So I planted this last year…

StPaddy

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I live in Los Angeles. My dad grew bonsai for years and always told me to stay away from maples as they burn here. I of course ignored that last season and bought seven maple seedlings and tossed them in an old beater pot just to see for myself. Kept them shaded under a palm on the east side of my yard. Dappled sunlight. Light bio gold feedings and cut off all the wild foliage at the end of fall. Here I am now and am super surprised they all survived. Am considering planting them in a large training box or maybe the ground or heck maybe just leave em alone another year.
Any advice much appreciated. 12” oval pot for reference on size. Not too concerned either way it’s just an experiment my heart lay with the conifers in my meager collection.17B5C488-89FC-4B96-B1F4-6FE83715333D.jpeg
 

Huggz13

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I’d probably stick a couple in the ground, a couple in outdoor nursery pots, and a couple in nursery pots indoors under some of my aquarium lights and compare notes.

Others would disagree I’m sure, but I’m all about a good experiment.
 
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Good luck l lost a bunch of decent looking maples moving from PDX to LAX.
Not sure if it was the sun or lack of dormancy? Had them under 70% shade cloth🥴
 

Shibui

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So what advice are you looking for? You've managed to keep them alive so just keep doing the same.
IMHO they do need some more growing before it is worth taking the next steps but if you are happy with a forest of tall, skinny sticks you have that. I'd just adjust the alignment a bit to eliminate the crossing trunks then prune the outer ones to give a better range of heights. A good forest should have a range of trunk thicknesses too so either allow some of these to grow faster or add more smaller ones each year to get that range of thicknesses.
 

Potawatomi13

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If heart not really in these why not pass on to one really interested sticking with what you love:confused:. This is best for trees of course.
 
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