Sad Looking Maple

[lieuz]

I always use cut paste. The rubber kind in the toothpaste tube, not the clay like stuff in the plastic jar. Works for me and what I do to maples which is always severe.

Sir, I am looking at your blog and you do amazing work! Thank you for taking the time to documenting your journeys!

 

[Kimberley82h]

I just got a tube of that but no english on it all I can say is it smells funny and is very sticky hahaha !

 

[lieuz]

Really excited, the akadama and various soil components was finally delivered. I am ready to rock and roll. The buds are swelling larger everyday now, looks like a good time to dig right in.

 

[lieuz]

It's like opening gifts on Christmas day! Thanks to Dallas Bonsai! I have here Pumice, Haydite, and Akadama. For this repotting, I plan to use all of this shown in the picture: 1 part Akadama, 1 part Haydite, and 1 Pumice. I am open to possibly using pine bark because I know maples don't like being left dry in the tiniest bit. I have heard in the past that pine bark is also a good additive but also have heard not such great stuff about using it. I'm assuming it's not really great based on what I have currently, I think it can hold plenty moisture without the pine bark. What do you think of the suggested components?

 

[rockm]

If your JM's buds are open, it's too late to repot now. I am in the same area as you and all my JMs are in full leaf with extension growth going.

If you repot ignoring those open buds, you risk further weakening what looks to be an already weak tree. Throw in a drastic trunk chop as is being suggested and you may push it too hard to recover.

 

[lieuz]

If your JM's buds are open, it's too late to repot now. I am in the same area as you and all my JMs are in full leaf with extension growth going.

If you repot ignoring those open buds, you risk further weakening what looks to be an already weak tree. Throw in a drastic trunk chop as is being suggested and you may push it too hard to recover.

Ok, I can see definitely see the logic behind this. To clarify, there aren't any leaves out yet, the buds are just getting bigger, I want to say in about a week to maybe 2, it'll show green. I can understand putting a lot of stress on this tree doing both at the same time. Would you support a repot now, and then wait until fall to trunk chop it?

 

[edprocoat]

I always use cut paste. The rubber kind in the toothpaste tube, not the clay like stuff in the plastic jar. Works for me and what I do to maples which is always severe.

Figures I would be wrong on this !! I am getting used to the taste of foot in my mouth.

ed

 

[Smoke]

Figures I would be wrong on this !! I am getting used to the taste of foot in my mouth.

ed

Not this week. This week it's digging holes

 

[edprocoat]

Al, Et Tu ?

ed

 

[lieuz]

Update:

I didn't want to take the chance of hurting this tree any further since it did just recover from a pretty severe heat wave last year. I didn't want to subject it to a double whammy. So, I just repotted the tree into the new mix. I caught the really tail end of the repot window. It is doing fine now; just a few days after the repot, it threw out all these new leaves; just popping out everywhere.

 

[eugen_onegin]

Good stuff Lieuz. I had this sad Kiyohime that some suggested that it would most certainly die in the near future. Had to chop about 40% of infected foliage off and let it be for about a year. Skip to 2014, leaves would shrivel up and die. Even though the potting medium was dense organic/peat moss based, I let it be and tried to do as little as possible until this spring (2015). I potted it in a smaller rice washer right as buds were about to open with 1 part pumice, 1 part lava, 1 part turfice, pinch of charcoal, and sprinkles of dry sphagnum moss on top. Nothing but green so far. I was a little apprehensive about using nothing but inorganic aggregate but so far it seems to be loving life. We'll see how the summer goes, I may have to add more moss to the top to keep the roots near the surface moist.

The picture is just as the leaves began to open about 3-4 weeks ago (some maples are early bloomers, some are late). I'll post an update of the foliage tomorrow.

 

[eugen_onegin]

It's nothing to really write home about, but it's healthy and it makes me happy. Blue rice washer is the current. The before picture was taken 2 years ago. the two long branches were cut back due to fungus.