japanese maple

hi im new on here and hoping for some help on acer's

basically im looking for a small acer that i can grow in a pot in the front garden, i would like a Acer palmatum 'Sangokaku, which grows quite large, what i want to know is if i keep it in a pot will the tree stay small and will pruning help keep it small??

im totally new to gardening so please be gentle with me!!:D

cheers, chris

 

Evening, Chris and welcome to the site. Basically, if you grow a plant in a pot you automatically Bonsai it. I`ve had an Acer in a pot for about 9 years, with no problem. So go for it. keep it in a shady or semi shady area. Out of direct sun. In a sheltered, draught and wind free enviroment.

 

Hi Chris,

The acer that you want to grow will not grow as big in a pot and can be pruned to keep it in shape. It is rather like making a large bonsai. Plant it in a mixture of ericaceous compost and John Innes No3 to get the most out of it and feed each spring.

There are lots of great acers to try. Suggest you contact a specialist nursery such as Cwmrhaiadr Nursery
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Good luck!

Rydall

 

Most Japanese maples are ideal in pots
They can be root pruned every two or three years if you want them to keep to a known size and to avoid potting up into a larger pot. That also gives you a chance to revitalise the soil.
Make sure they are well drained. It is a very good idea to mix your potting compost with a good garden soil as suggested by Rydall. I normally never feed my maples, but in a pot (if you don't replace or renew the soil as i mention above) then it is probably good idea if not a necessity

 

thank you for the relies! with pruning do you just cut the tree into the wanted shape? also is it possible to grow the acer from a cutting?

 

I would prune as little as possible
These trees are inclined to develop into more interesting shapes on their own
If you do want to prune, do this in wintertime when you can see the branch shapes better. You can thin out 'cluttered' branches better at that time. You should also prune out any dead wood as it appears ... these little trees are prone to some 'die back' ... Sango Kaku more than most
Japanese maples will seldom grow from cuttings ... propagation is by grafting (for cultivars) or by seed. Seedlings seldom grow true to form, so are not used other than for rootstock by the nurseries. They can, however, prove to be (and to produce) some exciting new trees free of charge

 

so if i want to use my tree as a donor for a bonsai am i better to collect the seeds and grow them on rather than trying to grow a cutting??

cheers, chris

 

yes
or, better still, learn to graft

 

that sounds complicated!!

 

Grafting is not really brilliant for bonsai purposes unless you are proficient enough to be able to conceal the graft efficiently
Raising seedlings is your best idea
Sango Kaku might be slow at producing seeds however
I have a mature one for some 10 years and have yet to see any samaras
However, there are many Japanese maples ideal for bonsai purposes, and it is a great hobby to raise these plants from seed

 

i was in a garden center today and picked up a little acer altropurpureum its no more than 7 inches high! problem is what to do with it now!! do i bonsai it or grow it into a full tree????:dh:

 

:lollol::lollol::lollol:
That has been my problem for ever
I am growing seedlings as rootstock for grafting (I have never done it before, but hope to learn) and every one I get I like too much so I plant it out to grow into a tree
Ah well ... some day .........

 

We have four Acers in pots. One has been with us for 20 years, the next for14 years, both of which are varieties of the maroon colour. This year we purchased a small Green leafed variety and have also acquired another small one of unknown type which had been thrown out as dead, but which is covered in next years leaf buds. From our own hard experience we know that what Dave advised about keeping them out of the chilly wind is a must. The first year in our present home, One was placed in the open in exposed front garden, and the other in a protected arbour at the rear. We live in a place nick named "Winy Ridge", and it is. The one at the front lost most of it's leaves during the summer. They curled up and the edges went brown before almost all dropped off. The one at the rear garden flourished. Lesson learned and they have been successful since then. Some are currently on our patio and tomorrow, I intend to move them onto the paving inside our pergola, which is sheltered on two sides by a high fence and is covered in Wisteria and Grape Vine.

 

Yip .... I continue to find, to my cost, that windy conditions are NOT suitable