Flame Amur Maple Nursery Stock

[calvin]

Hello! I’m a beginner (Zone 5a) looking for some insight on this Amur maple I picked up yesterday. I was thinking about where to chop it to have it build more taper, how to develop it properly, etc.

Basically, I’m wondering what would you do with this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Welcome to the site! I'd let it grow this year, get it really healthy. Fertilize it and let it grow, watch for pests and disease. They don't heal chops that well, so study for ways to hide your cut angles. Good luck

 

[sorce]

I'd aim to layer it for a new root spread right under the split.

Welcome to Crazy!

You may want to research what traits "flame" was bred for. If it's anything like the new "flame" burning bushes, the traits are larger, more showy leaves, which is not a characteristic worth buying.

The best Amurs I've found are seedlings from ones planted during the original "invasion".

They're mad free, and arguably better to work with.

Should we assume 5a means Canada?

Sorce

 

[calvin]

Should we assume 5a means Canada?

Yes I’m in Ontario, Canada! Thank you both for the warm welcome! I’ll do both and let it grow, and then air layer it close to the split.

 

[Colorado]

I have one of these. As @sorce mentioned, it does have larger leaves and internodes. However, I still enjoy it for bonsai because it is extremely vigorous and a fast grower. Very cold hardy. I have one that I chopped back to a stump and it responded well.

I’d aim for a larger size bonsai with this cultivar.

I have mine in mostly full sun, and water it heavily.

If it were my tree. I would focus this year on watering properly and fertilizing heavily to build up strength in the tree. Next spring I would work the roots and get it into a shallow-ish grow box with a pumice/organic soil mix. Grow out a year or two until trunk is desired size and then cut it back to a stump and develop from there. Have fun!

 

[Backwardsvg]

Do the amurs like a more organic soil mix? Or do they do ok in an inorganic mix? @Colorado

 

[Colorado]

Do the amurs like a more organic soil mix? Or do they do ok in an inorganic mix? @Colorado

They do just fine in inorganic in my experience. I have a few Amurs. I’ve used a pumice/bark mix, I’ve used akadama, and I’ve used a mix of reused pumice, lava, akadama, kanuma.

They seem to do great in all of the above.

 

[Backwardsvg]

Awesome thank you! Excited to give these guys a try

 

[HorseloverFat]

My favorite maple!!

I have a bunch growing and in "screen training"

Recently (Yesterday, actually) some seeds from a Bellin landscape found their way into my pocket...

All sunk...

So I may throw them intermittently in the Papaver beds. (Because the Papavers are all 13" apart... and by the time The Tatarican seeds sprout, competition won't be an issue.)

 

[calvin]

My favorite maple!!

I have a bunch growing and in "screen training"

Recently (Yesterday, actually) some seeds from a Bellin landscape found their way into my pocket...

All sunk...

So I may throw them intermittently in the Papaver beds. (Because the Papavers are all 13" apart... and by the time The Tatarican seeds sprout, competition won't be an issue.)

Funny coincidence because I found out recently that my girlfriend has this big Amur maple in her backyard, so I yoinked a bunch of the seeds too