One of my friends is in the same situation. A Japanese maple reaches well over his fence, and this spring he has around thirty seedlings in the shade beneath the apple tree on his side. Several weeks ago, I took a trowel, pot, and bag of moist micro-bark over to his house and dug up one of the larger seedlings. I was worried that it might already be too late in the season, so I took as much soil as deep as I could (to minimize shock to the roots). I plopped the root-ball into the bag of moist bark, watered it, and let it drain in the cool evening air for a few hours. Fortunately, I dug the seedling at about 100' elevation, and brought it up to my house at 1600' elevation - so this ought to give it a longer growing period...if it survives at all.

If you're going to transplant, have your holes dug, and do it while it's cool or cloudy. Keep them moist, provide shade if the area is too sunny.

I'd transplant a few, and I'd also put a few in pots. If you put them in large containers, they'll be appropriate for transplant in the next few years (if this year's attempts should fail, or if you think of a good place for them). In large growing containers, they could also be used for bonsai - if that strikes your fancy - in a few years.

As to their growth rate...I couldn't tell ya. No idea what type they are. Post a picture of bark, stem, and leaf on the parent tree, and one of the folks here will ID for you.

Good luck!

Josh

And from a Moderators point of view. The abbreviation used for Japanese is considered somewhat offensive.

Greenman, thanks for the info.

smivies, it wasn't meant to be offensive. It was just me beng lazy, and not thinking.

ID'ing the parent is not going to help much with the seedlings - they will just be J. maple seedlings, nothing more. Japanese maple cultivars are always grafted to maintain the integrity of the specific cultivar. Seedlings may resemble the parent or not - either way, they cannot be considered named forms regardless of parentage. They are just seedling maples. You can however get some very nice plants from seed growth.

i was of the understanding that JM's dont seed in zone 5 ...

but microclimates rule.. so i am not saying its impossible ...

but are you sure that is what the seedlings are????

ken

Gardengal, I'm not really into them, so a named cultiver isn't a big deal to me. I priced some Japanese Maples the other day, and a few free seedlings would save me a ton! :)

Ken, I'm pretty sure it's a Japanese Maple. They're still tiny, but the leaves are red, and they have the same shape as the parent tree. I'll try to get a pic later.

Nevermind about the ID, then. Sorry, Whip.

Gardengal, I stand corrected.

Josh

I have mostly JM seedling plants; only one named cultivar. JM seedlings will be variable in leaf and habit. In my experience, they can grow relatively fast. This is in contrast to named cultivars that reportedly grow quite slowly. I have some 2 year old seedlings in pots right now that have already grown more than 1 foot this year (and they're still growing). A couple of them are multiple-trunked and shrubby; others have a single leader.

You can keep them in pots for a long time, if pruned (roots included) periodically. JM's are used as bonsai, and tolerate those conditions well. Or, plant them in the ground. Or, have some of each.

I love poaching JM seedlings from my mother-in-law's garden. They are interesting, rewarding to grow, and easy to maintain.

Greenman, no apology needed. :)

Redneck Grower, Thanks for the info. I was hoping for some decent growth, but I'm not expecting any miracles. I dug up six of them, so I hope a few will make it to plant able size!