Made 2 J Maple Forests Today, What Now?

[57vert]

 

[57vert]

So a neighbor let me collect 20 Japanese Maple seedlings from under his tree. I know it’s a bit late in the Spring, but if I didn’t take them he was going to chop them down. So….

I didn’t have proper pots, so used what I had on hand on short notice.

I read up and watched videos about maples and maple forest and so much differing opinions about what is best as a beginner.

so I compromised on the soil, I took inorganic and mixed in some organic hoping for the best of both worlds. But it did seem that maples prefer more organic. And since I just collected them today wanted a bit a water retention as the roots recover.

what did I do right, what did I do wrong? What do I do in the future?

I have them in my screened in, shaded back porch.

 

[19Mateo83]

When life gives you lemons you make lemonade. Which is exactly what you did! As long as you sealed your cuts and keep them out of the sun for a little bit while they recover from the transplant I think they will do just fine. Those are some good looking seedlings too!

 

[penumbra]

Timing is terrible but like you said, it is now or never. Now just wait and pray.

 

[sorce]

Few laps with the top down of course.

Few more.

I like the placement, maybe of just one, oh, now I see the different shapes!

I only don't like the side view of the oval, but what's a side view?...what is a side view?

You know those fan shaped rims that all have the same direction so one side "scoops" and one side "swoops"?

(Does anyone make them to both swoop? I don't like scoop, but I can't spend more energy than this looking it up since I will never buy them anyway!)

But that. .....bugs ...me....so does the "uneveness" of a motorcycle, so you understand my position.

I think the difference between my position and the people who don't care one side swoops and one side scoops is equivalent to the front view benefit you could gain by making the view look more pleasing from the side as well.

Probably not many people?
(Internetually Rhetorical)

But their quality is more important to me than their quantity, and these balanced people are good so I would favor pleasing them and letting the imbalanced fall off that scale and burn.

Sorce

 

[57vert]

Few laps with the top down of course.

Few more.

I like the placement, maybe of just one, oh, now I see the different shapes!

I only don't like the side view of the oval, but what's a side view?...what is a side view?

You know those fan shaped rims that all have the same direction so one side "scoops" and one side "swoops"?
View attachment 438065
(Does anyone make them to both swoop? I don't like scoop, but I can't spend more energy than this looking it up since I will never buy them anyway!)

But that. .....bugs ...me....so does the "uneveness" of a motorcycle, so you understand my position.

I think the difference between my position and the people who don't care one side swoops and one side scoops is equivalent to the front view benefit you could gain by making the view look more pleasing from the side as well.

Probably not many people?
(Internetually Rhetorical)

But their quality is more important to me than their quantity, and these balanced people are good so I would favor pleasing them and letting the imbalanced fall off that scale and burn.

Sorce

Thank you for the reply. We’ll see how it progresses.

 

[Shibui]

My experiments with late potting maples have been largely successful. Leaves will often turn brown and drop but that's only a survival mechanism. 9 out of 10 will soon bud up and grow again.

In relation to the groups:
You were lucky to get a good range of trunk thickness. First groups are usually trees all the same size but a range of thickness is very much better.
Spacing also looks OK though maybe a little more regular than I would arrange group plantings. We seem to be programmed to space things equally. It takes lots of concentration and intent to get trunks spaced randomly.
It looks like both groups have a space right through the middle? That's another common feature of first groups but the gap distracts viewers away from the trees. If you plan for a 'path' or 'stream' through a group try to make it wind round some trunks so viewers can't look straight through to the back.

I would not make changes now. Trees have already had enough trauma for one year. Let them grow this summer with occasional minor trimming to control stronger shoots. Root growth is important this year and is boosted by growth up top.
Next spring is the time to make any adjustments. You can often change the space through the centre by splitting the group down the centre and turning one side slightly to bring the rear trees slightly behind the other half.
If more radical changes are required the groups can be split into individual trees or smaller clumps that look OK and reassembled using new found wisdom.

 

[Paradox]

Now you leave them alone and let them recover

 

[57vert]

My experiments with late potting maples have been largely successful. Leaves will often turn brown and drop but that's only a survival mechanism. 9 out of 10 will soon bud up and grow again.

In relation to the groups:
You were lucky to get a good range of trunk thickness. First groups are usually trees all the same size but a range of thickness is very much better.
Spacing also looks OK though maybe a little more regular than I would arrange group plantings. We seem to be programmed to space things equally. It takes lots of concentration and intent to get trunks spaced randomly.
It looks like both groups have a space right through the middle? That's another common feature of first groups but the gap distracts viewers away from the trees. If you plan for a 'path' or 'stream' through a group try to make it wind round some trunks so viewers can't look straight through to the back.

I would not make changes now. Trees have already had enough trauma for one year. Let them grow this summer with occasional minor trimming to control stronger shoots. Root growth is important this year and is boosted by growth up top.
Next spring is the time to make any adjustments. You can often change the space through the centre by splitting the group down the centre and turning one side slightly to bring the rear trees slightly behind the other half.
If more radical changes are required the groups can be split into individual trees or smaller clumps that look OK and reassembled using new found wisdom.

Thank you for your reply!

 

[57vert]

Just a follow up to this post. From the two plantings only one tree died. There has been some budding, but our scorching hot summer was no help.

 

[yashu]

Photos?

 

[57vert]

Photos?

 

[57vert]

Photos?

Ugg, sorry for the pic orientation problem, not sure what happened, probably because I had to reduce the resolution.

 

[yashu]

Ugg, sorry for the pic orientation problem, not sure what happened, probably because I had to reduce the resolution.

Ha! No worries. When I first looked I was asking myself how you had flowers sprouting from the maples.