Field maples

colley614

Shohin
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Where I live behind my house there are two field maples growing in an alleyway. They are both at least 2 - 3 feet high and they growing out the bottom of a wall between the wall and the paved ground. I wouldn't be able to dig the roots out due to this and I know that once the council arrives to clean the alleyway they will be removed. Is there any way I could cut the trunks and bring them home? If I air layer them it would probably just attract the attention of children who will most likely just damage the trees.
 

Woocash

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To be honest mate, probably not really. How thick are the trunks? Field maples are usually available if there’s a couple of mature ones nearby. Take a walk along some footpaths by farmer’s fields and you’ll likely find a much better/easier selection in the margins.
 

colley614

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To be honest mate, probably not really. How thick are the trunks? Field maples are usually available if there’s a couple of mature ones nearby. Take a walk along some footpaths by farmer’s fields and you’ll likely find a much better/easier selection in the margins.

They are probably the thickness of a pen. Maybe a little thicker. I live in an area where there are field maples everywhere, growing in parks, fields and are germinating in every urban area to the point I find their seeds in by back every year. When I was growing up these trees were in all my friends gardens and I've spent hours climbing them. There's probably one growing somewhere within 100 metres of me that would be an ideal starter tree.
 

colley614

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Well perfect, looks like you’ve got plenty of better options then :)

In theory I do. I just need to find the right spot. Maybe when summer comes along and the trees have foliage on I'll be able to spot some nice ones from a distance. There used to be so much abandoned industrial sites in my area being reclaimed by nature. It's almost a shame the council have pulled them all down or sealed them off with fencing.
 

Tieball

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Well....if they are a pen thickness as you say then you can always cut a couple sections off...snip...snip, apply a rooting gel, stick them in an appropriate growing medium (I would select a natural soil to your area to get the roots started), treat them to grow and then step back...watch and wait. You have nothing to lose with the cuttings....before the council just clears them out the same way you would but they will ...snip...at the concrete level. And, you might learn about what happens.....and tell me what happened. Then, go on your longer walk and find some more aged trees too.
 

TomB

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If you're collecting trees in the UK, remember that you need permission from the landowner.
 

colley614

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Well....if they are a pen thickness as you say then you can always cut a couple sections off...snip...snip, apply a rooting gel, stick them in an appropriate growing medium (I would select a natural soil to your area to get the roots started), treat them to grow and then step back...watch and wait. You have nothing to lose with the cuttings....before the council just clears them out the same way you would but they will ...snip...at the concrete level. And, you might learn about what happens.....and tell me what happened. Then, go on your longer walk and find some more aged trees too.
 

colley614

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For some reason it posted the quote but not my reply.

I suppose I should have asked the question you have answered. "Is there anything I can learn from these trees?"

I was thinking that these trees are destined for death anyway and nobody is going to miss them.
 

Forsoothe!

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They may, or may not, be possible to pull out of their entrapment when the whole area is wet by a heavy rain. Pull on them and try to loosen them. Do it patiently by applying constant pressure for several minutes. Give it time for the roots to stretch and pull free from their home. You have nothing to lose. Whatever you get might be able to survive if you pot it up in terracotta and a babushka of plastic like putting the whole thing in a breadbag. Don't let it dry out. Open the bag and blow it up everyday which will supply CO2 and keep down mold. Cross your fingers.
 

colley614

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They may, or may not, be possible to pull out of their entrapment when the whole area is wet by a heavy rain. Pull on them and try to loosen them. Do it patiently by applying constant pressure for several minutes. Give it time for the roots to stretch and pull free from their home. You have nothing to lose. Whatever you get might be able to survive if you pot it up in terracotta and a babushka of plastic like putting the whole thing in a breadbag. Don't let it dry out. Open the bag and blow it up everyday which will supply CO2 and keep down mold. Cross your fingers.

I tried giving them a good pull yesterday and there was absolutely no play in them.

I was thinking of chopping the trunk and treating them like an air layer without the original tree as an anchor. Sphagnum moss, rooting gel and a bag tied around or would this not work.

Just out of curiosity, I use seachem flourish excel which is a liquid carbon source (labelled liquid Co2) would this come in useful anywhere?
 

colley614

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So yesterday evening I went and gave these a good pull for a good minute. It's been raining heavily for the last week on and off and the ground is saturated. I decided to cut them all low as I could and bring them home. After which I put some rooting powder above the cuts and wrapped the bottoms in sphagnum moss inside a bag.
Low and behold the council turned up in force this morning and I can hear their mulcher going non stop.

So what should I do now? My main concern is that there is no foliage as the buds are still closed and I'm worried that when they start to open this drawing of energy will kill them off.
 

Shibui

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You have done everything you can. The only other thing to try is a plastic bag or wrap over the top to maintain humidity for the buds so the trunk does not dry out without roots.
It is now up to the trees to make the next move.
 

colley614

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You have done everything you can. The only other thing to try is a plastic bag or wrap over the top to maintain humidity for the buds so the trunk does not dry out without roots.
It is now up to the trees to make the next move.

Ah, right. I get what the last post meant now. I read it wrong and thought it meant a bag around the roots.

About this humidity they need. I have a fish room with a few aquariums. Somewhere in the region of 25 litres of evaporation happen weekly. Would it be of benefit to put the trees in there?
 

Shibui

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I don't have a fish room but I guess the high humidity would be good. Light may be the limiting factor as mot aquariums I have been in have fairly muted light. Most plants require much better light. Even what we humans consider to be good light is still too dark for most plants. Remember that most of the trees we use evolved outside in full sun. We are descended from cave dwellers and/or rain forests so generally enjoy lower light levels.
Leaves require good light to convert food for the plant so it can feed new roots. Not enough light, no new roots.
 

leatherback

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just keep them outside. plant them. put them in a bright spot without direct sunlight. make sure you plant them deep into the substrate (like, bottom 3 inches).

then just wait. dont bring them inside. they are not tropical.
 

colley614

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just keep them outside. plant them. put them in a bright spot without direct sunlight. make sure you plant them deep into the substrate (like, bottom 3 inches).

then just wait. dont bring them inside. they are not tropical.

Ok, I will do that.
 
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