Young Murasaki Kiyohime broke

Discussion in 'Maples' started by niroha, Mar 10, 2010.

  1. niroha

    niroha Member

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    My trees came today, shipped from Mendocino Maples. The trees are all lovely and seem healthy but one poor soul didn't make it. Someone in the post office really beat the heck out of the box it came shipped in and the tree was broke clear in half on arrival. Mendocino is mailing me a replacement at no charge so I'm not worried there, but is there any hope for this poor little tree? The break is above the graft. Does it have a prayer? Even a teeny bit?

    Poor little tree. it was a pretty little thing. The pics show the sad wilty leaves :(
     

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  2. Kaitain4

    Kaitain4 Well-Known Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    I would keep it watered and wait to see if it sprouts any new shoots from what's left. Trees are amazingly resiliant, and since the roots are still good you never know...
     
  3. niroha

    niroha Member

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    I know they say to not fertilize the first year but should I make an exception in this case when I throw it in a pot?
     
  4. Gomero

    Gomero Well-Known Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    Hi Niroha,

    Welcomed to the forum!. Something like that happened to me a few years back, a 3 years old grafted Oregon Sunset was damaged during transport and it looked to me as if the scion had been completely cut off so I said to myself that I would just let the rootstock grow and eventually become the support for another graft. But, lo and behold, there was a small fragment of scion left (which I had not noticed)with at least one dormant bud which gave rise to a true Oregon Sunset which is happily growing today in my garden.
    No need to fertilize.

    Gomero
     
  5. niroha

    niroha Member

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    thanks for giving me hope! Mother nature will do a great job of keeping everyone watered for a while yet so I'll toss it in a container, leave it alone, and see what happens :)
     
  6. paxi

    paxi Active Member

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    I have a special section of the garden that I have labeled the Maple Intensive Care Unit (MICU). It is not really in plain sight but an area tucked away in the back where I take little trees like this, those damaged by animals, etc. I stick 'em in the ground and just see what happens. Kind of a sad little sight - looks more like a grave yard. If any are strong enough to make it back from the brink they will be released back into the wild :) Frankly none have made it out yet, but I have high hopes for a waterfall that seemed chomped to just above the graft site.
     
  7. niroha

    niroha Member

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    Well here's an update. I'm pretty sure I was wrong with my initial assessment. I thought the break was above the graft but the leaves that have come through don't look anything like a Murasaki Kiyohime. I'm assuming this is a more common variety of red maple that will eventually get huge, right?
     

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  8. Poetry to Burn

    Poetry to Burn Active Member

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    Niroha,

    Several years back, during a cold Spring, I had a vicious squirrel attack on my trees. They gnawed off several 3-4 year olds just above the graft. It was traumatizing experience (for both the squirrels and me). However every one of them recovered growing into large healthy plants. They do have odd looking trunks but the graft survived.

    As far as deciding if the grafted part has survived ....... when the plant first sprouts from the broken stem the initial growth may be bizarre and seem completely unrelated to the cultivar. Over a few seasons (if the graft actually survived) the traits of the cultivar will begin to surface.
     
  9. FreeFlight

    FreeFlight Member

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    That looks to me like it is the root stock pushing out from a previously dormant bud. Do you see any growth directly on the small grafted section? Keep an eye out for any bud or leaf formation directly on the grafted section. If the graft is dead and only rootstock growth remains only time will tell how large it grows unless you intentionally stunt it.
     
  10. jacquot

    jacquot Active Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    I got a first year Oregon Fern this spring that was eaten/broken by something--into the wood way back of the buds--in my back yard. I kept it and watered faithfully, and it came back above the graft, thank goodness. It is looking quite good, in fact. I realize this may be for future reference...
     

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