Did I hit the jackpot?

[reefed419]

Hey fellow growers, today I think I hit the jackpot with a boat load of FREE japanese maples. My local club that I recently joined, has a very generous lady that cultivates around 80 species of Japanese maples. The last meeting our club had she offered to allow everyone in the club to come out and enjoy her maple field. Well long story short, I cam home with about 45 japanese maple seedlings, ranging from toothpick sized bases to a few that are about 20' and softball sized bases. I have always been a major fan of the Japanese maples. I know some are going to be useless for bonsai or will require some massive air layering I will get some pics posted here in the next day or two.

 

[CWTurner]

Free is good

Reefed,

Anything free is a nice deal (see my posts) and great for beginners who might otherwise kill valuable plants. If you took 45 how many did she have?

Also, I'm from PA, and wouldn't think Japanese Maples would do well in FL. Are these "tropical tolerant" varieties?

 

[Vance Wood]

I don't know about anyone else but I would sure like to see some photos of some of the larger Maples.

 

[Vin]

Reefed,

Anything free is a nice deal (see my posts) and great for beginners who might otherwise kill valuable plants. If you took 45 how many did she have?

Also, I'm from PA, and wouldn't think Japanese Maples would do well in FL. Are these "tropical tolerant" varieties?

I have many and they do fine down here. Most of mine stay in filtered light or morning sun only during the hotter months. There is one (not a bonsai) in Tallahasse at a nursery that has been in business since the thirties. It is spectacular! Here are two of my projects.

 

[Vin]

I forgot about this little guy.

 

[reefed419]

Reefed,

Anything free is a nice deal (see my posts) and great for beginners who might otherwise kill valuable plants. If you took 45 how many did she have?

Also, I'm from PA, and wouldn't think Japanese Maples would do well in FL. Are these "tropical tolerant" varieties?

She easily had over 3000+ trees on her property, now this wasn't a farm, it was her house in a normal subdivision.

I am on the fringe of too hot for these beautiful trees.

 

[reefed419]

I don't know about anyone else but I would sure like to see some photos of some of the larger Maples.

The larger maples are still at her place now, won't be getting most of them till after the new year, when they are dormant, however I start to root prune the roots on them so I have a better chance at keeping it alive once fully out of the ground. I will say that most if not all her trees have roots that escaped the pots. There fore cutting half circle of the roots is needed I was told. I did this by anchoring a come-a-long to a nearby tree pulling in one direction and cutting the roots with my sawzall the opposite the way that I pulled. If anyone has any better method I would love to hear it.

 

[Great Falcon]

Yes you did, around here a little seedling or cutting from nursery is from 7 to 12 bucks. Japanese maples are always nice. good luck.

I will put a little one in this pot this coming season.

 

[jk_lewis]

Also, I'm from PA, and wouldn't think Japanese Maples would do well in FL. Are these "tropical tolerant" varieties?

Look at a map. Only the lower 1/3 of Florida could be loosly described as "tropical." Pensacola is just like S. Alabama or S. Georgia. Chilly in the winter and miserable in the summer.

 

[bumblebee]

JKL,

You must have been here!

Libby

 

[Appliance Guy]

Geez we've been loading up. Haven't even dented the field. Loaded up on Jap cherry blossoms as well- from 24" to 8'.

 

[armetisius]

Look at a map. Only the lower 1/3 of Florida could be loosly described as "tropical." Pensacola is just like S. Alabama or S. Georgia. Chilly in the winter and miserable in the summer.

As someone born and reared in Alabama I can assure you that misery is non-seasonal;
however, our summers are easily compared to a walking rotisserie. And the mild winters
are one of the few things that makes the place bearable.
Just saying

 

[edprocoat]

Looking at the video reminds me of that TV show Hoarders I watched one time and thought it was a shame that they took advantage of a poor old mentally ill lady filming her life and putting it on the TV. In this case I bet her neighbors must really hate her it looks like a mosquito haven. Judging by all the nursery containers and nursery tags on those trees this poor person has dropped a ton of money on these just to let them languish in her backyard, I sure hope someone was decent enough to offer her some money for the trees they took as that would be the right thing to do. That and get her some help...

ed