Some projects for next spring

[Dav4]

My husband absolutely LOVES the small weeping maples in yards. Not sure their name...but they never get large. Their leaves toxic...I believe. But a good thought is to maybe...plant him one as a bonsai. Up on a bench much safer for keeping from the dogs.

Planning for spring is a good way to get through the winter blues. Yep...now that you've made a post thread...it is more set in motion the notion you must follow through.

EVERYTHING in your yard is toxic...but it's a gradient. If you had to base your landscaping choices purely on toxicity to dogs, you wouldn't have anything to plant. Japanese maples are real low on the danger meter imho. Google Acer palmatum dissectum and enjoy the pics. I'm a huge fan of A.p. 'Inaba shidare' and 'Crimson Queen'...both should be hardy in your area.

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

Thanks for sharing Dave! I'm also interested in your test results of sooner and later layers. I tried the same experiment on a crepe myrtle 2 years ago and it seemed to me that the one started after the leaves hardened pushed roots faster than the one started before the leaves were out. FWIW. Best of luck!

 

[Cadillactaste]

EVERYTHING in your yard is toxic...but it's a gradient. If you had to base your landscaping choices purely on toxicity to dogs, you wouldn't have anything to plant. Japanese maples are real low on the danger meter imho. Google Acer palmatum dissectum and enjoy the pics. I'm a huge fan of A.p. 'Inaba shidare' and 'Crimson Queen'...both should be hardy in your area.

You know...you are right, I've not even looked them up in my book of toxicity...to determine to what degree. Just went on what I had seen online. I try to keep the plants in the pet friendly area less threatening. I do have higher toxic plants in another area...but that area has filled up.

Maybe we can add one to the landscape...I will look into it. Can one buy a nice nursery one for bonsai...how much roots can one take off...at a time with maple?

I have this maple variety in the yard...one of my favs. Though it needs pruned this spring before it leafs out. Get the branches growing on the wrong side of the weeping branches.

 

[Dav4]

Thanks for sharing Dave! I'm also interested in your test results of sooner and later layers. I tried the same experiment on a crepe myrtle 2 years ago and it seemed to me that the one started after the leaves hardened pushed roots faster than the one started before the leaves were out. FWIW. Best of luck!

Hey Eli, how's it going? It's interesting to hear your results with the crepe myrtle. I've always done my air layers on trees after the leaves have hardened off, but I've heard of folks that have done it as the buds swelled (I've successfully performed a few ground layers on palmatums in January/February, fully a month before any bud movement). For me, layering before the tree has foliage has several benefits, as I'm recently working with smaller, dwarf stock that are easier to manipulate without leaves, and landscape specimens that are low to the ground it would be difficult to actually see what I'm doing to the trunk when they're in leaf. Anyway, stay tuned. I hope to see you at a club meeting soon.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Thanks...both of those were my zone area. Curious which he was looking at. I will have to research them more. Thank you...

 

[Neli]

I havedone layers on top of each other...not sure if it is OK for all trees but I would not hesitate to do it.

 

[Dav4]

Well, we're less then 5 weeks out and the spring foliage is just hardening off...this is a personal record. At this rate, I might be separating this one before Memorial Day.

 

[Dav4]

Two weeks ago, I added another layer of moss, wrapped it up again, and checked on it today...

Mind you, these layers were started just as the buds began to swell...the other layer I started HAD one small root( it fell away when I checked).

 

[jkd2572]

That's fast. I'm layering a maple as well this spring. It's my first on a maple. I did not realize they could grow out roots that fast. I guess I should check mine. Thanks for the post. I thought I would have to wait until the fall to remove. Layering is so damn cool. I bet less than 1% of gardeners knows that you can actually do this.

 

[bonsaiBlake]

That's fast. I'm layering a maple as well this spring. It's my first on a maple. I did not realize they could grow out roots that fast. I guess I should check mine. Thanks for the post. I thought I would have to wait until the fall to remove. Layering is so damn cool. I bet less than 1% of gardeners knows that you can actually do this.

I would guess that you are probably correct about the 99% ignorance on layering. Ive done gardening and lanscaping as a hobby and proffesionaly for years and i had no clue about air laying until i began researching bonsai. All i had done before was grafting onto root stock. I cant wait to do some air layers this fall. Im going to to wait until leaves harden off.

 

[Dav4]

That's fast. I'm layering a maple as well this spring. It's my first on a maple. I did not realize they could grow out roots that fast. I guess I should check mine. Thanks for the post. I thought I would have to wait until the fall to remove. Layering is so damn cool. I bet less than 1% of gardeners knows that you can actually do this.

I've heard of layers being separated in 8 weeks and I'm just about exactly 8 weeks out. Still, this is a dwarf and I would never have expected it to produce that volume of roots so quickly. As far as separating before the fall, I think you need to be real sure there are enough roots to get you through the heat of the summer, particularly in Texas...we have hot summers here...but not "Texas" hot. The safe bet might be to leave it on until the cooler fall weather in most cases.

 

[Dav4]

Last week, I applied two more layers, including the all important ground layer just above the super ugly graft scar. I haven't decided if I'll attempt to separate this fall or wait until next spring...we'll see in September.

 

[Nybonsai12]

Impressive stuff Dave. Gotta think if the ground layer grows like the air layers you will surely be able to separate in the fall. Looking forward to updates.

 

[Dav4]

Well, all 4 layers took. I separated the third one today. The fourth, the ground layer, will get separated this September. I know it took because I can see roots actually growing out of the ball of sphagnum moss and across the surface of the soil...unbelievable. If nothing else, these projects show you that a grafted Shishigashira can be layered with ease and does just fine on its own roots. Either that, or I'm the world's greatest maple layerererer.

 

[MACH5]

WooHoo!! Nicely done Dave!!

 

[Lazylightningny]

Very cool! I have 5 air layers going right now: 2 cherrys, 2 wild cherrys, and a JM. I hope I can get results even close to yours.

 

[Neli]

It is such a great feeling to remove a fully rooted airlayer...

 

[Dav4]

I separated the ground layer today...there were roots from the layer almost a half inch in diameter growing through the drain holes.

 

[Neli]

Those are lots of roots....good!

 

[Dav4]

Well, this project is done, at least for this year. 5 successful layers from one ugly landscape tree discounted at $50...not bad.