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Author Topic: Japanese Maples  (Read 5822 times)

Offline BlueBee

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Japanese Maples
« on: October 06, 2013, 05:00:46 pm »
How difficult is it to grow Acer Palmatum from seed?  I’ve got some seed and am tempted to give it a try.  I’ve tried cloning them before (cuttings), but I haven’t tried growing from seed.  Any tips?

Offline MrILoveTheAnts

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Re: Japanese Maples
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2013, 08:14:51 pm »
I can't imagine it being that hard. Our tree in the front yard seems to always produce new saplings in the garden and areas we don't mow.

Offline BlueBee

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Re: Japanese Maples
« Reply #2 on: October 07, 2013, 02:26:22 am »
That’s encouraging to hear, because they’re a little hard to get rooted as cuttings.  I’ve never seen a seedling here because we’re really boarder line for Japanese maples here.  Bloodgoods do survive here and some of the other cultivars (and species) IF they have a chance to get established.  My guess is any late season seedlings are too tender to survive the cold, but I don’t know. 

I figured I might try to get them to germinate inside in the early spring and xfer outside to get a full season in the ground before next winter.  Don’t know off hand if the Acer Palm seeds need a particular stratification schedule or not.

Offline GSF

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Re: Japanese Maples
« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2013, 09:49:52 pm »
I don't have any Japanese Maples but the maples I do have produce a lot of seedlings as well.
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Offline Vance G

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Re: Japanese Maples
« Reply #4 on: February 02, 2014, 04:22:18 pm »
I didn't know Michigan was warm enough to grow zone 5 Jap maples?  There is one I am testing that is supposed to grow here in 3/4 but I think buying it is a donation to the botanical garden I am buying it from.  They grow one but it is completely under snow for most of the winter.

Offline BlueBee

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Re: Japanese Maples
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2014, 08:34:11 pm »
I’m in Zone 5 in MI.  Actually the west coast of MI is up to Zone 6…until the Lake Michigan freezes over!  Michigan doesn’t go down to Zone 4 until you get up near Danno.  The lakes and the near constant cloud cover keeps us a little warmer at night than we should be.

The bloodgoods actually go pretty well in MI, but most other cultivars get a descent amount of deadwood each winter.  My soil PH is near 7 whereas the A Palmatum seem to grow faster in more acid soil.

Vance you might want to try wintering your J Maple in a shed/barn.  I actually have some Crape Myrtles (like Zone 7!) in containers from down south that I grow outside each summer and simply wheel into an unheated barn in the winter.  So far they’ve survived.  The one thing I really miss from down south...those beautiful summer crape myrtles. 

Offline Vance G

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Re: Japanese Maples
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2014, 10:01:45 pm »
I hear what you are saying about wintering it indoors.  This one is growing successfully in the ground 2000 feet higher within a hundred miles of me.  The wildcard is that area has constant snowcover and it tends to freeze and thaw here in the winter.  If my garage wasn't so overloaded it would be a better option.