over two years old, but still turns red in winter. The smaller twigs even in summer are red though. It is a beautiful maple in spring with its bright red bark and almost chartruese leaves when unrolling. Breathtaking maple. I am currently trying to marry this foliage on trident understock which is why I have this tree.

Al
 

Attachments

  • DSC_00130001.JPG
    DSC_00130001.JPG
    90.3 KB · Views: 139
Last edited:

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
Messages
14,182
Reaction score
22,180
Location
Fairfax Va.
USDA Zone
7
Give it as much light as possible and as much humidity as possible.

DO NOT put it back outdoors. Once their buds break into growth, temperate deciduous trees lose all of their ability to stand the cold.

Unfortunately, inside, it isn't going to do very well. It will most likely limp by until springtime--unless it dries out or gets spider mites. Don't fertilize it. It has very little light to begin with. It will be unable to use it effectively. You could wind up burning roots. Don't be tempted to "do" anything with it. Don't think it "needs" your help. Let it alone, make sure the soil doesn't dry out (but don't keep it soggy). Futzing around with pruning, root work, etc. inside at this time of year could be fatal for the plant.

You are learning the hard way that understanding what you're doing before you do it is essential in bonsai. Maples are quite capable of handling cold (some are hardy to -10 F or so). Maples actually NEED frosts and freezes in the fall to help them prepare for winter dormancy. If you have nowhere to overwinter a temperate deciduous tree, then it's pretty much a deal-breaker in keeping one...
 
F

frosty4d

Guest
Thanks guys!
I posted a reply last night, but apparently it didn't get approved. There wasn't any foul language or inflammatory comments. I've read plenty of forums in my day and it was appropriate, but it hasn't been posted, so I'm done with this forum. With your less than 3,000 person membership, that's your loss.
Oh well.
 

DaveV

Shohin
Messages
408
Reaction score
56
Location
Nebraska
USDA Zone
5a
Frosty, If I were in your situation, I would try to find someone or some business with a greenhouse. Also, look at high schools or colleges that might have a greenhouse. There are some growers that grow their own flowers for spring sale - they could be starting to do that now. Are their any bonsai shops around you that could also have greenhouses or know someone that may have one. If you find one and are able to store it their, you will need to check it daily. I had to do this with one of my tropical trees one winter, it worked out pretty well.
 

Hisaoka

Sapling
Messages
25
Reaction score
2
Location
Eugene, Oregon
USDA Zone
8
Frosty-
It's easy to get offended here, but the cranky old guys really do have a wealth of knowledge. I would just hang around and glean what you can. There are a lot of nice people to meet here too! :)
 

Ang3lfir3

Omono
Messages
1,287
Reaction score
28
Location
Bremerton, WA
USDA Zone
8b
@Al Sango Kaku is an Acer P. (which i know you know) and thus it most likely won't come true from seed.... you'd more likely to just get standard Acer P. from it along with some other strange variations and oddities....

you said you have been trying to graft this to Acer B. can you elaborate more on that? I would be personally interested in seeing the results of this as it is an exciting prospect...
 

milehigh_7

Mister 500,000
Messages
4,920
Reaction score
6,096
Location
Somewhere South of Phoenix
USDA Zone
Hot
Thanks guys!
I posted a reply last night, but apparently it didn't get approved. There wasn't any foul language or inflammatory comments. I've read plenty of forums in my day and it was appropriate, but it hasn't been posted, so I'm done with this forum. With your less than 3,000 person membership, that's your loss.
Oh well.

Wow frosty that may just be a record. Three posts and you are out? If you are going to be in the bonsai community (or really any group of people) you will need a tad thicker skin.
 

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
Messages
14,182
Reaction score
22,180
Location
Fairfax Va.
USDA Zone
7
"I posted a reply last night, but apparently it didn't get approved. There wasn't any foul language or inflammatory comments. I've read plenty of forums in my day and it was appropriate, but it hasn't been posted, so I'm done with this forum. With your less than 3,000 person membership, that's your loss."

So basically, you're miffed not because of the advice given, but because you haven't been able to be snippy with those providing advice. Doesn't sound like much of a loss to the forum.
 

Bill S

Masterpiece
Messages
2,494
Reaction score
28
Location
Western Massachusetts
USDA Zone
5a
" have another Acer that I've had for 5 years or so. Always brought it in for the coldest months and have never seen this happen. Of the 4 maples I have, this is the only one breaking out. "

I don't know Mark, this guy knows how to grow maples indoors we could have learned a lot. Then again he didn't actually say the other one is still alive, did he. Rats!

Another I don't like what you are telling me, or hit the back button instead of the submit post.

Still amazes me that people will buy something like this and can't take care of it, don't people think anymore. Guess I'll just go while away the hours, and check out the flowers.

Ha it just hit me, he is doing bonsi using house plant thinking, hope he at least reads and digests some of this.
 
Top Bottom