Mini maple label made me chuckle

[LCD35]

Got bored, went to the nursery to see if their foliage is turning. Autumn seems to be arriving in Seattle. I found these on the “bonsai” table, you know all of the dwarf mass produced stuff. I’ve never heard of a” mini maple “ before. Looks like some sort of Mikawa Yatsubusa variety, based on the buds and internodal spacing. Opinions?

In any case, foliage, buds, and new shoots are an attractive red color. I’ll probably repot in the spring on a tilt, use some wire to put a curve down low in the straight section. Let the top run for a few years before cutting back to those low branches.

 

[jal777]

I believe these are just standard Japanese maple root stock seedlings that are noticeably smaller / dwarfish.

Iseli separates them out and sells them as "mini maples" as part of their pre-bonsai products.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Interesting - first because it is Iseli, and second because they trade-marked the name "Mini Maple".

It isn't a cultivar but rather a unique individual hand-selected from a field of seedlings. I guess it comes down to who is doing the selecting It is actually the traditional way that many Japanese bonsai nurseries select trees for further development.

Personally, now that I can grow Japanese maples, I may do the same. I have a number of larger landscape trees of different cultivars that I will gather seeds from this fall. I may cold stratify them, grow them out in the spring, and select my favorites for further development.

 

[penumbra]

Got bored, went to the nursery to see if their foliage is turning. Autumn seems to be arriving in Seattle. I found these on the “bonsai” table, you know all of the dwarf mass produced stuff. I’ve never heard of a” mini maple “ before. Looks like some sort of Mikawa Yatsubusa variety, based on the buds and internodal spacing. Opinions?

In any case, foliage, buds, and new shoots are an attractive red color. I’ll probably repot in the spring on a tilt, use some wire to put a curve down low in the straight section. Let the top run for a few years before cutting back to those low branches.

I actually bought one of these about 3 years ago. It has done well but only grown maybe 2 inches. Since it acts like a Mame, I am treating it like one and moved it this past spring to a smaller pot.

 

[LCD35]

Interesting - first because it is Iseli, and second because they trade-marked the name "Mini Maple".

It isn't a cultivar but rather a unique individual hand-selected from a field of seedlings. I guess it comes down to who is doing the selecting It is actually the traditional way that many Japanese bonsai nurseries select trees for further development.

Personally, now that I can grow Japanese maples, I may do the same. I have a number of larger landscape trees of different cultivars that I will gather seeds from this fall. I may cold stratify them, grow them out in the spring, and select my favorites for further development.

Since leaving the Idaho desert for Seattle, I’m also enjoying working with maples. I have plans for sowing many seeds this fall since I now have the space available. Sowing in the fall of 2020 and allowing nature to take its course, I got a couple hundred crab apples and only kept the most vigorous.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I want to make sure my earlier comments weren't taken negatively. I am a big fan of Iseli. I think they have done a great job carving out premium cultivars to differentiate themselves from the general commercial wholesale market.

 

[jal777]

I want to make sure my earlier comments weren't taken negatively. I am a big fan of Iseli. I think they have done a great job carving out premium cultivars to differentiate themselves from the general commercial wholesale market.

Iseli is the best commercial nursery in the United States... by far. Some serious professionals working there. Most of the "specimen" trees in my landscape are from them.

If anyone is ever in the Boring, OR area, their garden is pretty amazing.

 

[penumbra]

Personally, now that I can grow Japanese maples, I may do the same. I have a number of larger landscape trees of different cultivars that I will gather seeds from this fall. I may cold stratify them, grow them out in the spring, and select my favorites for further development.

I would encourage this. I have about 50 first year seedlings from a really mixed bag of JM that were planted from a wide variety of seeds last fall. Somewhere in the archives I took a couple pictures showing these seedlings. The are quite varied and really interesting.

 

[LCD35]

I want to make sure my earlier comments weren't taken negatively. I am a big fan of Iseli. I think they have done a great job carving out premium cultivars to differentiate themselves from the general commercial wholesale market.

Iseli is the best commercial nursery in the United States... by far. Some serious professionals working there. Most of the "specimen" trees in my landscape are from them.

If anyone is ever in the Boring, OR area, their garden is pretty amazing.

Looks like I’m taking a field trip, it’s only 3.5 hours away.