Acer palmatum Katsura (5 trunks from cutting)

clem

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Great pace, and it looks like the big box right from the start was a good move after all!

bon travail @clem c'est un super projet et j'aime bien ta vision
merci pour les encouragements ;)

concerning the flat & large wood box, i actually read a book for professionnal nurserymen who want to grow some plants in containers. There is a paragraph devoted to flat training box. The conclusion :
1 - Compared to deep training pots, a flat training pot increases the growth/thickening rate/speed of the base of the trunk ("le collet de l'arbre" = the "collar" of the tree).
2 - The size of the training pot is important too : When you increase the size of the training box up to 50cm (20 inches), you proportionately increase the growth rate of the base of the tree. Beyond 50cm wide, the growth rate remains approx the same (so i guess it isn't usefull to build a training box larger than 50cm, unless you plan to let the tree grow many years without repotting). Below 50cm wide, the growth rate of the base of the tree isn't optimal.
 

clem

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With the hope to reach my 2nd virtual one day, i trimmed some trees 2 weeks ago and i will let the main tree and the first tree on the left (supposed to developp much more) grow in the years to come.
I used this big knob cutter disinfected in alcohol before to cut ->
acer palmatum katsura 2021 09 09 (3).JPG

The trees after the cut ->
acer palmatum katsura 2021 09 09 (4).JPG

The trees with healing putty ->
acer palmatum katsura 2021 09 09 (5).JPG

the future trunk lines after clip&grow in white ->
acer palmatum katsura 2021 09 09 (6).jpg

I cultivate JM since 3 years now, and i have noticed that the clip & grow cuts take approx. twice as long to heal, and the scar is thicker than a cut perpendicular to the trunk. I use a concave cutter, with the hope of having a more discreet scar (no bump) later.
I prefered to cut in the beginning of September than in the end of October, to give the trees more time to heal (compartimentalize) before winter. I just hope i will not have a sap withdrawal this winter.
 

clem

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The trees now. This year, i let the central trunk grow more than the others, to try to reach my virtual
acer palmatum katsura 2022 08 30 (1).jpg


I worked on the nebari again (suface roots) to remove the misplaced roots
The front nebari before ->
acer palmatum katsura 2022 08 30 (3).JPG
acer palmatum katsura 2022 08 30 (4).JPG

The front nebari after trimming ->
acer palmatum katsura 2022 08 30 (5).JPG

The back side before trimming ->
acer palmatum katsura 2022 08 30 (6).JPG

The back nebari after trimming ->
acer palmatum katsura 2022 08 30 (7).JPG

I will trim the branches/crown this autumn. I hope i'll get new buds on the main trunk, in order to perform clip & grow on it (to get a better tapper).
 

clem

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hello, they grow very well this year.
i plan to work on the nebari (surface roots) in the next few days.. i 'll take pics & post them here :)
 

Maros

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Very nice progression thread. Thanks fot the effort.
 

clem

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Here are pics of this tree
acer palmatum katsura 2023 08 22 (1).JPG
the main trunk lacks of tapper, so i plan to thread graft it next spring

The nebari of the front before work ->
acer palmatum katsura 2023 08 22 (3).JPG

The nebari of the front after moving a few surface roots ->
acer palmatum katsura 2023 08 22 (6).JPG

The nebari of the back before work ->
acer palmatum katsura 2023 08 22 (4).JPG

The nebari of the back after work ->
acer palmatum katsura 2023 08 22 (5).JPG

I plan to repot this tree next spring, and thread graft the main trunk here ->
acer palmatum katsura 2023 08 22 (10).jpg
 

Berra

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Did it fuse completely by now? Love it
 

Hack Yeah!

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@clem I notice you often complete root work by only brushing away the top soil and working the surface. How often do you complete a full repot/ bare root?

Thanks for your continued updates
 

clem

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@clem I notice you often complete root work by only brushing away the top soil and working the surface. How often do you complete a full repot/ bare root?

Thanks for your continued updates
I didn't repot it for years because i wanted that the little trunk on the left, added lately to the group, developp its roots enough to be firmly fixed to the others (easier during repotting and extracting the group from the wood box). The nebari didn't change very much since 2 years now, (less and less surface roots to cut) so i think the main active and growing roots are now at the bottom of the rootball. So i think i'll have a lot of work during the repoting next year.

I think with young japanese maples like these, it is better to repot every year or 2 years maximum (lot of growth -> lot of changes every year on the nebari)
 
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