BEEMERW
Senior Member
Posts: 120
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:03 pm
Location: JACKSON,NJ

I read your postings and I happen to have 2 Red Maples so I can tell you that from my experience and the growth rate of both, the fertilizer I use is bonsai Boy Pro Fertilizer. I used solid on one and it was ok, but the tree really has not grown great. I did switch to this liquid. This second tree I got I started with this and it is growing like you would not believe. I did not start with cuttings. I start with trees. I have all different kinds. You can get this on Amazon. also there is an awesome site to get bonsai's called Glasshouse Works. Amazing stuff. amazon is not bad. depends who you deal with. Good Luck!!!!!! Barb

alexinoklahoma
Senior Member
Posts: 273
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:21 am
Location: Central Oklahoma

Vary the ferts!!! One fert ain't gonna give you all needed ;-)

A point on maples and ferts: its better to use less than more as you do *not* want to get outstanding growth - the internodes will become too long too easily. I just casually fert my Acers with lowish N until late summer then go 'normal' so it can harden normally for dormancy. I tried two different sets of trees (on palmatums, tataricums, rubrums, & truncatum, fwiw) and gave one group regular N and other one low N (N = Nitrogen obviously) to see how much difference and was not surprised. I am now giving away my regular N plants as the internodes are two inches or more on average w/ the other ones sometimes having internodes stacked on top of each other (perfect!)... Just something to think about ;-) A few A rubrum are about 4-5' tall with longish nodes whilst the usable trunks are more like 6" to 2-3' at most with nice low branchings here and there... Huge differences from different ways of growing them out.

I see way too much 'thinking'/dreaming here and less focus on basics-of-care. It takes years of basic to get to where 'fancy' comes into play, and if basics were ignored, there will be no 'fancy' time, right?? I almost bit my tongue when I read about buying the Miracle-Gro soil - augh!!! So much to learn... I *highly* suggest starting at www.evergreengardenworks.com/articles.htm and fully understanding the concepts Brent so thoroughly covers. If ya grasp the things there, books become almost irrelevant as they only present same info (usually) in more verbose manners, IMO. Just my opinion, though...

Bonsai can be done dirt-cheap (pun intended) if the technical stuff is understood :-) This last Fall, I started a few hundred seed of numerous species and now have over 230 potensai to play with (and bury rootballs for winter - ugh!!!)...and have spent less than $50 in toto on supplies/calcined clay from Lowes hardware. Cost of pots is not included in that, LOL. Too bad I cannot buy 'time' at the stores as I ain't got much of *that* after watering and fussing on so many pots :-(

Alex

Kenshin14435
Senior Member
Posts: 284
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:33 pm
Location: Northern VA USDA Zone 7A

Hey all!!!!
Glad to see this place has picked up speed again.
A little update on my life. School is going great. I think I've already mentioned I'm on the Football team. If I havn't there it is. I cant remember the stats but we won our last game which was Wednesday. We tied the one before that and lost the one before that one.
Confusing isn't it??
Season ends in 2 weeks. Real bummer. I don count on doing winter sports. I just don't like what they're doing.

Ok, now it's plant time.
I moved my bamboo inside.( I still have yet to post a pic of that don't I??)
I just have a question about my little maples though. This years winter is supposed to be colder than normal so I was wondering whether to put them in the shed or garage or dig a hole and put em ni the ground. I would prefer putting them in either the garage or shed. The only thing I'm worried about is the probable gas fumes that might affect them.
If you guys need pix I can take some recent ones tomorrow.
OH, even if they havn't lost their leaves completely, should I still move em inside???
Still hav yet to buy that Maple book you suggested Norm. I still owe my parents like 90 bucks and I need to buy some other stuff before anything can happen.
Hope everyone is haveing a great time!

Take Care

Ken

alexinoklahoma
Senior Member
Posts: 273
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:21 am
Location: Central Oklahoma

Better to let leaves fall off all the way 'naturally', IMO. However, prolly not a big deal if the leaves are 'crispy' already, and just hanging on by a thread, so to speak. When tree is dormant, 'gas fumes' will not affect tree whatsoever so long as it stays cold in there full-time to keep tree dormant.

Alex

User avatar
Gnome
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 5122
Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A

Ken,

Considering your location it is probably too early to worry about bringing things inside. I see you responded to Barb's recent thread.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10865
Make sure to follow the links I posted there, they should answer your questions.

Norm

Kenshin14435
Senior Member
Posts: 284
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:33 pm
Location: Northern VA USDA Zone 7A

Alex,
Thank you for your advice.....

Norm,
WHOOPS!!!!!!!!!
I see those now!!!

Kenshin14435
Senior Member
Posts: 284
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:33 pm
Location: Northern VA USDA Zone 7A

Hey everyone!
I havnt posted these in awhile but here are some before and after picture of my Japanese Maple Seedlings.



Before:


Image[/img]

After:

[img]https://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk207/Kenshin14435/Red%20Maple%202/RedMaple2004.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk207/Kenshin14435/Red%20Maple%202/RedMaple2005.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk207/Kenshin14435/Red%20Maple%202/RedMaple2006.jpg[/img]

That little 2 leafer has now turned into a 4 leafer.....*sniffs*...I'm so proud........LOL
Heres the big one that was..............

Before:

[img]https://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk207/Kenshin14435/Maple%20Seedlings/S4010004.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk207/Kenshin14435/Maple%20Seedlings/S4010003.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk207/Kenshin14435/Maple%20Seedlings/S4010002.jpg[/img]

After:

Image[/img]

Image[/img]

Image[/img]

I'm sad about this one. It had like 7 leaves, now it only has 2. Thats dissappointing........*sigh*

If you have any comments, feel free to post 'em!

Take Care

Kenshin14435
Senior Member
Posts: 284
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:33 pm
Location: Northern VA USDA Zone 7A

Hey everyone!
I have now moved my little japanese Maples into the shed for winter. They should do fine. I havn't checked on 'em in a couple days but I will tomorrow.

Norm,
I've been checking local Borders and Barnes&Nobles for Bonsai with Japanese Maples by Peter Adams. I have not yet been able to buy it but I plan to a couple months before a good springs sets in so I can plan what to do and how to do it. I have yet to actually take a look at it completey but from the previews I've seen on the web I think it will be a perfect fit.

Take care

User avatar
Gnome
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 5122
Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A

Ken,

You may also want to look into a good basic book. I like this one.
[url=https://www.amazon.com/Bonsai-Workshop-Our-Garden-Variety/dp/0806905573/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228524946&sr=1-2]The Bonsai Workshop.[/url]
so I can plan what to do and how to do it.
Your seedlings will need a few years of simply growing time before you can do much in the way of training. Good bonsai soil is a necessity.

Norm

alexinoklahoma
Senior Member
Posts: 273
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:21 am
Location: Central Oklahoma

The only growth that matters now, and for next couple years, is the stuff that is on the first few inches of trunk. Everything else will be chopped off for tapering(s), so let 'em grow(!) to get mass onto trunk. Any pruning, higher up anyways, only sets timetable back that much more ;-) Patience, patience, patience....try typing that three times, LOL!

Enjoy,
Alex

Kenshin14435
Senior Member
Posts: 284
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:33 pm
Location: Northern VA USDA Zone 7A

Yeah, Isn't that book by Gustav somethin or other.....???
I think I've seen it.

And when I said plan out, I meant I might go out and buy a 10-20 gallon Maple, and get as much off it as I can, then cut it around the base and then grow it from there. I think I mentioned that on the 3rd page but I don't remember.

I also plan on buying some akadama(not alot but enough for a couple pots)around the end of February or the begining of March because I don't think I need to repot until the middle of March. I may be wrong but thats what I think because winter this year is supposed to be longer and colder. So We'll see. It depends on when it starts getting warmer.
I also need to buy seperate pots for each. I just wanna get 2 small, plastic pots.

BTW, I've had them in the shed for about a week but the leaves are still there.....whats up??

Take Care

alexinoklahoma
Senior Member
Posts: 273
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:21 am
Location: Central Oklahoma

Not unusual for the new emerging buds to push off the stubborn (though dead) leaves in early-Spring (or whenever)... I have quite a few that are dormant but still with leaf...it happens, LOL.

Alex

Kenshin14435
Senior Member
Posts: 284
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:33 pm
Location: Northern VA USDA Zone 7A

Hey all,
Its starting to get into the mid to high 40's around these parts.
Any suggestions on when I should move the maples outside into the light?
(let there be LIGHT!!!!!!!)
LOL

Take Care

User avatar
Gnome
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 5122
Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A

Ken,

I learned the hard way not to rush things outside too early. Things in pots have a tendency to wake up earlier than a similar plant in the ground. If your trees break dormancy and there is still a chance of a late frost you will be forced to bring it back in anyway. This 'bonsai shuffle' gets tedious especially if you have more than a few trees. I try to keep things dormant as long as possible.

If your trees are not pushing new shoots there is no reason to get them outside. What's the rush? Of course if you are seeing new growth extending then light becomes important.

Your climate is different than mine so use your best judgment.

Norm

Kenshin14435
Senior Member
Posts: 284
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:33 pm
Location: Northern VA USDA Zone 7A

Thanks Norm
Will do.

Kenshin14435
Senior Member
Posts: 284
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:33 pm
Location: Northern VA USDA Zone 7A

I repotted my baby maples in the same but different soil. I took some pictures of the finished product. I took a very fluffy soil and seived it for what seemed like hours until I got what I as looking for. I used one of my moms old kitchen strainers as a seive. LOL
Then I put some pebbles on top to help retain moisture since it doesnt retain a whole lot now. They're outside in south facing sun. Kind of. I'll post some pictures soon.

Take Care



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