Why fight things you can't change!

[namnhi]

Japanese Maple has always been my number 1 loved specie. I have killed tens if not hundreds trying to keep them. The temperatures here are just too high for the leaves to not burnt to crisp by July... this year is especially bad. I am doing an experiment with them right now by moving some to my back porch where the get zero sun. I should have done that months ago before the leave got burnt... but am hoping this will save the second set of leaves. I will not be adding anymore JM to my collection. I will work with what I have until I moved to a more suitable place. A few other species that also not doing well with the heat that I have are Ume (already leafless now), Gingko, Korean Hornbeam, Princess Persimmon and Crab Apple. These are also prone to fungus which can be worst in the humid hot climate we are having here.

I also have quite a few tropical such as Ficus (Willow Leaf, Tiger Bark, Religiosa), Wrightia Religiosa which required to move into the garage in the cold months which I started to not liking to do.

I am at the point where extra effort to keep things alive and not thrive is not worth it. It is a terrible sight when you see when your trees not do well.

Why fight it when you can just go with the ones that do well in your zone...... Japanese Black Pine and Chinese Quince seem to do well here and I don't have the need to shelter them in the winter. I will be focusing on them.

 

[Cajunrider]

You got some nice looking pines!!
I agree with you. I've stopped my attempts on JM. Try the Shantung maple, they can take heat quite a bit better. You still have to keep them from mid day sun still but they are far more hardy than the JM. I have also lowered my count on the ficus. My trouble is that, in the summer when I prune the ficus, I stick the cuttings into soil and I get more ficus . Then come winter and I don't have the heart to let them die.

You need to try Mayhaw. It laughs at the hot weather and grows any way. Beautiful flower very early in the spring. Nice looking fruit in April, May, and June. Bald cypress is fun too

 

[namnhi]

You got some nice looking pines!!
I agree with you. I've stopped my attempts on JM. Try the Shantung maple, they can take heat quite a bit better. You still have to keep them from mid day sun still but they are far more hardy than the JM. I have also lowered my count on the ficus. My trouble is that, in the summer when I prune the ficus, I stick the cutting into soil and I get more ficus . Then come winter and I don't have the heart to let them die.

You need to try Mayhaw. It laughs at the hot weather and grows any way. Beautiful flower very early in the spring. Nice looking fruit in April, May, and June. Bald cypress is fun too

Like you uncle C. I just can't leave them outside to die. Will be there in a few months.

 

[Srt8madness]

Maples and black pines got me into bonsai, so of course I tried them as well. I want to keep the ones I have, but not buying anymore. Black pines were delayed become some idiot wrote they didn't do well here and I believed them without further checking. Until I decided to try anyway, at which point I found out the opposite.

There is a landscape maple outside a neighborhood gate, it's pretty much in total shade, and has zero leaf burn right now. I have some cuttings, perhaps they will turn to something.

Oh and my little bitty shishigashara is doing fine with afternoon sun. Frankly I forgot about it so moving it to dappled shade.

 

[Shibui]

I agree whole heartedly.
Can't understand why growers in tropics insist on having Japanese maple and those in cold places seem fixated on growing tropicals. Must be the lure of forbidden fruit.
Try a few outsiders by all means but put most effort into trees that suit where you live.

 

[BobbyLane]

isnt Markyscott in Texas, his Tridents seem to be developing well. but what do I know

 

[namnhi]

isnt Markyscott in Texas, his Tridents seem to be developing well. but what do I know

He used to but now he has moved to a location where his maples will love him for it. I would think trident be doing ok here but I really do have problem with fungus. A few I have in the ground are doing fine but the ones in training pot are about to go to heaven. Not sure where I went wrong. Maybe I just didn't provide enough shade for them. Still have a few to experiment... hopefully I find the solution before I kill them all.

 

[BobbyLane]

He used to but now he has moved to a location where his maples will love him for it. I would think trident be doing ok here but I really do have problem with fungus. A few I have in the ground are doing fine but the ones in training pot are about to go to heaven. Not sure where I went wrong. Maybe I just didn't provide enough shade for them. Still have a few to experiment... hopefully I find the solution before I kill them all.

and I guess youve tried more moisture retentive soil mixes and top dressing with chopped up spagnum moss or even using it as a soil component?
sometimes we get caught up in these exclusive inorganic mixes, but for you maybe its not the best thing