Any advice on this Red Maple!

[Bonsaikev1985]

i know late in the season for collecting, but friends yard was getting dug up go a pool and needed to take it or it would of been garbage. Fell in love with the trunk and although collected trees in the past, but nothing his large. Any advice on keep it happy until roots develop??

 

[miker]

Keep it moist and give it a year to recover from collection. Acer rubrum likes full/nearly full sun and abundant moisture and fertilizer during the growing season. Yours certainly is a unique specimen. Learn how to grow this species well.

 

[bonsaidave]

Holes in the bottom of the container. Just let it grow. Maybe watch out for water getting caught in the hole it might cause some rot issues.

Cool trunk.

 

[Bonsaikev1985]

Keep it moist and give it a year to recover from collection. Acer rubrum likes full/nearly full sun and abundant moisture and fertilizer during the growing season. Yours certainly is a unique specimen. Learn how to grow this species well.

Thanks for the advice. So when you say a year to recover what do you mean? Keeping it shaded until some new growth then inch it into sunlight? Someone told me to keep it shaded all year or unless I see a lot of growth fast then this year give it some sun

 

[Bonsaikev1985]

Holes in the bottom of the container. Just let it grow. Maybe watch out for water getting caught in the hole it might cause some rot issues.

Cool trunk.

Holes in the bottom of the container. Just let it grow. Maybe watch out for water getting caught in the hole it might cause some rot issues.

Cool trunk.

Yeah when I found it water was in the hole. After reporting and watering I gathered all the water out with Q-tips. How am I suppose to stop that? Is it something I'm going to just have to deal with everytime it rains lol

 

[StoneCloud]

not a bad tree!

Just turn it sideways and dump the water out......easy peasy!!

when you water avoid watering the hole....can't really stop rain lol trying to cover the hole may not be the most practical thing

 

[VAFisher]

Since you don't have many leaves, you might be ok but I would probably go ahead and completely defoliate it. I would keep it in the shade until new leaves appear and then give it morning sun and afternoon shade. In my experience, they don't like too much sun.

 

[Giga]

If it was me - and I have a 5 red maples - I would put it in full sun(all mine get 6-8 hours full sun) and keep it well water and it should recover depending on how many roots where collected. Just use organic ferts as soon as you see new growth pushing and let it grow freely this whole year. Next year you can start selecting branches in spring and cut off the ones not needed, let grow till end of spring then cut back again and repeat one more time in later summer. 3rd year repot and start working those roots.


This is all granted the tree grows strongly and your sure the tree is strong the second year and know what your doing. Red maples are very tough and kinda hard to kill but it can be done. I have collected in mid summer and it didn't even skip a beat. I wouldn't even bother with the hole and water,but there are two things you can do - 1) just leave it alone and it will rot all the way down and make a cool hollow tree 2) drill a drain hole where the water will simply drain out(don't do this this year)

 

[VAFisher]

If it was me - and I have a 5 red maples - I would put it in full sun(all mine get 6-8 hours full sun) and keep it well water and it should recover depending on how many roots where collected. Just use organic ferts as soon as you see new growth pushing and let it grow freely this whole year. Next year you can start selecting branches in spring and cut off the ones not needed, let grow till end of spring then cut back again and repeat one more time in later summer. 3rd year repot and start working those roots.


This is all granted the tree grows strongly and your sure the tree is strong the second year and know what your doing. Red maples are very tough and kinda hard to kill but it can be done. I have collected in mid summer and it didn't even skip a beat. I wouldn't even bother with the hole and water,but there are two things you can do - 1) just leave it alone and it will rot all the way down and make a cool hollow tree 2) drill a drain hole where the water will simply drain out(don't do this this year)

Giga, you don't have issues with burnt leaves? Mine (I also have several) get crispy when they get too much sun and I water twice a day during the summer.

 

[Giga]

Giga, you don't have issues with burnt leaves? Mine (I also have several) get crispy when they get too much sun and I water twice a day during the summer.

I've never had burnt leaves, Red maples like a lot of water but not soppy wet. So I use a more water retentive mix for them. I water twice a day as well but I've never had burnt leaves at all

 

[VAFisher]

I've never had burnt leaves, Red maples like a lot of water but not soppy wet. So I use a more water retentive mix for them. I water twice a day as well but I've never had burnt leaves at all

Maybe it's my mix. I added some more turface this year, which should hold more water than the old mix, so I'll see how it goes.

 

[Giga]

Maybe it's my mix. I added some more turface this year, which should hold more water than the old mix, so I'll see how it goes.

what is your mix consist of?

 

[Waltron]

@VAFisher

are you sure the leaves are burnt and not desiccated by the wind? I've seen leaves on a perfectly healthy maple get murdered in less then an hour from strong winds.

also, when you think leaves get burnt by the sun, its more likely more of health issue, IE ferts and salt issues will cause the leaves to burn in the sun. These are full sun trees, so they dont really get sun burt IMO, they get wind, salt and fert burned then cremated by the sun.

 

[VAFisher]

Ok thanks. My old mix was the Bonsai Jack organic mix which consisted of 40% 1/4" bonsai block (calcined clay), 40% 1/4" pumice and 20% pine bark. I noticed that mix was not retaining enough water for my situation. I usually water about 6:30 in the morning before work and then don't get home until about 6:30 in the evening. So I need something that can keep the trees safe for 12 hours. I was getting some wilting of new shoots and that kind of thing with that mix last year. I don't think it would have been a case of fert burn with that free draining mix and twice daily watering. I use the grow more product recommended by Smoke weekly at the recommended dosage. Wind or being a little too dry could have been the culprit for sure. This year I started using turface in my mix to hold more water and I've been keeping the maples in morning sun only. So far the leaves are fine. I'll move a couple out into more sun gradually and see how they do.

This is why I tend not to give advice, haha. The first thing I think I'm safe and it turns out I'm probably not. Either way, they seem to grow just fine for me in more shady conditions.

 

[GGB]

Like Giga, I keep mine in full sun. My guys are pathetic baby stick trees though. I keep my japanese maples in full sun too, but noticed I can't do that the year I collect them. If you defoliate the tree I think it'll get used to what you give it. I'm by no means an authority on these trees but I'd be cautious putting it in the shade for too long. If this tree starts reaching for sunlight I can't imagine how long the internodes could get. And if I'm not mistaken, internodes equal future bud sites, SO even in a grow out phase it might be wise to keep your guy bushy. Some one step in and correct me if I'm wrong

 

[Giga]

Ok thanks. My old mix was the Bonsai Jack organic mix which consisted of 40% 1/4" bonsai block (calcined clay), 40% 1/4" pumice and 20% pine bark. I noticed that mix was not retaining enough water for my situation. I usually water about 6:30 in the morning before work and then don't get home until about 6:30 in the evening. So I need something that can keep the trees safe for 12 hours. I was getting some wilting of new shoots and that kind of thing with that mix last year. I don't think it would have been a case of fert burn with that free draining mix and twice daily watering. I use the grow more product recommended by Smoke weekly at the recommended dosage. Wind or being a little too dry could have been the culprit for sure. This year I started using turface in my mix to hold more water and I've been keeping the maples in morning sun only. So far the leaves are fine. I'll move a couple out into more sun gradually and see how they do.

This is why I tend not to give advice, haha. The first thing I think I'm safe and it turns out I'm probably not. Either way, they seem to grow just fine for me in more shady conditions.

I would avoid turface if you could, I have used it in the past just as a filler but it doesn't hold water well in my experience - this could be a part of your issue. I would use a organic component or akadama. I've even used compost soil and/or manure soil at about 20% ratio with fantastic results. BonsaiJack organic is a great mix and I've started using it to, because of ease and cheap in bulk , but I always augment it depending on what tree I'm using it for.

Also here's the thing, red maple is already prone to leggy growth, and if you grow in the shade it's going to reach and create big leaves. This is true tree with most tree's. Growing in full sun is the best option for these as they are stronger and more compact growth