Tips on Ryuzu?

Discussion in 'Maples' started by kaydye, Aug 31, 2015.

  1. kaydye

    kaydye Active Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    I was wondering if anyone is growing A. palmatum 'Ryuzu' successfully? I have had it for several years and just can't seem to get it to thrive. I had it in the ground at first and it seemed to be unhappy with the soil, like it was staying too wet. I had leaf drop, etc. and thought I was going to lose it. So, I took it out of the ground and have been keeping it in a clay pot in a lighter soil mix. The leaf drop stopped, a little new growth came out, but after a couple years in a pot, it still isn't making any new growth, just sitting there. It doesn't look bad, the leaves look okay. I just wish it would do something, either die or grow. Are there any suggestions on growing it, like likes/dislikes, etc? I just realized I should take a picture and post it. It's dark out right now, but will post one later.
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2015
  2. patdero1

    patdero1 Active Member Maple Society

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    Growing in containers will slow down growth. Put it back in the ground in a nice raised bed.
    Pat
     
  3. Cjart

    Cjart Well-Known Member

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    Hi Kaydye,

    I thought I would post a picture of my 2 year in the ground Ryuzu. It started really small from a 4 inch pot. It leafed out very early this spring and got frost bitten (at least I thought that was its problem). It has leafed out some more, but I can't say that I think it is thriving. I am considering moving it this fall. It has been in sun, but with lots of taller plantings around it to kind of give it shade as you can see in the photo. As it is, it just gets lost. So I wouldn't say it is a big success but it is surviving.
     

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  4. kaydye

    kaydye Active Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    I put it in a container only because is looked like it didn't like where it was planted and was losing leaves with some branches dying back. I am wanting to put it back into the ground, but as far as the site, I have to figure out the best place. Are you saying a raised bed because it likes to be on the dry side, or just in general? It has done better in the pot (stopped dropping leaves) for now, but next spring I think I will try to find a good place for it.
     
  5. kaydye

    kaydye Active Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    Wow, I would say that is a lot of growth in two years. It looks good. How challenging is it growing Japanese maples in Boise? I have read in other research that it is really slow growing. Now I'm thinking I just need to be more patient.
     
  6. TheScarletPrince

    TheScarletPrince Member

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    Has your tree's roots overgrown the pot you put it in? Perhaps it needs more room.
    If you don't want to bonsai it you might want to keep repotting into a bigger pot otherwise it will become stunted.
     
  7. kaydye

    kaydye Active Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    I'll probably put it in the ground next spring. It hasn't been in the pot its entire life, just the last two years.
     
  8. Cjart

    Cjart Well-Known Member

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    Thanks, glad that someone thinks it is doing well. I haven't had much experience with growing a dwarf with such short internodes (I think that is what I mean). I have tried to get maples that the info available says "vigorous", but couldn't resist this little guy--it looked like a miniature at the time and from what I have read it is supposed to be very hardy.

    Growing maples in Boise is certainly doable although when I went to a Master Gardener booth at a local garden expo, and asked for information about JMs the people there at the time said Boise was too hot and dry in the summer for growing them. I see them all over town, but they are usually the Bloodgood ones or the weeping dissectums. I have to assume that the key is giving them the right spot for the variety. I have lost several: a Beni Schichenge (I have another that is having problems), a Sango Kaku and a Mirte, Mister Sun, and an Orange Dream. The Mirte was the hardest to lose, and I replaced it with one in the same area--which may not have been wise. I think I have around 30 maples in all, at least half are quite small and were planted as 4 in pot size. I transplant the little ones when I think they are not thriving to another spot and because they are smaller it seems to go okay. The larger 1 gal. or 3 gal.I also move but that is more work and so far it has been educational about what conditions I have to offer. There is also the consideration about how long it takes for the plants to really establish themselves in a particular location.
     
  9. kaydye

    kaydye Active Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    I find it really interesting to hear where people are trying to grow them. Growing in Central Illinois there are challenges due to extreme temps in the winter. So, it's mostly hot dry summers? I thought you got pretty extreme winters, too? You have lost some of the same as I have. Some I have lost multiple times. I really admire the strength of most of them. We moved recently and I brought all that I could in a 14' UHaul, and had more root damage on some than I wanted (probably too large to take with me). They went from a loose, easily draining soil to a heavy clay. On top of that, this spring we had the second wettest June in history. They are mostly thriving. In fact, the only one I lost a part of was Mr. Sun, but it seems to be okay and doesn't look too bad. I assume you mostly mail order?
     
  10. Cjart

    Cjart Well-Known Member

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    Yes we do have some bad winter weather here. Last winter we had an early prolonged freeze in November after having a very prolonged warm fall, which is probably what caused most of my losses. The zone here is 6a, so it wouldn't have as severe winter cold as you have in the Midwest I guess. One reason I don't really grow in pots is that it does get cold and I have no place to overwinter them. Also all the variables with what kind of soil mix is confusing to me. I think I can't mess up the local soil as badly as I might in a pot, and I do add some compost and soil amendment to the planting hole and do plant on a little hill so that excess water will drain better.

    I certainly agree with your statement about the strength and durability of JMs in general. The more I grow them, the more I see it. Also I found one of Roebuck's statements on Sept 4th on the "Shutting Down" thread really interesting and am wondering if this is what I am seeing.

    Roebuck said
    "One thing that i have found over the years with the maples is it doesn't seem to matter to a large extent what you grow them in or how you tend to look after them after planting/potting ie what you feed them spray them with etc etc,in my opinion it's all down to the positioning and light/shade that they need, give them this and they will be happy."

    I am finding that I don't have morning sun, afternoon shade for very many trees. Some of the ones that you would think would not like afternoon sun seem to be doing okay. We have a huge Silver Maple (didn't plant it) and a large Norway Maple which give shade to a lot of our yard. This whole situation is why I am moving maples around when I think they are kind of just sitting there and not thriving.

    I live a block away from a local nursery that has been there since 1930 or something. They are responsible for my addiction/interest in the JMs for the most part. I have purchase almost all my trees from them. They get most of them from Buchholz in Oregon, and the variety seems to be really broad from what I have seen elsewhere. In the spring they get quite a few small trees and I have really enjoyed researching and finding out about the ones I have never heard of. Here is photo of one of their boxes as they unpacked. I think I got "Ruby Ridge" from this batch. I really should not be around when they get these! Sorry about the hand in the upper part of the picture!
     

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  11. kaydye

    kaydye Active Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    What a great picture. Shows all the diversity. I had Ruby Ridge, loved it, but it didn't come back after the bad winter we had in 2013. I should try another one. Well, I did put my Ryuzu in the ground in an area that will dry quickly, but be close to the hose, just in case. I also put my shishigashira, which I had also put into a pot since it died back severely in 2013. Since, though, it has put out amazing growth so I'll try it in the ground again. I maybe should have waited until spring, like I said I was going to, but we'll see.
     
  12. kaydye

    kaydye Active Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    Well, I decided to take a chance and put Ryuzu back into the ground. I had a "nice raised" area and I thought it would get just enough sun and not be too wet, but it was near the hose, if needed. Perfect spot. The only concern I had was that it was pretty late in the season. Here in Illinois I usually only put maples in the ground in spring to have a full season to root in well. Ryuzu was looking good, I planted bulbs around it, figured I would take the chance in fall. I also put a small shishigashira not too far from it. As you can see from the pictures, I either got really lucky or unlucky, depending on your point of view. I dug Ryuzu out and it will have to wait until spring to go back in the ground. 1-20151106_081306.jpg 1-20151106_081344.jpg
     

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