Young potted Japanese Maple---Was this a good deal for $6?
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
5 years ago
I brought home this "bargain" late fall. I figured for $6, it would be my "practice" JM. You see, I want to have a couple of JM growing in pots. So I figured for that price, I could repot, prune and learn how to look after a potted JM properly before I ventured out and purchased a larger and more expensive specimen. Can you point me in the right direction?
I believe that this JM is potted a bit too deep. Should root flare be slightly exposed? I understand that JM should be repotted while dormant. We are hovering around freezing temperatures now. May have to wait until early spring. I will remove all soil and plant into 511. Don't know anything about root pruning nor pruning of JM. Is there a good article or video that you know of?
I purchased this from a large garden nursery plant sale. No name tag on the small ones. I'm thinking it is grown from seed because I don't see any root graft. Do you agree? Does that mean it is an inferior quality since it wasn't grafted?
Can we dig the pot into the soil for overwintering?
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newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoAnd a few more pictures:
After removing an inch or so of soil, I found the roots:
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Repot young Japanese Maples
Comments (15)Holly, no problem on the thread hijack... we're all working toward the same goal here :) Now that I've gone back and read every message in Al's "Trees in Containers" threads, I realize I probably should have posted there in the first place. Blake, thanks for all your help. I appreciate the advice, and what you've suggested seems to be consistent with everything else I've read. That being said, I'm in a better position than Holly to experiment, give that I have 6 (soon to be 9) trees to nurture (or torture). Like Holly, I received these recently via mail order. I purchased the young trees recently because I have a 7' Sango Kaku that I believe is infected with Pseudomonas. I decided that, in the event I end up watching my tree suffer a slow death, I'll comfort myself by taking care of some younger Acers that may one day earn the job of replacing my Sango Kaku. Since I've ordered the trees, I have come to realize that there is a lot more to caring for them than I originally anticipated. There is an amazing amount of helpful information in this forum alone. I appreciate all the time everyone here has spent building such a large wealth of information, and hope to someday contribute some useful experiences of my own. As my brain is always in sponge mode, I've been trying to understand more and more about tree growth, container gardening, soils, etc. In the interest of furthering that understanding, I decided to select a candidate (victim) to move into the gritty mix. I'll likely be moving the rest into the 5-1-1 mix or something similar as was suggested. I am, however, a visual learner, so I decided the best way to learn my lesson was to subject one of these poor young trees to what I'll describe as a partial "repot". About 24 hours ago I moved the Trompenburg into a larger pot with gritty mix and a wick. I took it out of its current pot, and carefully removed around 75% of the soil from the root ball by repeatedly dunking it in a bucket of water and poking it away with a small screwdriver. The roots had done a pretty good job of filling up the original container. I didn't prune them, nor did I mess with them much other than to untangle them a bit. My hope was that by minimizing any damage to them, I might make this "repot" a bit more successful. I watered thoroughly then poured on another gallon of water that had some Mycorrhizae and superthrive mixed in. My plan is to root prune and do a full repot next year if the tree survives this ordeal. I plan on observing it and hopefully learning from this experience. I consider it a training exercise to prepare for the disaster scenario where I may some day be forced to repot a tree that is in leaf. Please let me know if you think there is something I should have done differently (given my fabricated disaster scenario). I've included some pictures below of the 6 trees: Trompenburg, Sister Ghost, Seiru, Olsen's Frosted Strawberry, Kogane Sakae, Japanese Sunrise. These were taken just a few minutes ago. Most of the trees are still stretching out after their exciting adventure with the fine men and women of the US postal service. Thanks again for all your help. -Chris...See More6 qt Instant Pot pressure cooker on sale Amazon
Comments (3)yes, it isn't for me either. do wish I'd had one while raising the kids tho! these new electric ones use computer chips for the processing and have mega safe guards to keep them safe. the lids lock on and won't come off until the pressure is released. i don't eat meat often. more veggies and pasta. of course, you can cook all of those in it also. I can do most of the same stuff in my 1 pot - just not quite as fast and I'm sure it's not as flavorful. I do like my 1 pot cooker for the ease of tossing everything in it at once, the safety (turns itself off) and the ease of cleaning it. stuff doesn't stick to the pot and what is left in it, wipes right out! it will even make yogurt, not that I think I'll do that. I'm sure it's probably healthier than the store bought tho. I do want to make rice in it. might try that later this week. It's supposed to be perfect every time. I'll find out. If it can be messed up, I'll be the one to do it! I've got a bunch of mashed potatoes to eat up for now. it sure is easier to make those and it cleans up after boiling them super easy! even that starch doesn't stick to the pot like it did my corning ware pot. I've made those maybe twice in the past 2 months - after not having made them in a year (and probably 5 yrs before that). I'd just been making the instant ones when I got hungry for them. Made from a real potato is a lot better! no boil overs either with it! that's less cleaning of those under the coil things. I'm going to go heat up some leftovers... then to the bank for more money (gc) so I can shop online later. they've got a great sounding tablet for about 90.00 that I want to buy for my friend in IL. Then she can email me... and her kids. The Amazon HD 8 Fire tablets are on sale too, for about 60.00 if anyone is looking for one. The one I want to get for my friend has a keyboard....See MoreAny good deals?
Comments (8)A fabulous set of distressed leather furniture, sofa, loveseat and recliner. Like new they paid $6000 for it and she changed her mind about what she wanted. I am so glad she did because I got it for a steal at $500! They were asking more but after they met us and learned our story they dropped the price. Super nice couple. He went out in his friends boat during Harvey rescuing people. He is a coach. I won a little lottery! Then At Home stores put my Fleur-de-lis dining room chairs on sale so we hit each store today. We scored 3 of them. 2 for the dining room and one for my bedroom vanity. One of my neighbors that helped out a lot of people during the cleaning up told me she has some furniture she is giving me. I am getting a double pedestal table with 6 matching chairs in solid cherry. It will go in the kitchen eat in area. Not sure what else she has for me. She has very nice stuff. This really helps since bank of America screwed us out of the money for our contents....See MoreZone 6a dwarf hinoki cypress in container over winter-good orbad idea?
Comments (11)It's often listed as hardy to as cold as USDA z4a, but z5a is probably more realistic, so in order to be safe, you should plan ion giving it some protection other than the covered porch with a western exposure. Reason: The porch will get too warm during any warm spells after mid-January when the plant will have moved from its truly dormant state to a state of quiescence (quiet rest). While in this state, the plant is filly capable of growth, but under normal conditions chill would keep it from growing. Warm temps will cause onset of growth too early. Onset of growth eliminates the protection against cold the plant enjoys during dormancy and quiescence and the next cold spell could kill the plant w/o protection against any lows below freezing (32F/ 0C). Roots of most temperate plants are at least somewhat protected against root temperatures below the freezing point. Killing low root temperatures vary from species to species and several other factors related to cultural effects and root cell contents. There are 3 types of water that should be mentioned when discussing cold injury to roots. As long as actual root temperatures do not fall below the killing low temp, water in the soil can freeze solid with little or no ill effects on the roots or plant, other than the windburn that can occur in evergreens when the soil solution is unavailable for uptake because it's locked up as ice. Unbound/ intercellular water (water in between plant cells) can also freeze without damage to the plant unless, during freeze/ thaw cycles, the plant has undergone extended periods of warm temperatures and the resultant loss of protection against cold injury that comes with such exposure. That leaves us with bound/ intracellular water (water inside of cells). As the plant enters dormancy, the amount of water held within each cell is reduced. This increases the the level of dissolved solids/ salts in intracellular water, which lowers the freezing point of said water by the same mechanism that salt applied to icy roads or sidewalks lowers the freezing point of water. It is when this intracellular water freezes that cells, groups of cells (tissue) or the entire organism can lose viability to killing low temperatures. As far as freeze/ thaw cycles are concerned - if the warm temps last only a day or two, no damage is likely to occur, even if there are dozens of instances where the soil solution and intercellular/ unbound water freezes and thaws; however, if temps above about 43-45* last for several days, any freeze/ that cycle subsequent to the onset of growth will almost certainly cause injury or even death of parts or all of the organism. Can you put the plant on the ground against the north wall of a heated building and mulch it with leaves or straw for the winter. You want to keep it out of the sun or where the sun can affect temperatures directly (like the porch you mentioned). You could also bury the pot in any bed or garden (preferably in shade), or over-winter in an unheated garage. Some people over-winter some plants in window wells, but your plant might not get enough chill there to release it from its dormant state. It will be necessary to water the plant every couple of weeks. A shovel full of snow piled on top of the plant works great. I 'water' many of my dormant trees in smaller pots by placing snowballs on top of the soil. Insulating the inside of the pot will not do any good unless you have a plan to capture heat from an extraneous source - wall of a heated building, geothermal heat rising through the soil in your beds/garden or the garage floor, ... Click me for another Chamaecyparis discussion Ins/ outs of insulating containers Al...See Morenewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
5 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
5 years ago
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
5 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada thanked nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolisnewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
5 years agonicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
5 years ago"the trunk shouldn't look like a telephone pole at the surface of the soil..."
I haven't really looked at the trunk of many Japanese maples. My own Crimson Queen is wider at the bottom because that is where it is grafted and then it flares out where the root flare is.
I think Karin's JM have come from seedlings. So if they widen at the base of the trunk, then it certainly won't be because of the graft.
Cold day here too. Rain? Well, we got snow! Would you like to trade?
And I still have hostas to put away!
popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
5 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada thanked popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
stuartlawrence (7b L.I. NY)
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada thanked stuartlawrence (7b L.I. NY)
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
5 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
Mens Tortuosa(5b Omaha, NE)
5 years ago"Isn't the root flare just the point where the trunk meets the roots?"
Just to be clear, a root flare is the point where multiple roots extend out radially from the stem/trunk. In young plants, this spot may not be so obvious, and one may have to choose where the root flare will be and trim away roots above that spot. One thing that I see a lot, and I'm not sure why, is that there will be one root that is higher than the others. To give you an example, here is a picture of a root that I will be removing at the end of this winter.
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada thanked Mens Tortuosa(5b Omaha, NE)stuartlawrence (7b L.I. NY)
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada thanked stuartlawrence (7b L.I. NY)
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nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis