Progressive Maple- E. Akins

[Waldo Street Pottery]

My thread is in response to Smoke's call to arms for a maple. I originally read the post and shrugged it off because I didn't have a tree to fit the bill. Then, collecting season hit the South. In a small patch somewhere near Atlanta I found my candidate growing wild in a patch of woods near a creek. I didn't take a pic of it in the ground, just after potting up... Barely making the 3" caliper my journey begins.

 

[Eric Group]

Is that a Japanese Maple? Growing wild near Atlanta?

I guess seed could have blown around from someone's yard or something... Great find!

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

Correct Eric, seed blew from a large maple growing in front of an out-of-business business to the woods near it that are soon to be cleared. I got pretty excited as I was looking for hornbeam and found this and another Acer P in the area.

 

[edprocoat]

Did Al say something about the measurement being taken above the ground at the "waist" of the tree ?

e

 

[Giga]

I second what Ed said I think this tree may not qualify?

 

[Eric Group]

meh... Close enough.. It will be 3 inches in a year! I think Al said that people need to measure starting one inch above the top of the nebari... his is buried and the tape is about and inch wide.

 

[edprocoat]

meh... Close enough.. It will be 3 inches in a year! I think Al said that people need to measure starting one inch above the top of the nebari... his is buried and the tape is about and inch wide.

Actually Eric Al wrote "One rule still remains, the maple, any species of Acer must have a trunk diameter of 3 inches across one inch above the soil. Thats where you measure a trunk. Its not at the soil, does not include flare into the soil and does not include nebari or root spread on top of the soil. We measure at the waist of the tree. (cool, see you all learned something already, I told you I was a pleaser!)"

ed

 

[Eric Group]

Excuse me! Three inches.. Didn't he also say: ".... Many of the original thoughts have been axed in an effort to simplify and curb so many questions. Lets fully understand that this above all else is a way to stimulate the posting of work towards a goal, the goal being to create a bonsai from less than perfect material.
The first goal is to allow as many people as possible to tag along in this quest. How best to do that? Get rid of the many roadblocks that people always try to include in other contests to make it fair...."

I think you are kind of missing the point of the contest if this difference of a half inch here or there should preclude this person from entering! The point is to get people to post progressive work of decent material that has grown to a suitable size to be a decent bonsai ("less than perfect material"). Sure there is a three inch rule, the ONLY rule, but the primary intent is clearly to get people to post more trees, this guy did that and I look forward to him showing us how it progresses. As to whether he is eligible for the "grand prize" or not? I don't know... But last I checked there was no mention of a big cash reward for the winner, so why should anybody care? As long as this "contest" is encouraging more activity, we all win.

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

Finally, an edprocaot argument in one of MY threads! I've arrived! Anyway, the measurement is an inch above the soil, but does include flair. I guess I didn't read the rules close enough. I'll just opt out and keep the thread for progression unless the intertronz police disagree.

 

[Dav4]

Finally, an edprocaot argument in one of MY threads! I've arrived! Anyway, the measurement is an inch above the soil, but does include flair. I guess I didn't read the rules close enough. I'll just opt out and keep the thread for progression unless the intertronz police disagree.

You've arrived for sure, man! Fwiw, I'm with Eric on this one...keep this tree in play until told otherwise by the powers that be. The more trees, the better, I'd think.

 

[fraser67]

You've arrived for sure, man! Fwiw, I'm with Eric on this one...keep this tree in play until told otherwise by the powers that be. The more trees, the better, I'd think.

And I'm with Eric and Dave...stay in!!! What do you have to lose?

 

[Eric Group]

Finally, an edprocaot argument in one of MY threads! I've arrived! Anyway, the measurement is an inch above the soil, but does include flair. I guess I didn't read the rules close enough. I'll just opt out and keep the thread for progression unless the intertronz police disagree.

I certainly hope Ed doesn't feel I was "arguing" with him? LOL

Cool little stump you got there though, and the story of finding it "growing wild" makes it even better!

 

[Smoke]

meh... Close enough.. It will be 3 inches in a year! I think Al said that people need to measure starting one inch above the top of the nebari... his is buried and the tape is about and inch wide.

Leave it in, I have included it in my list. One thing though, you gotta cop to your measuring practices to your wife or girlfriend! You will never get drapes to fit measuring like this

 

[edprocoat]

I certainly hope Ed doesn't feel I was "arguing" with him? LOL

Cool little stump you got there though, and the story of finding it "growing wild" makes it even better!

Eric, no I did not think you were arguing. lol

Whats really funny is that Homoteamer somehow thought I was arguing when all I did was post what Al wrote ? Notice my cleverly childish misuse of his knickname , lol I could not help myself, let hometeam argue with himself.

ed

 

[edprocoat]

Leave it in, I have included it in my list. One thing though, you gotta cop to your measuring practices to your wife or girlfriend! You will never get drapes to fit measuring like this

Honest honey that is 8 inches ........

ed

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

Signs of life...

 

[Eric Group]

Signs of life...

Your stump got a zit!! congrats!!