Crimson Queen

jesseblunt

Sapling
Messages
44
Reaction score
5
Location
Decatur, IL
USDA Zone
5B
Found this Maple that died back and the price was right. Took a chance and stuck it in a pond basket and chopped the top. Also took some of the longer branches back to just two leaves per branch. Comments and critique very welcome!
 

Attachments

  • crimsonqueen.JPG
    crimsonqueen.JPG
    87.4 KB · Views: 116
  • crimsonqueen-(2).JPG
    crimsonqueen-(2).JPG
    95.2 KB · Views: 100
  • crimsonqueen-(3).JPG
    crimsonqueen-(3).JPG
    87.7 KB · Views: 124

MACH5

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,064
Reaction score
28,365
Location
Northern New Jersey
It's probably Crimson Queen no more. I suspect you took out the grafted part (Crimson Queen). What you are getting now is the graft stock which is almost always standard green A. Palmatum. You can still work with what you have but just wanted to make you aware that you may not be working with a Crimson Queen maple as far as I can see in your pic.
 

jesseblunt

Sapling
Messages
44
Reaction score
5
Location
Decatur, IL
USDA Zone
5B
That makes sense and yes, I removed the deadwood section which included the graft. Thank you for making that clearer to me.
 

M. Frary

Bonsai Godzilla
Messages
14,307
Reaction score
22,116
Location
Mio Michigan
USDA Zone
4
They still make very excellent bonsai.
 

Dav4

Drop Branch Murphy
Messages
13,017
Reaction score
29,696
Location
SE MI- Bonsai'd for 12 years both MA and N GA
USDA Zone
6a
In your third image, I think I can see several dissectum leaves remaining at the top. If so, you can still have the 'crimson queen' cultivar, but this would be best used as a landscape tree....If you want to do this, I'd start thinning out the foliage growing from the root stock now as it will be stronger then the grafted foliage and will eventually overtake it. If you want to work with the root stock (best way to go if wanting a bonsai), I'd chop just above where the root stock foliage is growing, then leave alone for the rest of the season.
 

Poink88

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
8,968
Reaction score
119
Location
Austin, TX (Zone 8b)
USDA Zone
8b
Or airlayer the top and have 2 different trees in the end.
 

jesseblunt

Sapling
Messages
44
Reaction score
5
Location
Decatur, IL
USDA Zone
5B
If air layering, should I attempt it about halfway up - just above the lower growth? In Naka's Bonsai techniques 1 he says that July is an ideal month for air layering, but most of what I've read here says to wait until Spring. Thoughts on this? Is it too risky considering I just moved it to the pond basket?
 

Poink88

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
8,968
Reaction score
119
Location
Austin, TX (Zone 8b)
USDA Zone
8b
I'd airlayer now. Where depends on your vision of what that bonsai will be. ;) Note that whatever length you leave is your new/future trunk. The air layer point is where your root ball/base will be.
 

MACH5

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,064
Reaction score
28,365
Location
Northern New Jersey
In your third image, I think I can see several dissectum leaves remaining at the top. If so, you can still have the 'crimson queen' cultivar, but this would be best used as a landscape tree....If you want to do this, I'd start thinning out the foliage growing from the root stock now as it will be stronger then the grafted foliage and will eventually overtake it. If you want to work with the root stock (best way to go if wanting a bonsai), I'd chop just above where the root stock foliage is growing, then leave alone for the rest of the season.


Dave you may be right. I could not tell if those were dissectum leaves up top or the regular Palmatum ones. I did not see the graft union below so I assumed what was left was the A. Palmatum stock.
 

MACH5

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,064
Reaction score
28,365
Location
Northern New Jersey
Jesseblunt can you confirm what's up top, dissectum or standard palmatum? Or please post a close up pic?

July is fine to air layer but in this case I would wait until next spring to do so. I would want to see this stump growing vigorously before doing anything else to it.
 

jesseblunt

Sapling
Messages
44
Reaction score
5
Location
Decatur, IL
USDA Zone
5B
please post a close up pic?

Here is the pic you requested. Hope that helps. I'm curious and don't know how to tell what it is.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    187.8 KB · Views: 51

jesseblunt

Sapling
Messages
44
Reaction score
5
Location
Decatur, IL
USDA Zone
5B
Looks like new growth from a regular old green Acer Palmatum to me.
Looks very similar to the lower growth and I couldn't spot a graft anywhere...doesn't change much to me except I will hopefully have two of them after I air layer in Spring.
 
Top Bottom