hi! this is my first time and i'm so excited! i'm new to the world of gardening and to computors. i'm looking forward to talking to other gardeners too. my first question is that i have a maple tree called "autumn blaze". i was'nt sure where to put it because i was worried about how agressive the root system is before i planted it in my front yard. in that small space between the street and the sidewalk. well because i could'nt find any help about the roots only the tree itself it was left in the pot it was purchased in. Because of the cold weather and it was dormant i placed it pot and all in a tire and coverd pot and tire in mulch.thinking i would get to it soon.well,that was a year ago. my tree has now grown through the pot and into the ground!it's about 2-21/2 ins around and 10-12 feet tall. it seems very healthy and happy but its next to the house. can i move it or will i kill it?thanks fle.now if i can just find that send button!
The best time to move it is during the dormant season, but not if the ground is frozen. When you replant dig plenty of mulch into the soil to get it off to a good start. Autumn Blaze is not a cultivar I am familiar with, though as far as I am aware JM roots aren't too agressive. regards Hayzee
Autumn Blaze is a cultivar of A. x freemanii, which is A. saccharinum x A. rubrum. Hayzee, this is a maple forum, not just for Japanese maples! :) That said your advice is good, I think, with the exception that saccharinum is famed for its invasive roots, so freemanii will likely be more aggressive than any palmatum, and of course with generally much faster development too. Still it is widely used as a street tree so it should be OK in the proposed position, the main problem being that it might get much too big too quickly. It should be possible to move it successfully by cutting all the pot and tire away and trying to keep much of the root system (or at least enough with fine hairs) intact. Now is a good time so long as the ground isn't frozen. This maple is as tough as old boots. -E
Thanks everyone for the tree information. the ground isn't frozen at this date. and it looks like i'll have to look up alot of big words! -F
