Sean’s Japanese Maples

[BobbyLane]

Yes exactly that. We have a few main plastic manufacturers here that all seem to make the exact same plastic pots and trays under different names but all the same size range. This one is 35x48cm. I’ve used them a few times for developing trees. They do need a wooden frame under them though to add some rigidity

Waldo Plastics -

Waldo Plastics

www.wplast.co.za

Ah yes, I didnt realise the wood underneath was attached. Have a few wooden slats laying around that will come in handy for reinforcement

 

[SeanS]

@BobbyLane this is the other common size of plastic tray I use, it’s deeper and not as wide, 30x27x11cm.
I’ll either cut it down shallower or use it full size.

Here it is being used cut down

 

[snox]

I cut grooves/channels into the main tree deep enough to receive the seedlings. I didn’t bother scraping the seedlings as the push pins are very firmly attached so they will have no option but to fuse with the main tree once it starts producing callous.

The trunk was too thick to thread graft any of the seedlings so all of them were approach grafts this time round. I’ve had decent success with both methods but still have had some failures with approach and thread root grafts

Perfect . Thanks for clearing that up for me . And please continue sharing your journey as its provided me with confidence and inspiration .

 

[SeanS]

Perfect . Thanks for clearing that up for me . And please continue sharing your journey as its provided me with confidence and inspiration .

I’ll definitely keep sharing and try to pass on the little knowledge I have. If I have to do any more root grafts I’ll be sure to take some photos of the process, but there are loads of other posts on Bnut that document the process as well. I’ll try to find some and send them your way

 

[snox]

Appreciate that Sean . got a older maple and some seedlings so when it's repot time here in the UK am gonna go for it .

 

[giventofly]

Fresh out of the ground, “metal plate” clump. After 2 seasons in the ground I can report that JMs don’t fuse and melt into one another as well as tridents. I’m hoping with time the roots will form a solid fused base, at which point I can reduce the number of trunks. Added a few more seedlings through some of the empty holes to fill in some gaps.

I’ll post a potted photo tomorrow.

Straight out of the grow bed

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After root work and the addition of the extra seedlings

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I love sing your updates.

When cutting the "excess trees" in the future, the "root" will be alive by being fused with the others or they will need to grow to fill that space?

 

[SeanS]

I love sing your updates.

When cutting the "excess trees" in the future, the "root" will be alive by being fused with the others or they will need to grow to fill that space?

@giventofly yes exactly, once the base (made up of roots) fuses it’s basically a single living mass. The actual feeder roots on the outside of the sold fused mass are simply feeding the group of trunks (I think, I could be wrong) so cutting some of them off should mean that the roots closest to the removed trunk won’t even know the trunk has been removed.