Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
Little Japanese maple. From front garden. Collected in spring and I slip potted into the finished pot this week. Like the color combination. It is starting its second flush of leaves.
Japanese Maple #2
- Thread starter Orion_metalhead
- Start date
cheap_walmart_art
Omono
Looks happy! One of my wife's students brought over a little JM sapling last year and its stayed alive in the pot thus far - I'll likely repot it into something like this next Spring and maybe give it back as a present. Is that substrate a little NAPA 8822?
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
100% 8822. Ive top dressed with crushed sphagnum since to help retain moisture. Fertilzer is 14-14-14 slow release osmocote. The repotting for this was more of a "bare root slip" with no root pruning. Feel the roots can handle the ferts since there was no major damage done to the roots.
I have other JMs that have fully extended second flush at this point.
I have other JMs that have fully extended second flush at this point.
ant888
Yamadori
Very nice!! I've seen a ton of very small JM growing between the sidewalk by my house. I should really collect one.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
Had a second flush of growth but I think I need to keep this guy in the shade more. I think I burnt up the leaves. Going to leave him be next year and try to get some good growth out of it.
Warpig
Chumono
Yea i already decided in February to look into getting a shade cloth. Looks like they held out enough to pull through too. 
Mine took that heatwave in the start of summer like a champ.
Mine took that heatwave in the start of summer like a champ.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
End of year pictures:
Front:
From right:
From back:
From left:
There are some other possible fronts for this tree that I like. Will see what happens next year. Not repotting it. Letting it grow out and get stronger. The leaves were on and off health wise. I think a better fertilization plan and leaving it alone are in order. It has healthy buds set:
Width: .21
Height: 8"
Age: 2
In training: 1year
Front:
From right:
From back:
From left:
There are some other possible fronts for this tree that I like. Will see what happens next year. Not repotting it. Letting it grow out and get stronger. The leaves were on and off health wise. I think a better fertilization plan and leaving it alone are in order. It has healthy buds set:
Width: .21
Height: 8"
Age: 2
In training: 1year
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
Have been protecting this one. Lost a couple other palmatum seedlings due to mixture of negligence and brief low cold temps. Some are healthy. Next year all palmatums are staying on my basement stairs.
Still happy. Has color. No concerns. Buds look healthy too.
Still happy. Has color. No concerns. Buds look healthy too.
AlainK
Imperial Masterpiece
It looks good, interesting colour.
I would prune it and wire the first branch now :
I would prune it and wire the first branch now :
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
Thanks for the suggestion Alain. I havent decided on a style yet, which is holding me back from doing more. I'll look at the tree closer tonight and see what I think but I like the idea of wiring the little branch down as the first branch so Ill probably do that.
Maybe go for something in this vein:
Last edited:
AlainK
Imperial Masterpiece
Yes, that's the idea. But you have two sets of buds below what would be your new leader: keeping the first one to have a back branch is OK, but I wouldn't leave the two.
And I wouldn't bend the 1st branch so much : to me, on a maple, a branch goes slightly upwards before descending after a few ramifications, then goes upward again. I wired too many deciduous that in the end looked "pine-shaped" in the past...
And I wouldn't bend the 1st branch so much : to me, on a maple, a branch goes slightly upwards before descending after a few ramifications, then goes upward again. I wired too many deciduous that in the end looked "pine-shaped" in the past...
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
I feel that using the bud next on the leader as the point for the next branch is too small a distance between the branches. Its like.. 1".
And ditto on the pine tree look. Adept observation. Ill leave the side branch more vertical.
And ditto on the pine tree look. Adept observation. Ill leave the side branch more vertical.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
Not sure what the deal is with this tree right now.
It's leaves are all deteriorated. Could it be a disease? I dont think its a watering issue... i havent been overwatering and the soil is still a little moist underneath.
Thoughts?
It's leaves are all deteriorated. Could it be a disease? I dont think its a watering issue... i havent been overwatering and the soil is still a little moist underneath.
Thoughts?
Mikecheck123
Omono
The pot is way too big. I suspected it was going to die from your very first post (although I hoped I was wrong). Young JMs are extremely sensitive to being in huge pots because they drain too slowly for that itty bitty root ball.
Now the roots are failing, which is why the foliage is drying up. I'm not sure if you could salvage it now, since the tree likely used up its last remaining energy on leafing out.
If it were mine, I would attempt to "slip pot into a much smaller and much taller pot" (if that makes sense) with well draining soil on all sides of the existing root ball, while being as careful as possible not to disturb it as much as possible.
Resist the urge to let it dry out to fix the problem--the foliage actually needs more water not less. So do a regular watering routine, making sure that water is running freely out the bottom. This is very important for sucking air into the root ball, which is what you need to have a chance.
Best of luck.
Now the roots are failing, which is why the foliage is drying up. I'm not sure if you could salvage it now, since the tree likely used up its last remaining energy on leafing out.
If it were mine, I would attempt to "slip pot into a much smaller and much taller pot" (if that makes sense) with well draining soil on all sides of the existing root ball, while being as careful as possible not to disturb it as much as possible.
Resist the urge to let it dry out to fix the problem--the foliage actually needs more water not less. So do a regular watering routine, making sure that water is running freely out the bottom. This is very important for sucking air into the root ball, which is what you need to have a chance.
Best of luck.
SeanS
Omono
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Where are you keeping it? Mine battled with new growth drying out and desiccating when they were in a very breezy alley. Wind really ravages new foliage
Palltergeist
Seedling
Is it being left outside overnight? 'Central NJ' dropped to 30, 35, and 40F last week. That is cold enough to severely damage young, tender leaves. If this is what happened, it may or not recover.
In the future, if you want to be safe, once the leaves of a maple start to unfurl don't let the tree see anything that 'feels like' under 40F (i personally don't let mine see anything under 46F). Sure, they can tolerate less, but sometimes the weatherman isn't referring to the temperature in your yard, sometimes wind is a factor, sometimes your tree is just weak for whatever reason.
With maples, caution is key for a risk-free sleep-comfortably-at-night bonsai experience. Spray for fungus. Spray for bugs (esp. Aphids). Watch the weather obsessively in spring.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
Thanks for responses all.
I have a feeling its cold damage too now, since it was outside when the temps dropped to close to 32 degrees the other night. Oddly all my other japanese maples seem fine and were treated similarly.
Regarding the pot being too big, maybe, but I am growing in very well draining soil. I lifted the tree up to see if there were any dead or roots but all looked pretty healthy in color so I put the tree back as it was.
Its been windy also so... maybe that has played a part.
Will see how it does.
I have a feeling its cold damage too now, since it was outside when the temps dropped to close to 32 degrees the other night. Oddly all my other japanese maples seem fine and were treated similarly.
Regarding the pot being too big, maybe, but I am growing in very well draining soil. I lifted the tree up to see if there were any dead or roots but all looked pretty healthy in color so I put the tree back as it was.
Its been windy also so... maybe that has played a part.
Will see how it does.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
Tree is dead as of last year.
Kokosunica
Seedling
I think it was excess fertilizer
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
No fertilizer was applied to tree.
