5yr Native Tree Challenge Gaitano's Acer Rubrum forest

[Gaitano]

seedlings first year Oct 2019

Sept 2020

March 2021 - 7 trees through a tile

Sept 2021 - 7 trees through tile and 3 trees

In March of 2022 the 7 trees through the tile were cut from the tile. One had died. The 3 trees from the yellow pot were added to a tan plastic rectangular trainer for a total of 9.


March 2023 - 9 tree forest

 

[Gaitano]

both sides

 

[Gaitano]

Fall 23

 

[Gaitano]

Post prune.

 

[TrevorLarsen]

Did the tile work and improve the roots?

 

[bonsailevel:master]

Dig it, big fan of A. Rubrums

 

[Gaitano]

Did the tile work and improve the roots?

You know I went back to my files and I didn’t take a picture as I removed it from the tile in 2022. Here’s the potted picture from March ‘22. I’ll have to document the root pad when I repot in the spring.

 

[Dogestoevsky]

I’ve been toying with the idea of an acer rubrum forest for a while and this convinced me to give it a shot. Do you think that long internode distance on the trunks will have any negative impact down the road?

 

[Gaitano]

I’m finding that these back bud very well. The trunks grew pretty vigorously but the branches have fine internodes. In the trunks where I transitioned direction and the second segment grew a long internode there are buds as the base of that juncture. Depending on the growth this spring I may be able to grow a new shorter section. Germinate a bunch of seedlings and be more selective on the ones you choose that meet your requirements for internode length.

Next year I’m going to work on defoliating the large outer leaves progressively between post flush harden and June to give the inner leaves more light. I love the leaf shape and when they get fall color it’s spectacular.

 

[Gaitano]

I’ve been toying with the idea of an acer rubrum forest for a while and this convinced me to give it a shot. Do you think that long internode distance on the trunks will have any negative impact down the road?

An example of working with the Rubrum and strong spring growth/ long internodes.
Top section with long internode
New pieces grew later in the spring with shorter internodes and less coarse growth.



Branch tips with really short internodes.

 

[Kanorin]

An example of working with the Rubrum and strong spring growth/ long internodes. View attachment 519103
Top section with long internode
New pieces grew later in the spring with shorter internodes and less coarse growth.

View attachment 519102 View attachment 519104

Branch tips with really short internodes.


View attachment 519105 View attachment 519106

I've noticed the same thing with my Rubrum x Silver maple hybrids - 2-3" long internodes from first spring flush, followed by some nice tight second flush internodes. The forest is coming along nicely!

 

[Gaitano]

Thanks. Yea it’s about growth management and knowing how to use what the tree gives you to progress through the stages of refinement.

 

[Gaitano]

Don Lindstrom (Illinois ceramacist) slab for the forest on a slab. 9 trees total.

 

[Gaitano]

Mid spring update. It turns out a silver maple somehow snuck into the composition. And of course it’s the tallest tree.

 

[Gaitano]

Fall update. Side 1 before/after trim


Side 2 before/after trim