achan034
Newly Registered
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:21 am
Location: california

maple tree seedlings

hey guys I'm pretty new to all this stuff.
anyways ive been interested in japanese maples for quite some time and coincidentally found some on the campus of my school. then while I was looking around, I noticed tons of seedlings. so I decided one day to go and take some for myself. I just kind of plucked them from the ground making sure to keep the roots in tact. from what I saw there was a lot of root left. then I got home and placed them into individual pots. the only thing is that I'm having a real hard time keeping these things alive. ive read that I have to keep them in a shady place so thats what ive done and just watering enough to keep the soil moist.
any advice as to how to keep these things alive would be helpful. I just want to grow one of these things into a full sized tree
thanks!

tomc
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2661
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:52 am
Location: SE-OH USA Zone 6-A

achan034 wrote: ive been interested in japanese maples for quite some time ><8 snip 8>< I just kind of plucked them from the ground making sure to keep the roots in tact. from what I saw there was a lot of root left. then I got home and placed them into individual pots. the only thing is that I'm having a real hard time keeping these things alive.
Even in a deep nursery pot, you need very fast draining soil. trees need much more air at the roots than annual plants do.

One part by volume of crushed bark mulch and one part by volume granite grit is about as rich (a soil) as you will want to plant any Japan maple in.

Most of the recipies for bonsai, will have a much higher percentage of inert crushed stone, or high fired clay products like Oil-Dry.

Kitty-litter is usually not high fired-it melts into goo.

Been there, done that, (I killed like my first 200 japan maples), got the Tshirt...

Potting soil and even sphagnum moss holds much too much water.

Yout local live stock feed store sells crushed granite as chicken scratch. Big box stores sell bags of crushed bark mulch.



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