Japanese maple ishizuki

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I started this maple from a just-sprouted seedling that I collected in 2013. It went into a little plastic pot, and did nothing that year except for being eaten by slugs and tipped over by various critters. I thought that it wouldn't make it.
 

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Here's the rock I prepped in February, just two lace rocks epoxied together, the top one where I planted the maple had a natural depression for soil, so I drilled a hole for drainage and anchoring.
 

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I planted the tree in February as the buds began to swell, along with a heather (Calluna 'Firefly') and a maidenhair fern. I used copper to wire it as the branches were very stiff.
 

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I watched the tree since planting it on this rock, thinking to myself that if I saw roots poking out the back, I would add a line of keto with sphagnum down to the base to give the maple some room to grow. It has plenty of akadama soil to live in, but maybe not enough long term, and it will be really hard to renew it.
Here's the before picture.
 

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A closeup of the new keto, I took a couple roots and guided them into the new keto.
 

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The tree was unwired today and given a light trim. Some branches will eventually be cut off, there are extra to heal a wound on the top of the tree that grew from an old branch removal that started to rot. Now the rot has stopped and the callus is growing quickly.

Here's the line of keto going to the base. I can easily add soil to the base when needed.

Eventually, after a few years, I can remove the keto and expose the roots that have grown into it.
 

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9-4-20 small.jpg

The tree September 4th 2020. I'm letting the branch to the left take over from one that was sticking straight up, so it needs to thicken awhile. The branch that's poking up and out toward the right will probably be removed next spring.
 
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