Hi, I purchased a japanese maple (Crimson Queen) 3 years ago which was damaged by frost. For the past two years I've noticed that it grows only from the bottom of the trunk, so I got impatient and cut off the main stump. Now it looks like a ground cover rather than a tree. Does anyone know if it will eventually start to climb up again even though I chopped off the middle stem.
yeah, you will have to stake a branch upright to gain more height. crimson queen is a dissectum and has a natural tendancy for the shhots to be of a pendulouse nature. chimera's right on.
Its going to look weird for a while but it will absolutely work and your patience will be rewarded. Keep moving that leader up the stake over time (years) until you eventually reach the desired height.
a lovely ceramic pot would give it height as well and would allow the branches to hang down rather than sit on the ground. of course that would require you lifting the "tree" out of the ground and replanting it into a great container that could become a real focal point. just a thought.
Sorry buddingardener, but my first view of your cultivar (even before read your post) caused me a funny thinking... My first impression when I saw the pic was that it seems like the poor tree was swallowed almost completely leaving only its "head" above ground; or someting hammered it! Even with your "surgery" the tree looks very healty. I suggest to train the leader that it already has (stake it) and start the process to shape it. It will take probably several years, but its possible. I suggest to read some books of bonsai culture and try some techniques borrowed from them that can be applied to japanese maples. Certainly it won't look pretty well at the beginning but at the end I think you will get the tree back in shape. I'm reading now a book tilted: "Bonsai with Japanese Maples" from Peter Adams, and even I'm not actually interested to get in the Bonsai area; it has good info that -I think- can be applied to prune and shape JMs safely. Actually I got several green Acer palmatums to practice some of these techniques. Other interesting book could be "Niwaki: Pruning the Japanese way" altough (it's not dedicated completely to JMs). Also, Katsura's idea looks promising.... Nelran
If it is prone to cold damage there a pot would make it more vulnerable. There is also the question of what will happen if it is staked to become taller again, will it just die back a second time? If you are in a climate or site that is somewhat unsuitable for this it may be that a low mound is what it needs to be to get by.
I confess I like the looks of this mop! ;) I'd be tempted to find a wall top and let it cascade over. Advantage of really good drainage that way too, normally. -E
