Japanese maple cutting..

[Paul F.]

Dumb question for maple cutting. I have a Japanese maple in the ground. I only have one and it’s pretty hurt. Survived two hurricanes, two saltwater floods and 5 tropical summers. I gotta get it outta the ground today (could be the end of it) but I have to do it. I took these little cuttings from the tree, so you think they would root? I already cut those dark branches off.. someone told me it was sick and the cut them off asap.

Second question: if I pull this thing out should I cut any of those lower branches off? Doesn’t have many leaves on it. I got a few sprouted from the bottom I’m probably gonna take cuttings off of but that’s about it.

And yes, I’m in the Florida keys. Zone 11b. I need to move this tree to the east side of the house to get it out of the afternoon hell heat and get it in some good soil. I never thought it would survive here but this thing keeps coming back from the dead.

It was really an experiment from the very beginning but I really don’t want to lose this thing.

Thank you..

 

[Gabler]

What are your nighttime low temperatures?

 

[Paul F.]

What are your nighttime low temperatures?

Like in the 80’s

 

[Gabler]

Like in the 80’s

That maple is as good as dead. Find something tropical.

 

[BonsaiDTLA]

Your climate may be too hot for a Japanese Maple, which is a rather delicate / finicky plant especially when it's potted in a small container.

 

[Paul F.]

That maple is as good as dead. Find something tropical.

It’s not dead yet… and has lived for 5 years in the ground. It used to be full of leaves until that last saltwater flood. I know if I get it out of the ground in a large pot with some afternoon shade it will be ok… I’m not giving up on it..

 

[crab apple]

I have trouble keeping japanese maples in North Florida. I think that thing is doomed in the keys. I used to live on Big Pine key by the way. Wasn't into bonsai back then and only grew tropical stuff.

 

[Shibui]

I've repotted JM even in summer but that's under good JM conditions. Weaker may not transplant as well. They usually drop leaves and pretend to be dead for a few weeks after summer transplant but most sprout again. Not ideal timing for a move but if you need to dig it I would transplant and hope for the best. Leave the rest of the tree as is for the transplant. It will know what to do.

JM cuttings are difficult at the best of times but some will strike so put them in and cross fingers.

The others are correct that your climate is not very conducive to JM. They can survive for a while but never do as well as they should in tropical areas. There are certainly many better options for a landscape tree in the Keys area so have a look around and select something to replace this one if it doesn't make it.

 

[Paul F.]

That maple is as good as dead. Find something tropical.

It’s not dead yet… and has lived for 5 years in the ground. It used to be full of leaves until that last saltwater flood. I know if I get it out of the ground in a large pot with some afternoon shade it will be ok… I’m not giving up on it

I've repotted JM even in summer but that's under good JM conditions. Weaker may not transplant as well. They usually drop leaves and pretend to be dead for a few weeks after summer transplant but most sprout again. Not ideal timing for a move but if you need to dig it I would transplant and hope for the best. Leave the rest of the tree as is for the transplant. It will know what to do.

JM cuttings are difficult at the best of times but some will strike so put them in and cross fingers.

The others are correct that your climate is not very conducive to JM. They can survive for a while but never do as well as they should in tropical areas. There are certainly many better options for a landscape tree in the Keys area so have a look around and select something to replace this one if it doesn't make it.

i have tons of tropicals. I have about 400 seedlings of many types of trees going. I was always fascinated by JPM. I did many experiments on keeping them alive. I have tons of seedlings that lasted a long while until the hurricane destroyed everything. I have over 200 JPM seeds in the fridge right now. I only put this one in the ground to see if I could get a nice fat trunk literally as an experiment. It was totally fine for a long while but I understand it needs a winter for dormancy. I’m gonna buy a huge fridge and stick them in there For “winter”

 

[Paul F.]

I have trouble keeping japanese maples in North Florida. I think that thing is doomed in the keys. I used to live on Big Pine key by the way. Wasn't into bonsai back then and only grew tropical stuff.

I have tons of tropicals. Sweet acacias, woman’s tongue, bougies, Brazilian rain trees, Brazilian leopard trees, black beads, bahama strongbarks, tons of desert roses, mahogany trees, Royal poincianas.. I also have about 200 Japanese black pines growing as well. Just always wanted one Japanese maple. I’m surprised it’s not dead after 5 years, honestly but this thing does not wanna die..

 

[crab apple]

I have tons of tropicals. Sweet acacias, woman’s tongue, bougies, Brazilian rain trees, Brazilian leopard trees, black beads, bahama strongbarks, tons of desert roses, mahogany trees, Royal poincianas.. I also have about 200 Japanese black pines growing as well. Just always wanted one Japanese maple. I’m surprised it’s not dead after 5 years, honestly but this thing does not wanna die..

The Royal poincianas were my favorites, I wish they would grow farther north but the winters get them. Call Mr maples the online distributor and ask if there's a heat tolerant version that doesn't need frost hours. There probable is.

 

[Gabler]

I have tons of tropicals. Sweet acacias, woman’s tongue, bougies, Brazilian rain trees, Brazilian leopard trees, black beads, bahama strongbarks, tons of desert roses, mahogany trees, Royal poincianas.. I also have about 200 Japanese black pines growing as well. Just always wanted one Japanese maple. I’m surprised it’s not dead after 5 years, honestly but this thing does not wanna die..

I understand the appeal of growing plants exotic to your climate, but growing a Japanese maple in the Keys is just going to lead to frustration.

I’m gonna buy a huge fridge and stick them in there For “winter”

I know you're only joking, but from what I've read, it's not just an issue of winter dormancy. It's also an issue of nighttime low temperatures. They can handle heat well over eighty or ninety degrees Fahrenheit in the daytime without any trouble, provided they have enough water, but at night, they need cooler temperatures in order to stimulate growth properly. If nighttime temperatures are too high, their growth hormones get screwed up and they languish.

 

[Paul F.]

I understand the appeal of growing plants exotic to your climate, but growing a Japanese maple in the Keys is just going to lead to frustration.



I know you're only joking, but from what I've read, it's not just an issue of winter dormancy. It's also an issue of nighttime low temperatures. They can handle heat well over eighty or ninety degrees Fahrenheit in the daytime without any trouble, provided they have enough water, but at night, they need cooler temperatures in order to stimulate growth properly. If nighttime temperatures are too high, their growth hormones get screwed up and they languish.

I completely understand what you’re saying. What sorta outside temps? I’m originally from New York and lows at night in the summer aren’t generally cool.. like 60’s and 70’s or are we talking like 40’s? My Woodshop is air conditioned to 70’s… not sure that’s sufficient though.

 

[Gabler]

I mean that 60's and 70's are a lot cooler than 80's. I have no idea if an air-conditioned wood shop would be cool enough if you moved the maple inside at night, but it would certainly be a shock moving from extremely high to extremely low humidity.

 

[Paul F.]

The Royal poincianas were my favorites, I wish they would grow farther north but the winters get them. Call Mr maples the online distributor and ask if there's a heat tolerant version that doesn't need frost hours. There probable is.

That’s a good idea. I’m sure there has to be one species out there. I know there are plenty of maples in Florida naturally growing.
I think they are sugar maples (red maples) but not sure. They are also much further north than where I am though.

 

[Paul F.]

I mean that 60's and 70's are a lot cooler than 80's.

In the winter here we get temps in the 60’s at night and sometimes the 50’s but the summer time is straight up hell weather..

 

[Paul F.]

The Royal poincianas were my favorites, I wish they would grow farther north but the winters get them. Call Mr maples the online distributor and ask if there's a heat tolerant version that doesn't need frost hours. There probable is.

I love the poincianas too. So many around me.. I just ride my bike around town and grab as many pods as I can. I got like a billion seeds. i have 10 growing now, still pretty tiny. I know they aren’t the best bonsai but still a really cool tree to grow. I had one i grew from seed, put it in the ground and it got 5 foot tall. Hurricane killed it though. It was sick.

 

[Paul F.]

Well, it’s in a pot now. It barely had any feeder roots, mostly long woody bare roots. I made some soil with turface, vermiculite, pumice and top soil. I topped it off with some Spagnum moss… there were some white healthy roots coming from under the truck. Not many but some. I guess I’ll just hope for the best. I took some cuttings though just in case.

 

[Albas]

B. Leopard Trees? Oh those take a lot of time to thicken a good trunk, they are also really stubborn on movement, tending to get back after wires are removed, I mean, even Brazilians avoid that species, I have one or two here but it runs as a background project.

Royal Ponciana can make decent Bonsai, but it's also a hard species to do so, and if you're doing it for the flowers, forget it, it's not common for it to flower on pots, and even if it does, flowers are really big.

Here's my Professor's Ponciana as example.