Large Field Maple collected 2019

[peterbone]

I'm starting a thread on this one as it's growing well and I'm confident that it will survive. Out of all my trees I think it's the one with most potential, but also the one with the longest road ahead to "completion". It has great movement and taper and an interesting hole at the base. My guess would be that the roots grew around another tree early on, which has not rotted away. Something must also have pushed it over early on.

Here's how it looked on the day of collection on 24th March. Planted in a mixture of pumice, bark and chopped sphagnum moss. It was then kept in a shaded mini greenhouse for about 3 months.

Here's how it looked last week. Growing strongly and now out of the greenhouse but in partial shade. I've started feeding. There are a couple of shoots in favourable positions.

Finally here's a quick whiteboard sketch I did yesterday showing how it could potentially look in the future. The new leader will need to be grown out for years, probably in the ground, and the chop carved. I think it will be at least 15 years before it will look anything like this. The leader will be chosen from the front to hide the chop and bring the apex back over the base.

Here's the full album.

 

[BobbyLane]

the leader wont take very long to look convincing if left in the ground a couple of years along with some nibbling away at straight edges of the chop.
ill be doing an update soon on a FM that was chopped only a few weeks ago and how fast a new leader is gaining girth in a grow bed.
virt looks good

 

[Housguy]

Awesome looking project.

 

[jason biggs]

Looks like a wonderful start - what does it look like from the opposite side?

 

[peterbone]

Looks like a wonderful start - what does it look like from the opposite side?

Thanks. Have a look at the full album link to see the other side.

 

[Deleted member 21616]

I would I could draw like that!

Looking forward to watching this one develop

 

[Paulpash]

Nice tree Peter. I love field maple - very forgiving. I'd keep it in that box just for a year then ground plant it. Before putting it in the ground carve the transition to the leader, seal and then cut off everything except the leader. Shoots will definitely pop below the leader - keep the really low stuff if you want to beef up the base. If not cut it away so you get max energy to the leader. I'm coming close to the final stages of mine after over 20 years development. Good luck with it!

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Dang, thats a great start! Is the mini greenhouse just the bag? I've thought about bagging up sone tropicals that id like to see more aerial roots on.

 

[peterbone]

Dang, thats a great start! Is the mini greenhouse just the bag? I've thought about bagging up sone tropicals that id like to see more aerial roots on.

At first it was just the bag, but the bag wasn't big enough once it started budding out, so I attached 4 uprights to the wooden box and put the bag over the top.

 

[misfit11]

Nice material and I like your vision of it’s future. Keep us updated on its progress!

 

[B.uneasy]

whats it look like now

 

[treepirate]

I'm starting a thread on this one as it's growing well and I'm confident that it will survive. Out of all my trees I think it's the one with most potential, but also the one with the longest road ahead to "completion". It has great movement and taper and an interesting hole at the base. My guess would be that the roots grew around another tree early on, which has not rotted away. Something must also have pushed it over early on.

Here's how it looked on the day of collection on 24th March. Planted in a mixture of pumice, bark and chopped sphagnum moss. It was then kept in a shaded mini greenhouse for about 3 months.

Here's how it looked last week. Growing strongly and now out of the greenhouse but in partial shade. I've started feeding. There are a couple of shoots in favourable positions.

Finally here's a quick whiteboard sketch I did yesterday showing how it could potentially look in the future. The new leader will need to be grown out for years, probably in the ground, and the chop carved. I think it will be at least 15 years before it will look anything like this. The leader will be chosen from the front to hide the chop and bring the apex back over the base.

Here's the full album.

Any updates?