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ProfessorJack
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Thu Jun 07, 2012 12:48 am
- Location: Oakland, ca
Little Green Maple
Just took a shell-shocked looking Japanese maple out of a cardboard box. She looked abused. I've sopped her, but some of her little roots are showing. Is there anything I can do to comfort her as she recovers from what appears to have been a nightmarish experience...from her pov. She appears very shy at the moment, and I hesitate on putting her out on display.
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TomM
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 749
- Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:28 am
- Location: Cedarville (SE of Utica) NY, USA
A Japanese maple bonsai needs to be outdoors. Your post hints at your having recently received this tree. It is not "shy" though it may be stressed from the shipping ordeal. It needs to recover in a semi-shaded area for a few days, then gradually into more sunlight.
"sopped"? "pov"? "out on display"?
Recovery, proper care, and good health - then vigorous growth are the concerns for your new tree.
Your post is in the IDENTIFICATION section of the bonsai forums. Will you be posting photos for ID?
"sopped"? "pov"? "out on display"?
Recovery, proper care, and good health - then vigorous growth are the concerns for your new tree.
Your post is in the IDENTIFICATION section of the bonsai forums. Will you be posting photos for ID?
Please, trees are not human, they're not even animals, they're vegetables that can not possibly express any form of emotion or actually have a "point of view". Trees are shipped across country in boxes all of the time. There's not real art to it, you just need to make sure that the root ball remains moist and it's better to ship them in a pot than out of a pot. Packing materials to prevent damage. Voila! Nothing to it. Inclement weather can have an effect, yes, hot or cold. And previous keeping can also have an effect (I.e. poor soil, unhealthy tree, barely rootd cutting, etc.). None of these things, however, lead to the tree developing feelings.
Japanese Maples do tend to wilt a bit in transit, especially if they're shipped with too much or too little moisture, or when it's really hot. Watering, in some cases, may not be the best thing to do. An image would have been a whole lot better than description, but let's see if we can work from here to help "save" your tree. It even may be in a normal state, can't tell from the description provided.
I'm going to take a wild guess and say this tree was bought off of e-bay. If I'm correct, please provide a link to the auction.
For the whole last bit... about shyness, display, and roots showing stated almost as an "embarassing" situation... In order to properly care for a tree, you need to forget all of that, stop anthropomorphizing the tree. You need to understand that there are very basic care requirements that need to be met. If the tree's environment is appropriate to its flourishing, likely it will flourish. If not, then likely not.
Japanese Maples belong outside, in full to part sun (shady now as it's transitioning). They need to be in (for the most part) appropriate bonsai soil, not garden soil or potting soil as many e-bay maples are. They need to be watered when they are mostlt dry. And they need to be in an appropriate USDA zone climate. That's it. Forget about "happy", "sad", things like that. Learn the care, diseases, etc. and treat the tree accordingly and you should do alright. JMs are pretty hardy.
Japanese Maples do tend to wilt a bit in transit, especially if they're shipped with too much or too little moisture, or when it's really hot. Watering, in some cases, may not be the best thing to do. An image would have been a whole lot better than description, but let's see if we can work from here to help "save" your tree. It even may be in a normal state, can't tell from the description provided.
I'm going to take a wild guess and say this tree was bought off of e-bay. If I'm correct, please provide a link to the auction.
For the whole last bit... about shyness, display, and roots showing stated almost as an "embarassing" situation... In order to properly care for a tree, you need to forget all of that, stop anthropomorphizing the tree. You need to understand that there are very basic care requirements that need to be met. If the tree's environment is appropriate to its flourishing, likely it will flourish. If not, then likely not.
Japanese Maples belong outside, in full to part sun (shady now as it's transitioning). They need to be in (for the most part) appropriate bonsai soil, not garden soil or potting soil as many e-bay maples are. They need to be watered when they are mostlt dry. And they need to be in an appropriate USDA zone climate. That's it. Forget about "happy", "sad", things like that. Learn the care, diseases, etc. and treat the tree accordingly and you should do alright. JMs are pretty hardy.
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manofthetrees
- Senior Member
- Posts: 236
- Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2010 7:14 pm
- Location: west seneca ny
its not like its a cat in a boxI love my trees with all my heart. I have to agree with Kdodds. Your antropomorphising of this tree leaves me utterly no idea what is going on with it.
If soil has shaken off in transit it might need more soil.
if your maple is indoors, it cannot live there. Now is not the time to display it indoors.
Do you know how to check for soil moisture? One or more of the stickys will tell you if you do not.
Tom shakes head.
If soil has shaken off in transit it might need more soil.
if your maple is indoors, it cannot live there. Now is not the time to display it indoors.
Do you know how to check for soil moisture? One or more of the stickys will tell you if you do not.
Tom shakes head.
well.................... there have been "experiments" of plants being treated differently, but receiving same light/water/nutrients, and grow up better, when talked to or music played to them and whatnot. Also experiments with carrots being pinched and trying to move away/jump away from what is pinching them (microscopically)....
with that said......
I'd have to agree with the rest, that describing what is wrong with the tree using emotions, is not helpful to those trying to assist. Because in the end, it is a living thing, and with *proper care* according to specific living organism, anything can be kept alive. The way you go about doing that, is entirely up to the individual. But when asking help of others, it's more helpful to everyone to stick with more common descriptive terms
P.S. I'm sure I could try to find the specific articles about what I have mentioned. But I know those things because both my parents are scientist, and have read hundreds if not thousands of different experiments and studies.
with that said......
I'd have to agree with the rest, that describing what is wrong with the tree using emotions, is not helpful to those trying to assist. Because in the end, it is a living thing, and with *proper care* according to specific living organism, anything can be kept alive. The way you go about doing that, is entirely up to the individual. But when asking help of others, it's more helpful to everyone to stick with more common descriptive terms
P.S. I'm sure I could try to find the specific articles about what I have mentioned. But I know those things because both my parents are scientist, and have read hundreds if not thousands of different experiments and studies.
If you're talking about the sound experiments, they're hogwash. any differemce are anomlies well within expected ranges for non-cloned plants. For those skeptical of my statements, try it yourself. Or watch MythBusters. If you try it yourself, use cuttings from the same mother plant, essentially clones. As far as the carrots go, Venus Flytraps move too, so do Sundews. The explanations are quite logical and involve chemical reactions and rapid, chemically induce, growth. The "reaction" is about as voluntary as your bleeding when cut.
Oops, forgot to add... make sure any study YOU do is double-blind...
Appropriate experiment... 18 clones in identical pots, with identical soil that receive identical care. Number the pots. You need three people. First, you, the caregiver. You take care of all of the plants and treat them all identically. The second person picks six of the numbers at random and takes them aside daily (where you can not see them OR the remaining plants) that person talks to the nicely, calmly, soothingly, urges them to be good, to grow nice and be healthy. The third person also picks six numbers randomly and repeats the exercise, but negatively by harassing the plants, telling them they're worthless, no good, etc. It's okay if those numbers double up. Let them grow for at least a year before helpers one and two reveal their numbers. Make sure YOU inspect all plants before they're removed AND after they're returned (the helper can rearrange them in case you think you might notice something out of place. Come and post next year if you've done this experiment. Report the details. I HAVE done this experiment on a much larger scale (school) and I can guarantee you that the larger your sample the closer your numbers will be to absolutely no difference whatsoever. You can even vary between talking, playing soft music, playing heavy metal, etc., for your variables.
The only thing that comes even close to explaining any variations is that certain plant hormones are "turned on" at about 70 decibels. These pertain to photosynthesis. Other vibrations (wind and wind mimics) will actually cause some plants to grow shorter and broader rather than taller. These have NOTHING to do with speaking to your plants.
Appropriate experiment... 18 clones in identical pots, with identical soil that receive identical care. Number the pots. You need three people. First, you, the caregiver. You take care of all of the plants and treat them all identically. The second person picks six of the numbers at random and takes them aside daily (where you can not see them OR the remaining plants) that person talks to the nicely, calmly, soothingly, urges them to be good, to grow nice and be healthy. The third person also picks six numbers randomly and repeats the exercise, but negatively by harassing the plants, telling them they're worthless, no good, etc. It's okay if those numbers double up. Let them grow for at least a year before helpers one and two reveal their numbers. Make sure YOU inspect all plants before they're removed AND after they're returned (the helper can rearrange them in case you think you might notice something out of place. Come and post next year if you've done this experiment. Report the details. I HAVE done this experiment on a much larger scale (school) and I can guarantee you that the larger your sample the closer your numbers will be to absolutely no difference whatsoever. You can even vary between talking, playing soft music, playing heavy metal, etc., for your variables.
The only thing that comes even close to explaining any variations is that certain plant hormones are "turned on" at about 70 decibels. These pertain to photosynthesis. Other vibrations (wind and wind mimics) will actually cause some plants to grow shorter and broader rather than taller. These have NOTHING to do with speaking to your plants.