Japanese Maples

[ccheese]

Charles, geat stuff!

Can you give us a little background about JMs? I always thought they were just small sized red maple trees. But your showing me there is a lot more.

Chris: Without going too deep into the JM's, they're not all red. There are
green ones (Viridis, Hogyoku), laceleafs, very small leaves (Baby Lace),
verigated (Abigail Rose), long skinny leaves (Koto No Ito & Koto Ito Komache).
If you look at the one pic of the Koto No Ito, you'll see what I mean about
long and skinny.

There are trees that get very tall (Bloodgood & others) and trees that will
stay small forever. I have a Murisake Kiyohime that is about 6 years old
that's maybe 24-26 inches high. Others will get about four or five feet
tall, then bough over and head down (Crimson Queen). They are pretty
much disease and pest free, also. But... they do not like fertilizer.
A dusting of 10-10-10 will burn them up.

To put it mildly, there is a JM for every yard, deck, porch, patio or balcony.

BTW, if any of the members would like to have a nice one or two year
old generic Japanese maple, I will be glad to send you one or two. They
have survived a trip to Mississippi in a box, so they'd make it to anywhere
in the US. The generics will get about 10 - 12 feet high and just as wide.

I like to watch them in the fall.... from green to red to orange to yellow.



Charles

[Erich]

interesting thoughts Charles, but I will tell you in the PCNW where we grow these gorgeous gems we have all sorts of problems with roots coming to the surface as the species is not deep rooted, some leaf spots but that is the norm in the wetter climes of Washington southern Canada, and they do get aphids sometimes very bad in the spring till they are a messy sticky glop.

I ya know what they take all sorts of fertilization without problem as long as you apply before the leaves unfold, and granted during a wet spring or very late winter, we are just now applying fertilizer applications now in my area, though we have been rather dry for the last 3 weeks.

~ Photos indicate the standards in Japan growing well over 40-60 feet in height and as in the states we have multi-tooted or large leafed maples so in Japan the Japonicum and palmate leaf patterned trees are very common with the butt-trunks several feet through. I have seen large specimens of Lace-leaf or dissectums ranging some 15 feet in height, most probably 100 year old trees - outstanding I must admit !!

Put me down for a Koto No Ito or is it the strap like leaved Koto Ito Komachi ? -- later this year maybe,Charles ? and Yes I will transport you many seeds this late August early fall from the Suminigashi, Beni Shidare, Osakazuki and
Tsukushigata which I have in a large container.....probably too confined, but the leaves are spectacular in spring and fall - flame orange red with yellow veins, bright green Samaras (seeds)

[syscom3]

.......Chrysler Imperials

I have that rose growing in my front yard!

I grow orchids and cacti.

Plus various citrus tree's.

[Erich]

ah Citrus something that would croak at first frost in October up here, remembered my Dad picking fresh grapefruits every morn off their small spot near Phoneix years ago, man those were so sweet

sys your orchids are hot house grown ? ...what varieties ?

[drgondog]

Charles you already have new bud wood and immature leaves I see. My mature J. Maples are still asleep, of course we are still getting frost and probably will through the month of April from time to time

have you ever seen a specimen of the Koto NO Ito ? very unusual I must say

your grafts look like they have taken well but am wondering what your success rate has been .......over 65 % in the past ?

We had a difficult time keeping our Jm's unmolested by the Wolfie puppies - particularly around our pond feature..

Still have to watch them like a hawk - ditto the palmetto- have no idea what the romance for munching trees is.

[syscom3]

ah Citrus something that would croak at first frost in October up here, remembered my Dad picking fresh grapefruits every morn off their small spot near Phoneix years ago, man those were so sweet

sys your orchids are hot house grown ? ...what varieties ?

I have them outside on my patio. I grow the ones that work well in the coastal California climate: Laelia's and Cymbidiums.

I should post my pics of them.

For citrus: I have a lemon tree, two orange tree's, a kaffir lime tree, a grapefruit tree and a guava tree.

[Erich]

I had a customer years ago that actually built a greenhouse of concrete block and had at least 40 different Cymbidiums............just looking at the variety of the colors and textures was thinking how great God is, and he sure must have enjoyed creating all this stuff for Himself and us. Must say that the Orchid familie has to be one of the most unusual and vast array of flowers, scents and colors I have ever seen

yes Bill Jap Maple wood is extremely fragile and yummie .... even Bunnies love em when they are young

[Wurger]

I don't know much about these plants but I'm very impressed Charles.Cool pics my dear.Keep them comming.

[ccheese]

Gee... That's odd. Erich talks about aphids and drgondog talks about his
trees being nibbled on. My biggest problem is "Bogie" a neighbor's beagle.
If he gets into my yard he has to "water" them. I can usually tell because
the JM starts to die immediately. If I know he's been there, I will pour about
two or three gallons of water through the "band" that the tree is in, to flush
it out. If you look at the picture of the grafts, the square black containers
are called "bands". Aphids I have never seen, or black spot (which I have
heard of). Last summer's heat did more damage than anything else I have
encountered. I'll get some more pic's of the grafts up as soon as more buds open.

Charles

[Njaco]

Drgn, you need remote cameras to keep an eye on your herd!!

Charles and Erich, JMs seem more intricate to keep up than the rose. I had about 30 at one time - florabundas, climbing, hybrids. I always wanted a hybrid tea - smallish tight flower similar to the Queen's own. I was proud of the blues that I was able to grow. Very hard to do.

But anyway. Wish I had some property or I would take you up on a tree or two. I've always loved JMs. Maples are a pretty lot and when smallish they seem appropriate. And thanks Charles for the Wiki version. Now I know!

[Erich]

I had 3 J Maples in Bonsai but they grew out of the area and were squashed so to speak by Azaleas which have been removed due to too much shade and the neighbors fence built right on the property line.........

As Charles said summer heat is a killer especially if the trees are exposed from the south and west like mine, the leaves in whatever shape or form tend to get crisp very fast on the edges clear to the midrib vein where it attaches itself to the twig. many times when September rolls around it is almost too late for some branches as they start to drop their leaves due to the injury. They will produce leaves for next year though but that years leaves will not colour, just turn brown and either fall off or hang onto the next years bud formation. You have to keep the tree roots evenly moist and late afternoon shade is best but when I have a strong west facing and hit hits well over 100F for 1-2 weeks ........ well you can figure what is going to happen, there isn;t enough water you can get to them without the soil being boggy and form rot due to hot wet soil..........
and also due to the overexposure I have fought off bark beetles the last 1-2 years. seem to be getting some control by wrapping the trunk/branches that face due south with a white light weight almost cotton feel wrap. Replace it every late fall before the rains

[ccheese]

Erich:

Last summer was murder on some of my JM's. The majority are in pots along
the east side of the house. They only get the morning sun, there. My
Abigail Rose was about 18 inches high. It started to wilt and die, and I started
cutting back. It all stopped at about five inches ! It will take years
for it to recover. Other's, the top three - four inches died. Some of my new
seedlings just couldn't handle it and died. I probably won't know the extent
of the damage till everybody blossoms out.

Yesterday I did seven more grafts, and I think that's about it for this grafting
season. I'll put some more pic's up this weekend.

Bonsai takes too long to train, some up to 6 - 8 years. Don't have time for
that.

Charles

[A4K]

Very nice Charles! Thanks for posting the pictures!

[Erich]

Charles I have seen also J. Maples go through psychological changes due to heat and cold stress plus placement or movement from a stationary spot to another are around a property. this happened to my parents when I moved a Palmate cultivar to a protected north facing. It was two trunked and one of the trunks slowly died over 3 years all the way down to the grafted base. Well I cut that out with a very sharp Japanese pruning saw and sterilized the area/wound and my tool. the tree is still going strong off that one trunk some 15 years now.............very weird and not that uncommon

[ccheese]

Erich: I have had to deal with "stress" several times. The first time it
happened I was doumbfounded. Here, in the middle of summer, a JM
was dropping it's leaves. I emailed Bill, my PhD pal, and he explained that
a tree [not just a JM] will drop it's leaves as a way of protecting itself
during a stressful time. Makes sense, no leaves to feed, more moisture
for the roots !

Have you ever heard of a commercial product called "SuperThrive" ? A brown
colored liquid, mixed about 2 drops per quart of water. Water your JM's with
it and watch the results. It is NOT a fertilizer, it's a vitamin. And it's
expensive. I pay about $5.95 for a 5 ounce bottle. But it's good for
combatting transplant shock. Good stuff....

Charles