Arakawa Maple from Cutting

[AndyJ]

Hi all. I'm new to Bonsainut having been told about your site through a U.K. based forum. I'm new to bonsai (about 2 years) so am reading everything I can! I have got a number of trees but maples are definitely my favourite so love that you have dedicated pages for Maples here.

I'm interested that you have put your young Arakawa into a grow box rather than ground growing it. Is there a reason for this? I thought the idea was to ground grow as the tree would grow faster than if it was restricted into a pit / box?

Many thanks,

Andy

 

[Grant Hamby]

Hi all. I'm new to Bonsainut having been told about your site through a U.K. based forum. I'm new to bonsai (about 2 years) so am reading everything I can! I have got a number of trees but maples are definitely my favourite so love that you have dedicated pages for Maples here.

I'm interested that you have put your young Arakawa into a grow box rather than ground growing it. Is there a reason for this? I thought the idea was to ground grow as the tree would grow faster than if it was restricted into a pit / box?

Many thanks,

Andy

I think ground growing would have been a fine option for this tree, but I wanted to have a little more control over winter protection as well as root development. We have weird winters/springs here in Missouri, random super cold snaps and hailstorms and such, so since this is a nicer cultivar, I figured I'd keep it in a box so I could throw it in the garage if I needed to.

It might take a little longer to thicken this way than if it were in the ground, but I feel like I have a little more control over it when it's in a box. No runaway roots getting too big or anything.

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

I've had moderate succes with maples in full ground. Some kind of fungus gets to them. It's easier to build a flat 360 rootbase in a (large) growing box. You have more control.

 

[Shun]

Here in Brazil i was told that JM is affected by some kind of fungal disease when ground grown also...

TM's on the other hand is not

 

[Grant Hamby]

I have a couple in the ground as landscape trees... conveniently growing on tiles just in case... lol

 

[0soyoung]

Here in Brazil i was told that JM is affected by some kind of fungal disease when ground grown also...

Might it be verticillium?
Over the years this got lots of press, but the 'devastation' it wreaks on a. palmatums is highly exaggerated. It is soil borne and affects trees when temperatures are below 70F (it is dormant when warmer). So, don't toss your pruners on the ground and then start pruning you a. palmatum. Don't prune close to the ground if it is going to rain in the following three days (rain splash of ground soil - implications to bonsai are obvious = keep freshly pruned ones high up on your bench).

 

[AndyJ]

I've hit quite a few Maples in the ground to grow on as they are just pre-Bonsai at the moment - the advice has always been to do this to get that good rate of growth. What is the extended time period you would need for box grown rather than ground grown?

Also, what size boxes are you using? Are you "over planting" to give the tree lots of root room? Is it mire about the width of the box rather than the depth?

Thanks again,

Andy

 

[Hack Yeah!]

@Grant Hamby how's it looking after your 3rd season?