Japanese Maples

[ccheese]

Several times I've mentioned that my true hobby is raising and propagating
Japanese maples. A true Japanese maple can only be propagated through
grafting. By taking a branch (called a scion) from a known Japanese maple
and through a cutting process "attach" it to a seed grown generic
Japanese maple called a rootstock. After cutting and attaching, it is tied
with a budding rubber. When stretched, the budding rubber is "activated".
It will deteriate in about 90 days. If the cambium (just under the bark)
is not aligned perfectly, the scion will get no moisture from the roots and
will die.

I have over 40 true Japanes maples and about 600 generic ones.

I've attached a few of my successful grafts.

Charles

[mkloby]

Interesting - what's the difference between a Japanese maple and a generic???

How big do they get eventually?

[Erich]

deje vue, I have about 10 of them some fairly good size including Beni Shidari Dissectum out on the front yard with a caliper 8 inches through minimum. the tree is over 25 feet wide and about 8-10 feet tall right now.

Virdis dissectum is about 5 feet tall and about 8 feet wide on the other side of the front lawn with a 25 foot high Suminigashi over the top of it but with the sewer lines just ripped out 1/2 the roots damaged.

I have another 4-5 in oversized pots as the J. maples are perfect for this as well as campanion plants with Dogwoods and azalea/Rhody combos.

it will be some time but maybe I can catch them in full on autumn glory this October/November with a digi.

the big deal as there are so many varieties it will depend on sub-cultivars on how big they get in the spreading crown and what type of root base treatment they need to grow successfully

[comiso90]

i'm looking at a 12 foot one out my window now... great trees..

are they easy to over water?

[syscom3]

ccheese, good job!

[Erich]

Charles, yes I would like to see more of the " nursery " and maybe we can work a little something out on shipping and future propagation. Sadly these fine little trees need a somewhat cool atmosphere to grow in and high humidity just what Japan has most times. south Cali is bloody hot and some place like the midwest up towards the great lakes have too severe winds as they are real suspect to leaf scorch

[ccheese]

Originally Posted by Erich

Charles, yes I would like to see more of the " nursery " and maybe we can work a little something out on shipping and future propagation. Sadly these fine little trees need a somewhat cool atmosphere to grow in and high humidity just what Japan has most times. south Cali is bloody hot and some place like the midwest up towards the great lakes have too severe winds as they are real suspect to leaf scorch

Hey Erich: A man after my own heart. I have four in the ground, a
Crimson Queen (photo), a Bloodgood in the back yard, a Sango Kaku
in the front and a Red Pygmy in the back, also.

The Crimson Queen was in front of the dealership where I work. June
of 2005 they rebuilt our store and the 2 Crimson Queens were dug up,
put in pots and left to fend for themselves. After a pick-up truck
backed over one of them, I tossed it in the back of my truck and
that night it was in the ground, in my front yard. The main leader
was broken off, but it will return to it's beauty in a few years.

The Baby Lace is one of my favorites. This tree is six years old. The
yard stick shows 21", but that includes 9" of pot. Baby Lace is the
second photo.

Most of my rootstock are in 3" bands, but the real JM's on in various
size pots.

I'm sure we can work something out. Let me know by PM.

Charles

[ccheese]

mkloby: To answer your question, a generic Japanese maple is grown from
seed. Even tho it may come from a "cultivar" (Bloodgood) it will revert
to it's rootstock. A cultivar is a named JM, and is propagated by grafting
or in rare cases, air layering.

Charles

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Very cool and good job. Thanks for sharing and I would love to see more pics of your nursery and trees.

[Erich]

keep the pics coming Charles. I have a large Ever-red dissectum in a pot off of our patio that the birds love to congregate on when they take a bath in the two bird-baths adjacent to it and a feeder. It is intense crimson in the fall. Variety Osakasuki is upright and wide oer one of my work sheds with a "generic Palmatum red by the fence across from it, very gorgeous in the fall both of them if their colors coincide and that depends on first frost and the autumn weather.
Charles do you have JD Vertrees monster authorative book ? I me him many eyars ago as he was living outside of the town Roseburg Oregon. the man was the master in the US, he is probably not with us now but he literally had 1000's of trees and too many varieties to even think of it boggled the mind, and that was at least 25 years ago, more now I am sure, some 300 plus I beleive and if we count the wonderful big full-moon maple types that has splendid fall colouration then we have to add even more to the huge listing

[Erich]

Charles:

silly thought # 1 can you list the 40 varieties that you are growing right now ? I'd like to ponder over your listing if I may ............. ~

♫ ♪ E

[ccheese]

Erich: I have the book "Japanese Maples" by J.D. Vertrees (3rd Edition).
This was revised and edited by Peter Gregory. I never met Vertrees, but
I have met a lot of people who did meet him, and who he taught to graft.

I correspond with a PhD type who is the Prof of Horticulture at Aurburn
Univ., in Ala. We swap pictures, ideas, etc, He just got in Koi, and has
created a huge set of Koi ponds. I also correspond with a gal in Laytonville,
CA who works for Mountain Maples. We chat almost daily.

I will send you a PM of the trees I have.

Charles

[ccheese]

Erich: I just thought, there might be someone else on the forum interested.

This is a partial list of what I have: Abigail
Rose, Asahi Zuru, Baby Lace, Beni Otake, Bloodgood,
Butterfly, Crimson Queen, Goshiki Kotohime, Hogyoku,
Inaba Shadare, Kamagata, Katsura, Koto No Ito,
Murisake Kiyohime, Omureyama, Red Dragon, Red Pygmy,
Sango Kaku, Sharps Pygmy. Tamuke Yama, Toyama Nishiki,
Ukigumo, Villa Toranto, Iijima Sunago, Gwen Reid, and Koto
Ito Komachi

I have four Crimson Queens, three Iijima Sunago,
two Koto No Ito, two Asahi Zuru, two Bloodgood,
two Katsura, three Murisake Kiyohime, and two
Gwen Reid that I can come up with off the top of my
head.

I'm sure I've missed somebody.

Showing off my Baby Lace, yesterday, I broke off
a fair size branch, so I grafted it right away. I'll
know in a week or ten days if it makes it. My graft-
ing has not been very successful. I guess I'll learn...

Charles

[Erich]

a very small world indeed Charles, I was just in touch with the owner of Mountain maples about the root damage on my Suminigashi 3 days ago.......

yes please send me a pm here if you would like on the "named" varieties.

My wife half kiddingly says "small, please small E " ~

ah Inaba Shidare, I purchased a nice grafted specimen for a neighbor from Greer Gardens up north my way and now the tree after 10 years is no more the neighborhood dogs and kids trashed it to pieces, the foliage was a lovely dark purple-red. I am going to have to look at those tasty names tonight in the book. my small Tsukushigata in a big peat pot needs a replant and sadly is really sensitive to heat - direct and those terrible south winds we get. though now I notice about 6-7 growth buds for next year lower on the main dual branches so this is a good sign for next spring

[ccheese]

Erich... looks like we both put up a post at the same time.

Charles