NEED ADVICE PLEASE HELP Hello was wondering if someone could give me some advice on fixing some Japanese maples that were given to me by a friend who is teaching me how do graft and air layering. Some of the plants he gave me were 2 to 4 years old and he was going to trash them! They were root bound in pots growing into the ground, to move them he cut the roots on the outside of the pots. Not my idea!! one or two of them are now showing signs of shock, leaves are wilting.he gave them to me for future seed stock / root stock.he had been grafting on some of them with no luck.so he ended up neglecting them and they have grown all different directions i would like to save them all and turn them into more attractiveve plats. Was hoping someone could tell me how to save them and have them look somewhat descent in the yard. I don't want to waist such a great tree so please if you can HELP i will send you pictures if you would like me 2 these are my first JM and i am just now learning to graft and really want to learn about these trees. Thank you and GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY PS i also was hoping someone might know the typw of some of these buy the leafs the first picture is the one i want to fix most of all
Let me see if I understand. Your friend was grafting these just for practice grafting, he didn't really plan on growing them on? Is that why he was going to throw them away? Chopping off roots growing out of the pot shouldn't kill them, but they might suffer some shock. If they are pot bound, they will need to have the roots trimmed some before replanting, whether in a pot or the ground. This time of year is a good time to do that. Are you planning to keep them in pots or try to put them into the ground? My concern would be are you too far south, zone 8b, to successfully grow Japanese maples? They need a dormant cold period. I know they are grown in the south, I just don't remember how far south. So hopefully someone else in the south will answer that question. I hope this helps a little. Kay
