amur maple

[erb.75]

well, I knew I wanted more maples and I couldn't pass up this deal I saw online. The price was unbelievable for a good solid stump like this.

After seeing that people seem to like Amur maples and the fact that they are so cold hardy, I went ahead with the purchase. Hope the Mrs. doesn't roll her eyes too much....Maybe I'll just put it on the bench and see if she notices it

This one has a while to go before looking like anything, but I'm young and willing to wait. Any suggestions? I think I definitely need to trunk chop lower than the seller did, and the real question is how many trunks to keep. Might not know till I see the tree in real life

 

[MACH5]

Amurs are one of the hardiest maples that exist. Very easy to grow and no winter protection needed at all. A far bigger worry might be your pot cracking than the tree dying. I have a similar clump that I am styling as a shohin. What I would do with yours is to cut it way back in order to get rid of the straight trunks and grow leaders from them to start creating better and more interesting trunk lines. Cut it back again... rinse and repeat. Amur maples are vigorous growers!

 

[rockm]

This stump is pretty good. I've been working with Amurs for 15 years now. You're beginning to see some of the drawbacks of the species here. Drastic chops produce trunk dieback. This can b an issue if you're making drastic cuts, plan accordingly. Also, amurs tend to send out new buds in clumps. Ramification can take some effort. You have to strictly remove shoots that aren't really needed in the design (That's down the road for you though, as you want all the foliage you can get) also you can work the roots on these pretty hard and they recover.

FWIW, this species, IMO, NEEDS complete exposure to winter weather, no protection. The years I provided it here in Va. for mine, I got buds breaking in early February. I now leave them on the benches exposed all winter. They saw -4 air temp for a couple of nights this winter. No problems this spring though and the trees are planted on a slab.

 

[erb.75]

Ya. I was really happy to see at least that one little bud very low on the trunk... I'll probably chop down to it on one of the totem poles. Will decide which, if any, other trunks to keep. I may just chop them all down and see which trunks survive before deciding on the design. I agree that this is likely to eventually be a really good clump composition when more interesting movement is incorporated in the trunks

 

[erb.75]

go

Amurs are one of the hardiest maples that exist. Very easy to grow and no winter protection needed at all. A far bigger worry might be your pot cracking than the tree dying. I have a similar clump that I am styling as a shohin. What I would do with yours is to cut it way back in order to get rid of the straight trunks and grow leaders from them to start creating better and more interesting trunk lines. Cut it back again... rinse and repeat. Amur maples are vigorous growers!

got any pictures on b-nut of your shohin/?

 

[MACH5]

go

got any pictures on b-nut of your shohin/?

Sorry not yet. I shall at some point. In can try later and PM you some pics if you want.

 

[erb.75]

Always happy to look at your trees. they're all great!

 

[M. Frary]

This stump is pretty good. I've been working with Amurs for 15 years now. You're beginning to see some of the drawbacks of the species here. Drastic chops produce trunk dieback. This can b an issue if you're making drastic cuts, plan accordingly. Also, amurs tend to send out new buds in clumps. Ramification can take some effort. You have to strictly remove shoots that aren't really needed in the design (That's down the road for you though, as you want all the foliage you can get) also you can work the roots on these pretty hard and they recover.

FWIW, this species, IMO, NEEDS complete exposure to winter weather, no protection. The years I provided it here in Va. for mine, I got buds breaking in early February. I now leave them on the benches exposed all winter. They saw -4 air temp for a couple of nights this winter. No problems this spring though and the trees are planted on a slab.

Minus 4 is just a refreshing cool spell for these. I have 1 but am looking into more. Mine saw minus 35 and colder this year and liked it. It is all buddy buddy with the tamaracks as American elms.

 

[erb.75]

wow...it was sitting on your bench at minus -35? Damn. It is nice to think about being able to appreciate at least one bonsai in the winter since it'll be out on the bench with snow on it instead of in a garage. Something I normally can't do since almost all my trees are deciduous. I haven't been brave enough to leave my dwarf hinoki on the bench. it goes under it covered in mulch and a plastic tarp over the bench for covering

 

[erb.75]

So the tree is growing like a weed, like it wasn't bare rooted and is growing faster than any of my other trees! The previous owner trunk chopped it over the winter, but I'm wondering if I can chop the trunks down again to the desired height since it's growing so strongly. Thoughts?

 

[sorce]

Thoughts

I think I skipped this one before, because you didn't have it yet.

So first. I really like this piece.

I think you got plenty of time to regrow a chop this season....but.......

I wouldn't do it yet......

I'd take a season to learn it some, and use this good new growth(and pruning) to put a little more separation in your sizes.

Mainly letting the big one go without pruning.

Chopping what you chose to remain the thinnest to a current bud. (A good "safety cut", see Smokes blog) This will let you know what to expect on the others.

And keeping the in between sizes proportionate.

This oughtta give you a good knowledge of this tree, and a lot of energy to chop it further next spring.

ISH!

I love the Arctic Trident!

Sorce

 

[erb.75]

here it is today

 

[sorce]

Thanks Erb.

A lot of growth.....but such long internodes? That's what I was wondering, if you were going to have short internodes to chop back to for more options.

May I ask what kind of Sun it getting, fertilizer?

I only ask because, though it may be a different variety, my longest internodes are about an inch, this year's growth, less than half an inch.

I got mine on the east sill, full sun till about noon. I put a little organic in the mix, b u t have only fed liquid cactus food, I think it's 2-7-7, the Miracle grow one.

I'm trying to keep my internodes at about a quarter inch. Leaves haven't got bigger than an inch.

I think more sun may help yours stay tighter.

@Smoke , chopping back to those?
WWSD? What would smoke do?

Sorce

 

[sorce]

Maybe a steady rip of suckers too!

They seem to be trying to Take over.

Sorce

 

[Smoke]

Smoke would not work on those trunks. He would chop them back further and grow them out with more character and movement rather than look like a group of smooth trunked suckers.

Sometimes I don't comment for a reason. Sometimes I just don't have anything nice to say. I was asked so there ya go.....

 

[Jester217300]

Sometimes I don't comment for a reason. Sometimes I just don't have anything nice to say. I was asked so there ya go.....

Yeah but it's not negative. This is an honest assessment and more people could do with a few.

"I don't like X because of Y so I would do Z."

It's literally a perfect critique. THIS is what beginners need. You provided reasons for your dissatisfaction and gave next steps. No one would (or should) be unhappy with such a comment.

You don't need to blow smoke (heh) or sugar coat replies to beginners. The absence of negative remarks goes a LONG way.

Comments like "You're an idiot." "I can't believe you did that." "It looks terrible." etc etc will probably garnish you sand in your face. And I'm OK with that.

But blunt, honest, critique without circlejerk niceties and unnecessary negativity is a beginner's wet dream.

 

[erb.75]

I don't mind the comment at all smoke! looking to improve the tree and it definitely has a long road ahead. thanks for sharing and I share your opinion

 

[erb.75]

Thanks Erb.

A lot of growth.....but such long internodes? That's what I was wondering, if you were going to have short internodes to chop back to for more options.

May I ask what kind of Sun it getting, fertilizer?

I only ask because, though it may be a different variety, my longest internodes are about an inch, this year's growth, less than half an inch.

I got mine on the east sill, full sun till about noon. I put a little organic in the mix, b u t have only fed liquid cactus food, I think it's 2-7-7, the Miracle grow one.

I'm trying to keep my internodes at about a quarter inch. Leaves haven't got bigger than an inch.

I think more sun may help yours stay tighter.

@Smoke , chopping back to those?
WWSD? What would smoke do?

Sorce

I was planning on hacking this guy back, because as you said it has long internodes, and I don't know if those trunks are the best that they can be. Also, hacking back the new growth is a major plus at this point because there are not tons of branches on the trunks....only a few to be honest, and I need more back budding. I'm thinking about chopping back AT LEAST the new growth this season to try to induce back budding to give me some options of branch placement and/or buds that I can use as new leaders (so I can trunk chop back to buds, instead of trunk chop back to a bare stump with no buds).

The porch is westward facing...unfortunately that can't be changed...in an apartment building right now for the next year or so, and there's no way to get better sunlight in there.

I have been feeding this guy with some slow release stuff called "mag-amp" (6-40-6) which is mixed in the soil....I used a conservative amount of this stuff. I have also done one watering with of dynagrow bonsai fertilizer 7-9-5.


The soil mix is an inorganic bonsai mix from bonsai jack, with some pine bark that I sifted added. When I got the tree, it was pretty much bare rooted. I did not wash off all of the clay or whatever was still clinging to the roots. At the time, I didn't know you could totally bare root maples.

 

[erb.75]

Amurs are one of the hardiest maples that exist. Very easy to grow and no winter protection needed at all. A far bigger worry might be your pot cracking than the tree dying. I have a similar clump that I am styling as a shohin. What I would do with yours is to cut it way back in order to get rid of the straight trunks and grow leaders from them to start creating better and more interesting trunk lines. Cut it back again... rinse and repeat. Amur maples are vigorous growers!

I've cut mine back 3x this summer since I posted this thread, and it just keeps growing like a weed...my most vigorous tree by far

 

[erb.75]

The first time I did hack back the trunks too, and I didn't get any dieback. The tree is going to look much nicer now with smaller trunks and a more compact design...thanks for the advice! Now I will just leave it alone until next May and hack it again (posting pictures of the whole process)