Species Study - Acer Saccharum/Acer Saccharinum

So my trees are wintered in a un heated dark garage . I have had rodent problems in the past , and take steps to protect the trees . Today was out of storage day . ( earliest it’s ever been ) I have cambium eating damage . Most likely mice . All the damage is done to sugar 🍁 maple . All other trees are fine . My black maple has damage 2/3 around the trunk and 2 lowest branches missing and several 1 and 2 year old seedlings are destroyed . My thoughts are . The warm winter and early sap flow is partially responsible . But I should have foreseen this . As I’m well aware . Rodents will suck sap from wounded sugar trees. Live and learn . Next year trunks will be wrapped with dryer sheets , taped in place . This is a process that has worked in the past for apple and prunus . Plus traps and a redue of entry sealing .
 
I’ve been having my first critter problems in my bonsai journey. Mine stay outside so I think it’s the squirrels finally realizing what I’m doing. Multiple occasions now this spring trees I transplanted from being in the ground and weren’t well established have been dug up. Lost a few small ones in a forest as a result. Everything else hanging on but have since made my bench Fort Knox. They can still get in if they really want to but at least not making it too easy seems to be helping. Very frustrating.
 
ERClover said:
I’ve been having my first critter problems in my bonsai journey. Mine stay outside so I think it’s the squirrels finally realizing what I’m doing. Multiple occasions now this spring trees I transplanted from being in the ground and weren’t well established have been dug up. Lost a few small ones in a forest as a result. Everything else hanging on but have since made my bench Fort Knox. They can still get in if they really want to but at least not making it too easy seems to be helping. Very frustrating.
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As for winter storage I have had more cambium eaters when I stored stuff outside . Buried in mulch . Inside just needs some diligence . Not for seeing the need to wrap the trunks is my fault . But squirrels 🐿 are a un winnable war . For me . The small town I live in . Was home 90 years ago to one of the founding fathers of . The nut tree growers on Ontario . The place is loaded with black walnut and other nut trees . They dig in pots uprooting trees . Burry stuff , dig up any seeds . Planted . I am trying stuff planted abs sealed in plastic jugs this year . I was very hopeful when a barn Awl nested in the attic of my out building . Last year . But left after raising there young maybe they will return . I feed the local stray cats 🐈 . One even likes to sleep in the sun 🌞 . Beside my pines . Squirrels are fur covered Rats
 
Frozentreehugger said:
As for winter storage I have had more cambium eaters when I stored stuff outside . Buried in mulch . Inside just needs some diligence . Not for seeing the need to wrap the trunks is my fault . But squirrels 🐿 are a un winnable war . For me . The small town I live in . Was home 90 years ago to one of the founding fathers of . The nut tree growers on Ontario . The place is loaded with black walnut and other nut trees . They dig in pots uprooting trees . Burry stuff , dig up any seeds . Planted . I am trying stuff planted abs sealed in plastic jugs this year . I was very hopeful when a barn Awl nested in the attic of my out building . Last year . But left after raising there young maybe they will return . I feed the local stray cats 🐈 . One even likes to sleep in the sun 🌞 . Beside my pines . Squirrels are fur covered Rats
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For a friend I built a galvanized structure 40 ft L x 16ft W x 10 ft H using plastic conduits and galvanized net all around including the ground to ward off all critters. It was really not that expensive.
 
ya . At one time I made a small cage for seedlings and stuff . Table top . But there are rules to marriage . Things like I can hug all the trees I want . But there are gardening things that are expected of me , ( mainly manual labour ) and i have no say in what goes in the garden , above my intelligence. And the BC I paid for that is in the front yard . Has to stay there , if it dies it’s my fault . But I’m not allowed 🚫 to build a structure that looks like a prison cell for small children . Even if I only use it for plants . In her words she knows I don’t care if the neighbours think I’m insane. ( look he is watering in the rain ) but she don’t want to explain to the police .
 
Frozentreehugger said:
As for winter storage I have had more cambium eaters when I stored stuff outside . Buried in mulch . Inside just needs some diligence . Not for seeing the need to wrap the trunks is my fault . But squirrels 🐿 are a un winnable war . For me . The small town I live in . Was home 90 years ago to one of the founding fathers of . The nut tree growers on Ontario . The place is loaded with black walnut and other nut trees . They dig in pots uprooting trees . Burry stuff , dig up any seeds . Planted . I am trying stuff planted abs sealed in plastic jugs this year . I was very hopeful when a barn Awl nested in the attic of my out building . Last year . But left after raising there young maybe they will return . I feed the local stray cats 🐈 . One even likes to sleep in the sun 🌞 . Beside my pines . Squirrels are fur covered Rats
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That makes me feel lucky I only have mule deer to worry about here. In my town the deer are basically domesticated and just wonder around. They can jump over almost any fence but thankfully dogs scare them pretty well.
 
MHBonsai said:
Joining the study. The tree on the left crowds out the other…and looks like some good taper.

View attachment 530053

The plan is to go really big with a graceful pasture tree shape. Like 48”+. Assuming it lives! I thought it was a ruburum at first but the leaves are unmistakable sugar. I’ll keep you all posted if I learn much with it. I’m keeping it garaged with some bottom heat to hopefully help it recover. I was brutal on the roots. Make it or break it.
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I've got signs of life...but just one bud pushing hard down really low at the root/trunk transition.

Thoughts on rubbing off low buds to try to drive growth up the tree? I've still got green cambium all the way up.

Or just leave it be and hope for that it'll pop in more places?
 
MHBonsai said:
View attachment 538346

Yep, it’s huge and I was “aggressive” on the collection. 😀 not much for fine feeders left.
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I was not able to get a lot of feeders on my pull either. Got some but very few. Also not much nebari to speak of as the tree was basically coming out of another tree’s root system. If it survives in a few years I plan to ground layer it. Your nebari is awesome!
 
MHBonsai said:
View attachment 538330

Thats the low bud.

View attachment 538331

And may the bonsai angels rejoice! A well placed bud right up top that I just found.
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Nice tree glad to see it budding . Curious what kind of growing conditions did you find it in . Always interested in info . Even for a large tree the bark looks rougher than normal . Very interested in the low amount of roots at collection if it survives nice tree
 
Frozentreehugger said:
Nice tree glad to see it budding . Curious what kind of growing conditions did you find it in . Always interested in info . Even for a large tree the bark looks rougher than normal . Very interested in the low amount of roots at collection if it survives nice tree
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It was growing in dappled shade under some massive oaks. Roots are really radial with some nice low flare because my soil is very shallow, only about 10” soil over limestone in this location. The bark is my favorite part! It’s pretty craggy for a maple. I counted rings at the chop, I think the tree is 28-30 years old.
 
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