Should I defoliate my stubborn maples?

Clicio

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Even being winter here, some of my maples are not dropping their leaves. Kotohime and Trident are even showing some new growth. Should I help nature and just defoliate them?
 

sorce

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I wouldn't.

When is the last time the K and Trident were cut?

What was last years times? Leavefall etc.

Sorce
 

Ronnan Lowe

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My buddy who grows trident maples in Sao Paulo - Capital told me his trees don't drop leaves either.

Wouldn't they die or weaken if they don't go into dormancy?


***Deve ser dificil criar Maples nesse inverno quente de Sampa = ) boa sorte mano!
 

Clicio

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My buddy who grows trident maples in Sao Paulo - Capital told me his trees don't drop leaves either.
Wouldn't they die or weaken if they don't go into dormancy?
***Deve ser dificil criar Maples nesse inverno quente de Sampa = ) boa sorte mano!

Well, they don't die. Obrigado pelo excelente Português!
 

sorce

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It feels like you might just be getting an extended one this year.

I was feeling mine was gonna be short last year and it was.

This year feels like its gonna be long and I think you're feeling that now.

No worries I reckon.

Just don't further confuse them!

Sorce
 

TN_Jim

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I have one maple...several other deciduous...
Are the leaves and petioles completely crispy?...if not, why trim the fat
 

Stan Kengai

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When you defoliate, partial or full, the new leaves hang on the tree longer than usual, sometimes surprisingly long. I have had a trident hold onto leaves 6 weeks longer than usual when I defoliated 3 times in one season, despite frost and freeze.
 

0soyoung

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If I were a temperate broadleafed tree I would ask myself how do I know it is time to drop leaves and take a nap.
Summer solstice has happened ✔
It is getting cold ?? If it isn't, why don't I keep doing what I've been doing?
How do I know it is getting cold??


Try packing the roots in ice (like a sprained ankle or fresh fish).
Best would be just overnight, I think.
Let it melt off during the next day. Repeat until you see a change in leaf color. Keep the ice bagged if the tree doesn't need watering.
Maybe it works.
 

Shun

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Here in Curitiba my kotohime dropped its leaves in the fall but we had a warmspell and it sprouted back again.. now we are getting -2C and it is leafed out... its not with active new growth but its there.. and I also wonder daily if I should remove those leaves.. most likely I will end up not touching it at all but I think about it every time I'm watering it lol
 

Shibui

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I have also had this after pruning late summer. The new growth just kept going into winter and did not drop until new leaves came in spring. I guess those new leaves are just not old enough to have the sense to fall. Everything goes back to a normal cycle the following year.
 

Clicio

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Here in Curitiba my kotohime dropped its leaves in the fall but we had a warmspell and it sprouted back again.. now we are getting -2C and it is leafed out... its not with active new growth but its there.. and I also wonder daily if I should remove those leaves.. most likely I will end up not touching it at all but I think about it every time I'm watering it lol
Exactly. After losing most leaves, bang! new growth when the temps raised a bit...
 

AlainK

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It seems your temperatures rarely go below 13°C, right ? In which case, a Japanese maple may get weak after some years, these trees need a period of dormancy.

Or perhaps they can adapt to a different type of climate in a few years, but I doubt it...
 

Forsoothe!

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Growing trees in a zone too far from the native zone is problematic for us in the temperate regions growing tropicals and vice-versa. Mimic the native conditions as best you can. Let them be a little dryer, less than drought, and the old leaves will be replaced/covered-and-die by new growth, whenever the growing conditions sponsor ~spring. Don't aggravate the situation, live with it.
 

Clicio

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It seems your temperatures rarely go below 13°C, right ? In which case, a Japanese maple may get weak after some years, these trees need a period of dormancy.
Merci, @AlainK It's colder this year but yes, usually 10 to 15C in Sao Paulo. But there are many people growing Maples around, some very nice. So I guess there is some degree of adaptability. Some are quite old and they don't look sick or weak. I have been keeping some for a couple of years and they did lose the leaves last year, I am concerned about the dormancy.
 

Clicio

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Growing trees in a zone too far from the native zone is problematic
Yes, I guess you are right and we all should know that.
But...
What also makes bonsai interesting is the possibility of caring for and making trees thrive far from their original environment.
Like Shimpakus being grown away from the Japanese mountains, or Black Pines in Brazil (they love it here).
It can be done, and I see things more interesting if there is a challenge.
I could be growing BRTs and PowderPuffs and Bougies and that would be very, very easy. They are weeds here...

Mimic the native conditions as best you can. Let them be a little dryer, less than drought, and the old leaves will be replaced/covered-and-die by new growth, whenever the growing conditions sponsor ~spring. Don't aggravate the situation, live with it.
Thanks for the suggestion, I will not defoliate, I will just wait a little longer. ;-)
 
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Since I started this hobbie I’ve been paying more attention to trees around me. Being in a similar climate as yours what I can say is that most deciduous here loose leaves mid to late winter. Spring growth, probably as a consequence, also starts later, in many cases in May or even in June. It’s species dependent it appears. Which is actually a good thing, because spring is very wet here and this way there’s less chance of fungus I suppose.

Like what you said, I’ve found old ground grown Japanese maples here so I believe they adapt.

My two, little experienced, cents.
 

AlainK

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But there are many people growing Maples around, some very nice. So I guess there is some degree of adaptability. Some are quite old and they don't look sick or weak.

All right then, if they can make it, that's fine.

Yet, I can't help thinking that it's much better to grow local species that are fully adapted to the local climate. Here for instance, Acer palmatum is doing fairly well, but though we have a few days below zero (celsius degrees), it's not the ideal place for them : we've had weeks without rain, temperatures around 30°, a very dry season. I can water them twice a day, and when the winter comes, they'll have some rain and the temps will be very cool, there will be at least a couple of days with -2 to -5°. These acer palmatum like it.
 
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