Our city decided to have a "free tree" day to help replace all the trees
lost in the hurricane....so I took my tail down and picked out a maple. Acer
rubrum, the Red Maple. They were actually giving out two maples at a time
(making me a tad bit nervous as to the reason why?!) versus only one live
oak/laurel oak/satinleaf tree..... So the bonsaist in me is eyeballing
making one of the two into a bonsai. Right now the trees are 5-6 feet tall,
with inch or so thick trunks-haven't checked the rootage but there is flair
on both. They are in nursery pots about 12" across and deep, and seem very
healthy. I've looked up red maple on the internet, and got conflicting
reports-one place says they only propagate from seeds, another says cuttings
will root. But I can't find any information on using them as bonsai (like
when to trunk chop, how well they take to root prunings and when to do, will
the top part reroot after being trunk whacked, etc)-only information about
trident maple. I live in south Florida, zone 9/10 (depending on natures
mood). Should I whack one (or both heh heh) of these guys down-do they make
good bonsai? Formal upright would be about the only option I see , very
straight trunks..... Otherwise I'm going to dig a big hole in the ground and
plop the tree in it, pot and all. I might be moving soon and don't really
want to plant anything permanent, would rather make sure I could take it
with :). (I do plan on putting it in one of the utility tubs first to give
it foot room). Does anybody have any experience with this species?
I did try searching on the site, but kept coming up with every kind of maple
but the rubrum!
Thanks guys!
Susan
_________________________________________________________________
Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE!
http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/
You know .... I don't post on this forum very often, but once in a while the
tree hugger in me just leaps out.
If you're in a disaster ravaged area and are offered free trees, the
"Bonsaist in me" would vote would be to replenish Mother Nature first.
There are too many other opportunities to add to your bonsai collection.
Just my two cents.
Mike Peck
Kansas City, Missouri - Zone 5
Acer
> rubrum, the Red Maple. They were actually giving out two maples at a time
> (making me a tad bit nervous as to the reason why?!) versus only one live
> oak/laurel oak/satinleaf tree..... So the bonsaist in me is eyeballing
> making one of the two into a bonsai. Right now the trees are 5-6 feet
tall,
> with inch or so thick trunks-haven't checked the rootage but there is
flair
> on both. They are in nursery pots about 12" across and deep, and seem very
> healthy. I've looked up red maple on the internet, and got conflicting
> reports-one place says they only propagate from seeds, another says
cuttings
> will root. But I can't find any information on using them as bonsai (like
> when to trunk chop, how well they take to root prunings and when to do,
will
> the top part reroot after being trunk whacked, etc)-only information about
> trident maple. I live in south Florida, zone 9/10 (depending on natures
> mood). Should I whack one (or both heh heh) of these guys down-do they
make
> good bonsai? Formal upright would be about the only option I see , very
> straight trunks..... Otherwise I'm going to dig a big hole in the ground
and
maple
****************************************************************************
****
> ++++Sponsored, in part, by John Bevans++++
****************************************************************************
****
tall. Great root bases.
Craig Cowing
NY
Zone 6a/sunset 37
In a message dated 5/21/2006 1:30:36 PM Eastern Standard Time,
ccowing@FRONTIERNET.NET writes:
We have a bunch of collected ones, all which will eventually be 2-3 feet
tall. Great root bases.
Craig Cowing
NY
Zone 6a/sunset 37
I would think that Acer ruburm in NY state is very different from Acer
ruburm in Vero Beach, FL.
Billy on the Florida Space Coast
Mike-I understand where you're coming from-there are other decision factors
at work here though... After reviewing the preferences of the species in the
ground (something I wasn't able to do until after I got the trees), there's
not a safe suitable spot in the yard for them -everywhere suitable would
eventually be too close to the house or is too close to where the goats are
(hence they'd be lunch). The homeowner got the tree she wanted and I've
ended up with the job of making sure it survives, so the purpose of the tree
handout is fufilled. Also, realistically, if I were to plant these scrawny
things in the ground right now with hurricane season pretty much
here-there's no way they'd survive a hurricane, so they'd be wasted. In pots
I can at least drag them into the garage for a hurricane. I found out today
that they ended up with a lot of leftover red maples because no one wanted
them-which is why they were giving out two at a time-so I didn't take a tree
from someone who wanted one.
If when I move I'm not somewhere suitable to plant them in the ground or
keep them in pots, one of three things will happen: my roommate will take
them with her when she moves and plant them in the ground, my bonsai buddy
has said he'd take them and put them in his backyard, or if neither of those
works I'll plant them in the best place in the yard cause by then the goats
will be gone. I think it would be neat to have my own tree to take with me
when I move-these are hardy to zone 3 so I'm covered pretty much anywhere-be
neat to say, this came from where I grew up!
And realistically, my tax dollars paid for the trees so they're mine to do
with as I see fit. Also, as long as I keep them alive and helping to clean
the air, environmentally it's the same effect as planting them in the
ground. And given the fact that most of the saplings they were giving out
will not surive a storm, they know there's a net loss-and I plan on my trees
not being counted among those. These two trees in my care, I'm willing to
bet, will be taken care of better than most of the ones I saw stuffed into
trunks (and hanging literally four feet out of the back dragging on the
ground)....... :)
I have to say I'm rather surprised they were doing the red maples, because
in this area of south florida I don't see many wild maples! Further north I
see them but here I only see them in obviously planted yards..........
If when I move I'm not somewhere suitable to plant them in the ground or
keep them in pots, one of three things will happen: my roommate will take
them with her when she moves and plant them in the ground, my bonsai buddy
has said he'd take them and put them in his backyard, or if neither of those
works I'll plant them in the best place in the yard cause by then the goats
will be gone. I think it would be neat to have my own tree to take with me
when I move-these are hardy to zone 3 so I'm covered pretty much anywhere-be
neat to say, this came from where I grew up!
And there's the possibility that the next owners of the house would end up
taking the trees out for whatever reason... Course all this assuming I keep
them alive. Right now they seem awful spindly and I'm thinking a truck chop
would build a better sturdier branch structure.............
Susan and crew
_________________________________________________________________
Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE!
http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/
Jim-
Thanks for the advice-I'm thinking as traditional bonsai these guys won't
work (and yep, I like small trees) for me. Considering that hurricane season
is pretty much here, I've not decided on whether I'm going to plop them into
the ground in pots and then dig them up when a storm comes, or leave them up
on the driveway (in bigger pots) so I can just drag them in without having
to dig them up. In the ground would be easier to care, on land would be
easier to bring in.....
However, I think I will cut them down a bit to get better branch structure..
the booklet we were given highly recommends trimming them for that very
reason. That way some day in the future they'd survive a storm
better........... So technically they'll be bonsai just not styled ones LOL.
Next problem will be finding a way to still be able to move them myself
after putting them into the utility tubs I'm eyeing as next homes......full
of soil they'll be pretty heavy so I'm thinking a mix of yard sand and
perlite to fill the gap, instead of straight yard sand....luckily they
aren't rootbound so I have some time to figure it out.
Thanks!
Susan and crew
_________________________________________________________________
On the road to retirement? Check out MSN Life Events for advice on how to
get there! http://lifeevents.msn.com/category.aspx?cid=Retirement
