Silver maple practice tree

[aml1014]

Yesterday at my regular club meeting I was selling some trees. I noticed a rough looking silver maple at the person's house and traded a young cottonwood for it. He said it was in the ground for about 6 years at which point it was blocking a path and was removed. It spent the last 3 years in a pot, and it looks to have been neglected the whole time.

Well the main reason I wanted the tree was that they do great where I live. I've also been starting seeds every year and growing then out for trunk development. I don't really know how this species acts as bonsai but why not try?
This tree will never be anything special and will more then likely be sold in the future so somebody in my club. But for now I will use it to learn how they act under bonsai culture as in pruning, defoloiation, wiring, and everything we do to say an Acer P.

As said this tree was neglected so it was quite over grown. I gave it a hard pruning and wired what was flexible still.

Nothing great, but something to learn the techniques of this species with, otherwise I very well may be wasting my time with the species.
I guess we'll see!

Aaron

 

[AlainK]

Not bad for a silver maple.

These tend to keep long internodes and rather big leaves, but you're right to try: I used to think that norway maple was a complete no-no until I saw an excellent one, and one or two good ones.

So is silver maples feel at home where you are, why not give it a go?

Anyway, if it never turns out to be a top-of-the-shelf bonsai, you will have learnt a lot about how to cultivate maples in general, so nothing lost...

 

[aml1014]

Bouncing back pretty nicely.

Another reason I really like them is the firey red new growth
Aaron

 

[Wilson]

Around here silver maple grow like crazy! Often mature trees have an amazing melting base to them. Their vigour might also lend them to some more bizarre artistic designs.

 

[just.wing.it]

Nice....
I'm all about it.

 

[Giga]

never tried silver maple but i'm all about the red maple!

 

[aml1014]

never tried silver maple but i'm all about the red maple!

Which some thought were worthless at one point also. That's why I want to give them a shot! You never know for sure.

Aaron

 

[M. Frary]

Which some thought were worthless at one point also. That's why I want to give them a shot! You never know for sure.

Aaron

Some still do.

 

[Giga]

Some still do.

I'm hopping to prove this stigma wrong next year with a couple of my red maples. I spend a lot of time on reds n the like, because I like to do it. Maybe a silver maple can be great, I'll be tuneing in

 

[aml1014]

Here's one that I started from seed last year in a 7 gallon terracotta. It grew 4 feet the first year, and this year it just exploded from every Budd up and down the trunk even though I did sever root work in spring then put it into a 7galloon growbag.
It's trunk is already 1" with a root spread of about 6 inches. I plan to chop to the first branch next spring and screw it to a board and go all ebihara on it lol

That's right, only one year and 4 months old. They grow up fast don't they?lol

Aaron

 

[Giga]

That's what makes elm and maple fun, the grow like nuts when conditions are right

 

[ConorDash]

Here's one that I started from seed last year in a 7 gallon terracotta. It grew 4 feet the first year, and this year it just exploded from every Budd up and down the trunk even though I did sever root work in spring then put it into a 7galloon growbag.
It's trunk is already 1" with a root spread of about 6 inches. I plan to chop to the first branch next spring and screw it to a board and go all ebihara on it lolView attachment 114643
View attachment 114645
That's right, only one year and 4 months old. They grow up fast don't they?lol

Aaron

Wow that's amazing. I was always told growing from seed is a very very long road and I'm sure it is for some species or some climates, but damn that really did grow fast!

 

[aml1014]

BOOM! Nice big leaves to feed this one for the rest of the year lol. Lots of back buds everywhere.
Aaron

 

[petegreg]

Not so big for this size of tree. Looks fine.

 

[aml1014]

Not so big for this size of tree. Looks fine.

I definitely agree, I'm interested to see how 4 or 5 years of consistent pruning and defoliation reduces them!

Aaron

 

[petegreg]

This is one I almost took home from arboretum, but realized I have no more free space. I'm watching your thread curious how it goes. Another maple I want to try is a sugar maple (Canadian leaves).

 

[aml1014]

This is one I almost took home from arboretum, but realized I have no more free space. I'm watching your thread curious how it goes. Another maple I want to try is a sugar maple (Canadian leaves).

http://www.absbonsai.org/maples-bonsai
I'd also like to try a sugar maple, in this link they say they make good bonsai for between 25"-48" that's what I'm mostly aiming for with all of the silver maples I have (except for a few silly mame). Like this guy, out of 200 seedlings it was one with consistently smaller leaves and internodes so I twisted it up. The leaves are about 2" and it's only 2"tall, I'm going to let the trunk thicken for a couple years and fuse into a knot, then I'll chop back and put into a mame pot to develop the branch structure.
Aaron

 

[just.wing.it]

Glad to see you messing with silver maple.
I personally am gonna try to get something going with acer rubrum too.
I have had one small seedling for 2 years already. Nothing like the growth you got with that one tho, dang!
Great root base already too, awesome!

 

[aml1014]

Nothing like the growth you got with that one tho, dang!

I'm told by sorce that my green thumb is ridiculous lol after visiting other club members gardens in town, HE'S RIGHT!

Aaron

 

[aml1014]

Nice full canopy lol
I'm thinking when I wire this in autumn I may give the little branch way at the bottom some movement and go for a twin trunk.

Aaron