Post Your Red Maples!

[bwaynef]

I was lucky enough to be welcomed to Gary Marchal's place a few years back. Here's one of his Acer rubrum that at the time was said to be about 35 years old.

 

[kirk@localbonsai.com]

My large jap maple on a rainy day. I put a 6'' garden pot around the base to develop a better nebari.

 

[Dav4]

Here it is now leafed out. In another 2 weeks it'll be out of control. The second shot shows their ability to heal. This used to be the front of the tree. I had totally hollowed it out to the soil line almost to the cadmium (25 years ago) and before I knew about these sorts of things. The hope was to get the decayed look of a maple in a local cow pasture. This is almost entirely healed. The scar was 3-1/2" across and about a deep. Pretty stupid looking now, which why its in the back of the tree. If you look close there is cut putty down in the bottom. The greenery at the soil line are seedlings (weeds) grafted on add to the nebari.

Very nice...tree/pot combo really works. And who would have thought of going to collect wild seedlings for root grafts (not me, I guess)...pretty cool.

 

[pitchpine]

Lovely! I have a silver maple that grew as a weed in my parents' yard, hacked back year after year. Last year I started pruning it consciously, and cut back the roots in the fall in preparation for moving to a colander this spring. It seems to have survived the transplant well, and now I'm focusing on growing a new top and thickening the primary branches. Definitely need to graft on a couple seedlings to improve the nebari too!

Thanks for the inspiration!

Laura

Here it is now leafed out. In another 2 weeks it'll be out of control. The second shot shows their ability to heal. This used to be the front of the tree. I had totally hollowed it out to the soil line almost to the cadmium (25 years ago) and before I knew about these sorts of things. The hope was to get the decayed look of a maple in a local cow pasture. This is almost entirely healed. The scar was 3-1/2" across and about a deep. Pretty stupid looking now, which why its in the back of the tree. If you look close there is cut putty down in the bottom. The greenery at the soil line are seedlings (weeds) grafted on add to the nebari.

 

[drew33998]

I have been wanting to really get some acer rubrums going that I have on my property. I only have one potted up, which is a good ways off. Can you defoliate these like you would a trident?

 

[johng]

I am not sure if Jay is still active here, but his A. rubrums always inspired me...and he is from FLA I think.

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthr...-of-Red-Maples-(Acer-Rubrum)&highlight=wilson

 

[KayaMooney]

Here it is now leafed out. In another 2 weeks it'll be out of control. The second shot shows their ability to heal. This used to be the front of the tree. I had totally hollowed it out to the soil line almost to the cadmium (25 years ago) and before I knew about these sorts of things. The hope was to get the decayed look of a maple in a local cow pasture. This is almost entirely healed. The scar was 3-1/2" across and about a deep. Pretty stupid looking now, which why its in the back of the tree. If you look close there is cut putty down in the bottom. The greenery at the soil line are seedlings (weeds) grafted on add to the nebari.

Nice, this is great tree. Do these maples heal better over flat cuts or rounded off cuts? I ask because I know they have issues with die back.

 

[KayaMooney]

My large jap maple on a rainy day. I put a 6'' garden pot around the base to develop a better nebari.

Acer Rubrum, not Japanese red maples.

 

[jeanluc83]

It is a shame that you don’t acer rubrum more. They grow like weeds in my neck of the woods. In fact last year I had about a dozen self-seed in my training boxes. Seeds are dropping now so I may collect some to start growing.

 

[Cypress]

It is a shame that you don’t acer rubrum more. They grow like weeds in my neck of the woods. In fact last year I had about a dozen self-seed in my training boxes. Seeds are dropping now so I may collect some to start growing.

May as well look around for a nice one to pull out of the ground, if that's your style, would save you a lot of years.

 

[drew33998]

I am not sure if Jay is still active here, but his A. rubrums always inspired me...and he is from FLA I think.

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthr...-of-Red-Maples-(Acer-Rubrum)&highlight=wilson

Yea he is part of the bonsai club that is in my area. I can never seem to get freed up on the once a month meeting.

 

[jeanluc83]

May as well look around for a nice one to pull out of the ground, if that's your style, would save you a lot of year.

I had a couple that I lost over the winter. They dryed out too much last fall when I was away for work. They are easy to collect though. I didnt get a chance to collect any this spring but I'll collect more at some point.

 

[ABCarve]

Nice, this is great tree. Do these maples heal better over flat cuts or rounded off cuts? I ask because I know they have issues with die back.

Cut back should be hollow. I have never had an issue with die back at all. They seem to be hard to kill.

 

[jeanluc83]

Here is a tree that I collected last spring that didn't make it.

 

[KayaMooney]

Cut back should be hollow. I have never had an issue with die back at all. They seem to be hard to kill.

So concave cutters would be good for this?

 

[KayaMooney]

Here is a tree that I collected last spring that didn't make it.

Hmmm, looks pretty dry.. These are swamp trees and don't mind wet feet, that could have been why It died.

 

[M. Frary]

My large jap maple on a rainy day. I put a 6'' garden pot around the base to develop a better nebari.

I've never seen this technique before. How does that work? Is this something you've developed? Do I still need a tile under the roots or can I do away with that?

 

[ABCarve]

So concave cutters would be good for this?

Yep. Sometimes I clean that up with a knob cutter or a small carving gouge, so that the hollow is spherical instead of cylindrical as most concave cutter leave. There are concave cutter which are concave on both axis but I don't have a pair.

 

[M. Frary]

Hmmm, looks pretty dry.. These are swamp trees and don't mind wet feet, that could have been why It died.

Not necessarily. They grow in all types of ground. I have one I planted in my yard and it is thriving. I live on a hill with hay fields on 2 sides and a spruce nursery on the other 2. No swamps here. Actually pretty dry around here.

 

[KayaMooney]

I'm not saying they CAN'T live in drier conditions but they are called "swamp maple" for a reason.