Red Maple 'sapling' ...

BobKat

Seedling
Messages
14
Reaction score
6
Location
Toano, Virginia
USDA Zone
7b
Greetings Friends ... I 'harvested' 3 young red maple saplings last year ('21) & I really like what this one is doing naturally. I'm planning on root pruning, putting a small ceramic plate underneath & cutting this down at that 1st long internode, then letting it 'thicken up' for another year. Any thoughts for a 'novice'? (BTW - I can't recall how to just send this message out to the 'general' audience for responses, so hope I'm doing this right!)
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7456.jpg
    IMG_7456.jpg
    240.2 KB · Views: 13

Kanorin

Omono
Messages
1,044
Reaction score
2,132
Location
St. Louis, MO
USDA Zone
6a
I think you can wait another year to do that chop you described (and could you put some bends in with wire at this point?) but otherwise sounds like a good plan to me! It's got nice short internodes down low, that's good!
 

BobKat

Seedling
Messages
14
Reaction score
6
Location
Toano, Virginia
USDA Zone
7b
I wondered if I should wait another year for the 'chop' ... yes, I could put a couple bends in (carefully, of course) ... might try that at about 8 inches up.
Love those nice short internodes down low, too. All 3 of the ones I harvested last year are pretty much like this one. This is the 'middle-sized' one.
Thanks again for the input.
 

Shibui

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
7,545
Reaction score
15,225
Location
Yackandandah, Australia
USDA Zone
9?
Wiring seems pointless (except for practice?) when the plan is to chop low at some stage. New shoots growing after a chop will give a much better bend in the trunk than wiring will give. My best maples are developed with a series of grow and chops.
There are lots of ways to develop maples. Some people let the trunk grow then do a single final chop but I found that gave one really large cut that takes many years to heal. I prefer to use a series of smaller chops that heal quicker. Even if that delays thickening by a year or 2 that time is more than saved in the next phase when cuts are healing and new apex developed. I now chop early in order to get plenty of leaders growing. Multiple leaders build taper far better than a single trunk, allow choices for trunk bends and direction and allow for smaller chops when reducing the trunk.

I also prefer to get good root system sorted as early as possible. Nebari is really prominent so developing good roots is a very high priority and early is best. A ceramic plate may help but nothing is as good as specific root pruning.
 
Top Bottom