Cheering ourselves up with Maples

@AlainK so glad you are getting rain, but in agreement we also are suffering very high humidity now. It's wonderful to see a Bi-hoo without sun damage. Lovely trees Alain.

 

As @Acerholic said, (and as you probably know better than anyone else), winters in Estonia can be very harsh and a young potted tree might die.

There are several ways of protecting a tree from a cold winter. Some put them in their basement, a garage, etc. but I think that any species of tree must gradually adapt to the local climate.

One solution is to put it in a big wooden box, or polythene box (you know "fish boxes", you must have some in the Baltic sea !), fill it with straw, leaves from trees that don't get diseases (not Norway maples !), etc. up to 5-10 cm above the soil.

But if you have a place in your garden to put it in the ground, you can remove them from their pot after leaf-fall, add some free draining mix in the "trench", and as above, put some mulch on top, to the first branches. When I say "mulch", I don't mean something that holds too much moisture, like lawn cuttings. Any kind of "straw" is much better. I use Zelkova leaves (I have a big one in my small garden, and it's disease-free), or one year, some straw from a bale of straw I was given by a farmer, or hemp straw, which is available here either for the garden or for insulation.

In the spring, when buds begin to break out, you can remove the trees, prune the roots and repot them in a new mix. And use the kind of white fabric to wrap them if there is some late frost.

 

Hey, hey, I'm the Bi-hoo man ! <LOL>

... So far. ^^

 

@AlainK I think you just may be Alain !!! Haven't seen one this year any better.

 

Acer pseudosieboldianum var. Takesimense :


Acer morifolium. I'll have a couple to give away, Maple Society members will be served first ;°) :

September 2018 :


Today, August 2020 :

 

@AlainK Such a good tree for the colder climate. The colours are equal to many a Japonicum IMO.

 

Thank you for your suggestion!
I live in the Zone 5, according our usual winter minimums, but there is a problem, that because Tallinn is situated at 59.3N latitude (almost the same as the northern border of BC, Canada), winters here are relatively long. Although we often do not have extreme low temperatures during the whole winter thanks to the Baltic Sea and the warm air coming from the Atlantic ocean, it is still possible, that temperatures below -20C can stay for several weeks successively, if high pressure from the Siberia takes over. For plants this is something else, than frost with the same minimum temperature, that lasts only couple of hours or few days maximum. And our springs and autumns are also pretty long, chilly, and damn DARK! The warm and bright season is relatively short, ca 120 days, compared to the winter (if to define winter by time from first snow till complete thaw), that lasts sometimes for almost 6 months. Therefore several plants, listed as suitable for Zone 5, are failing here.

As I collected these seeds from the japanese garden, then I hope, that these seedlings are more suitable for our conditions. I don't have a cold frame. I can plant these maples later (when tomatoes are harvested) to my greenhouse (of glass, without heating), but there the soil can dry out during the winter and usually frozen ground does not let me to open the door during the winter, so I can't access inside the greenhouse, to water these plants, when needed.

I have a place, where temperatures stay above freezing point, but this place is reserved for over wintering my mandarines, figs and avocado tree.

Last winter was very warm, we hardly saw any snow. If this one comes similar, then these maples should not have problem to over winter outdoors. Unless the rabbit, who visits my garden at winters, is open for new tastes...

 

Thank you for your suggestions!
I think I'll choose planting these maples into the ground. Upcoming winter I try to over winter some of my fig trees in the ground first time, so I think similar protection measures, that I plan to use with my figs, should work for maples too. Though, my figs, that I planted outdoors this spring, are much stronger and substantial than these tiny maples.

 

@Sulev Your difficulties are as extreme as our Spanish friends with their 45°C Summer heat. But as you say the climate maybe changing for you, so there is the opportunity to protect your maples in your greenhouse through the Winter. Of course food comes first so I am not suggesting these take their place.
As Alain suggested, people do use a garage through the dormant season so perhaps this can be a place for your maples. I have done this in the past and as they are asleep they survived well.
Do let us know what you decide, fingers crossed here for you.

 

Good morning, well the forecast last night said heavy rain from 0600hrs, so alarm set and these were taken at 0500hrs and then the heavens opened.
My Little shop of horrors photo today is my little Baby ghost ( last photo). It has not coped well this Summer, even with a lot of protection.
Colours holding on Atropurpureum and Skeeters broom to the very end its seems!!
My favourite this morning though is my Purple ghost.

Hope everyone gets some well needed wet stuff today.

 

Haven’t posted on the actual forum before but thought I would share some pictures of recent new growth on my maples. I hope you enjoy. Pictures are of Shirazz, Jerre Schwartz, Corallinum, Oregon Sunset, Osakazuki and Watnong in the early morning sunshine.

 

@MapleMO good morning M, the cobwebs are forming on Jerre Schwartz. Its that time of the year again and all the photo opportunities it gives us.
Really glad to see you on the thread M, I really enjoyed these. Looks like you have a lovely day there. Pouring down here atm, so extra cheer from your photos.

 

Good morning and it is a good morning after the torrential rain we have had these last few days. Something about the light after a storm, it just seems so different!!!
My favourite in my garden today is not a leaf, or a whole tree, but a 'new bud'. This is on my Musashino that I have been worrying about through the heatwave. Like in Spring when new life starts, I am always captivated by this.
Also added today are some that rarely get a showing. But new growth should be shown, as seen on my Aconitifolium.

 

Did some greens earlier, now for some colours.

 

Ran out to take some pictures managed to take four then my battery power ran out !! So Oregon sunset , Olsens frosted , Kogane nishiki and then Hessei (battered in the spring) both pushing out new growth very quickly , some new growth coming out now on numerous trees is quite phenomenal never seen growth come out this fast on such a vast array of different cultivars , obviously they are recovering strongly from the terrible gales and late frosts we had in the early part of the season. On a normal year i wouldn't expect to see any of this just the normal second flush growth's. A few trees have really defoliated and all now are either in new leaf or with new buds , very strange. Last pics are from yesterday of a Oridino nishiki can just pull the leaves off no problem, but note the new buds and leafs , this is due for a good hard cut back this year which will help with the new leaf and better colours for next year.

 

@ROEBUK good afternoon M, I have the same happening here and nowhere near the problems you faced in the Spring. I am getting 3 ft long second flush growth on so many. This is such a weired year. My only concern now is soft new growth coping with early Autumn frosts.
I'm reading about the lack of pollution this year allowing for more solar rays. I do wonder if this is having an effect on all of our trees.
Love the colours and shape of your Oregon Sunset, you must be very pleased with it this year. Such a shame about your Hessei, but wonderful to see it pushing out new growth. I do wonder as you talk about next, year what effect this Summer will have on our trees next Spring. Anyway, those lovely Autumn colours are getting closer and closer !!!! So something to look forward to.
Hope all goes well tomorrow M. Batten down the hatches as they say.

 

Nice old olive and a lime tree more then capable of supplying my love for gin

 

@dicky5ash, that looks so peaceful R. A place to forget about all the woes of the world. 'Enjoy'.

 

Yes this is coming along nicely now only problem is i have a large Ki hachijo in front of it which blocks the view of tree now , so this one is coming up now as well after the leaf drop and into a large container , then the O/S is also coming up to be re positioned about 2 feet forward and slightly turned around so i can see more of the shape of the tree, then a nice koto no ito will be going about 6 foot in front of this so i will be then able to see the glorious red sunset colours through the yellow/golds strands of the koto. Yet more work, will get them all in the right spot eventually ?

 

@ROEBUK, tbh M are we ever really satisfied. I remember hearing that an artist is never happy with a painting, I think I understand that emotion now.
Like your idea of seeing the reds through the strands of Koto no ito. That's going to be a lovely photo for the thread next year !!!?

 

Every year i say that should be it no more digging up trees for next year or two, never happens have 4 large ones coming up so far and around the same again to be re positioned for better light/shade etc ... the annoying thing though is i love digging trees up for some reason (can't wait for the Autumn) all the preparation root pruning etc etc , if there is an after life i feel sure i might come back as a mole :):)

 

We gardeners need something to do, another reason why we are never satisfied. Even if it looks great, we convince ourselves otherwise !!!
Agree M, I look forward to the repotting as well.

A mole eh, that's interesting, wonder what Freud would have made of that !!!????

 

Acer palmatum 'Katsura Hime' with new growth. I think its time to find a place in the ground to see how it perform.

 

@LoverOfMaples good morning D, you really do have some wonderfully healthy trees. Your Katsura Hime is going to grow away well looking at the new growth it's making.

 

Good morning, I took these in the early morning sun before the long expected wind will arrive. If your in the UK, I hope all goes well when Ellen and Kyle hits.
My favourite in my garden today is Autumn Moon, even if it curls up before Autumn, it has given a lovely show all Summer to be greatful for.