Arakawa Japanese Maple

[MACH5]

I do wonder the impact of shade on fall coloring.

Here is an example of the impact of light exposure on the same tree.

2011. Grown under lots of sun exposure.






2017. Grown under bright shade.

 

[MACH5]

Sry but I didn't mean to hijack this thread it is way to beautiful a tree. I still a newbie. Only 2 years leaf burn an fungal issues is probably alot to do with me. But again I don't won't to take anything away from Sergio and his tree

No worries I don't mind at all!

 

[ConorDash]

Connor you should be able to get them to not scorch if conditions are right. It can be challenging at times but very possible.

If it makes you feel better, my maple#5 (grafted second trunk) completely scorched on me this year. About 75% of all its leaves fell off as early as August and went into dormancy. So no autumn color for you! (that's a Seinfeld joke!) The tree otherwise is good and healthy.

Good luck with your Beni Maiko. They are beautiful!

Does it make me a bad person if that does make me feel better? . Wow that’s early dormancy.

Do you know why it did it not flush again if it was as early as August? I thought only the cold hours accumulating would cause the dormancy trigger?

Thank you

 

[AndyJ]

Staggering images Mach! Absolutely fantastic! The difference between the yellow fall colour and the red is amazing!

You have developed a stunning tree and the image is something that I aspire to reach with my own Arakawa. But I am a realist and if mine gets a quarter as good I’ll be happy!

Thanks again for sharing,

Andy

 

[MACH5]

Does it make me a bad person if that does make me feel better? .

Yes it does! But that's another post altogether. You know what they say. Misery loves company!

Do you know why it did it not flush again if it was as early as August? I thought only the cold hours accumulating would cause the dormancy trigger?

That's because it's a very smart tree! Seriously, I feared that it would start to bud again and possibly get a lot of that new growth killed with the coming freezes. But most tips just stayed still and dormant. Yes!!!

 

[ConorDash]

Yes it does! But that's another post altogether. You know what they say. Misery loves company!



That's because it's a very smart tree! Seriously, I feared that it would start to bud again and possibly get a lot of that new growth killed with the coming freezes. But most tips just stayed still and dormant. Yes!!!

Sweet. That is a smart tree..

Have to just make sure next time you defoliate it, it doesn’t go in to dormancy instead!! Lol.

Gorgeous tree. That last pic, grown under shade, possibly one of the most gorgeous colour I’ve seen in a maple.. always the healthy green or vibrant red is shown off, that orange/yellow is outstanding.

 

[LanceMac10]

AUG 2, '15-SEPT 1, '15




I have to figure if the tree sheds leaves late-season, it will lay quite 'till dormancy. Defoliate manually 'cuz your on vacation? Just take a blink until you've got a full head of "spinach"


Don't do what I do, but grow a strong tree and see "what she'll do"....

 

[rockm]

Does it make me a bad person if that does make me feel better? . Wow that’s early dormancy.

Do you know why it did it not flush again if it was as early as August? I thought only the cold hours accumulating would cause the dormancy trigger?

Thank you

Inducing dormancy is not controlled by temperature (but temp does influence leaf color--frost is key). Entering dormancy is driven by shortening daylength primarily. Begins at the summer solstice when the days start getting shorter. Soil temperature does drive awakening from dormancy in the spring--after the tree achieves its "chilling temp" goals, which are species dependent.

 

[rockm]

AUG 2, '15-SEPT 1, '15

View attachment 269113 View attachment 269114


I have to figure if the tree sheds leaves late-season, it will lay quite 'till dormancy. Defoliate manually 'cuz your on vacation? Just take a blink until you've got a full head of "spinach"


Don't do what I do, but grow a strong tree and see "what she'll do"....

Cutting late leaves off of a tree in the fall is asking for new growth. Let them be, the leaves will come off on their own.

 

[LanceMac10]

Cutting late leaves off of a tree in the fall is asking for new growth. Let them be, the leaves will come off on their own.

no mention of "fall" from me.....

 

[ConorDash]

Inducing dormancy is not controlled by temperature (but temp does influence leaf color--frost is key). Entering dormancy is driven by shortening daylength primarily. Begins at the summer solstice when the days start getting shorter. Soil temperature does drive awakening from dormancy in the spring--after the tree achieves its "chilling temp" goals, which are species dependent.

Ah ok I thought it was temps of below 10c for roughly 1000 hours in total. Once that’s achieved then it enters dormancy (as a rough estimate, species dependant of course).

Then the opposite for coming out.

 

[rockm]

Ah ok I thought it was temps of below 10c for roughly 1000 hours in total. Once that’s achieved then it enters dormancy (as a rough estimate, species dependant of course).

Then the opposite for coming out.

Nope.
You're confusing dormancy requirements with the process of entering dormancy. The total chilling hours you mentioned are what the tree has to be exposed to over the winter to complete dormancy.

From Brent Walston's excellent site:
"Cold Hardiness
Cold hardiness acquisition is also a necessary part of dormancy in temperate climates. Plants begin entering dormancy by setting buds in mid to late summer. Stem tissues begin increasing levels of sugars and carbohydrates in response to lowering temperatures in the fall. By the time freezing temperatures arrive, they have developed enough natural antifreeze to survive freezes. Different species develop different degrees of cold hardiness according to their natural environment. The degree of cold hardiness they can acquire is genetically determined. Roots do not develop cold hardiness in the same fashion and must be protected to a greater extent than top growth in container plants.
Breaking Dormancy
In order for these species to break dormancy and begin growing again they must acquire the requisite number of hours of cold temperatures. For most of these species it is 1000 hours of temperatures below 40F. Once this requirement has been satisfied the plant may begin growing again immediately. The new growth is triggered by temperature alone. If temperatures rise much above 40F for any extended period of time, say a week or so, the buds will break and the plant will begin growing. This can happen outside in January if there is a freak warm spell, or it can be artificially manipulated if plants are brought indoors. A return to cold weather will of course kill the new growth and buds."

Dormancy and Indoor Bonsai

 

[TyroTinker]

From Brent Walston's excellent site:
"Cold Hardiness
Cold hardiness acquisition is also a necessary part of dormancy in temperate climates. Plants begin entering dormancy by setting buds in mid to late summer. Stem tissues begin increasing levels of sugars and carbohydrates in response to lowering temperatures in the fall. By the time freezing temperatures arrive, they have developed enough natural antifreeze to survive freezes. Different species develop different degrees of cold hardiness according to their natural environment. The degree of cold hardiness they can acquire is genetically determined. Roots do not develop cold hardiness in the same fashion and must be protected to a greater extent than top growth in container plants.

Dormancy and Indoor Bonsai

Inducing dormancy is not controlled by temperature (but temp does influence leaf color--frost is key). Entering dormancy is driven by shortening daylength primarily. Begins at the summer solstice when the days start getting shorter. Soil temperature does drive awakening from dormancy in the spring--after the tree achieves its "chilling temp" goals, which are species dependent.

I’m a little confused. Can you clarify the parts in bold? I’m a little sleep deprived this week, so I’m sorry if it’s obvious but the two seem to conflict.

@MACH5 your maple is amazing and I love this thread. I just pulled the trigger on buying some fresh seeds from an Arakawa maple. Been wanting to experiment with maple seeds and maybe I’ll get lucky and seem some nice bark attributes some day. Probably I’ll realize that I need better starting material by then lol.
I know it’s been over 6 years now but do you have pictures of the parent maple before you did the airlayers? It would be interesting to see how you chose where you wanted to layer on this.

 

[rockm]

I’m a little confused. Can you clarify the parts in bold? I’m a little sleep deprived this week, so I’m sorry if it’s obvious but the two seem to conflict.

@MACH5 your maple is amazing and I love this thread. I just pulled the trigger on buying some fresh seeds from an Arakawa maple. Been wanting to experiment with maple seeds and maybe I’ll get lucky and seem some nice bark attributes some day. Probably I’ll realize that I need better starting material by then lol.
I know it’s been over 6 years now but do you have pictures of the parent maple before you did the airlayers? It would be interesting to see how you chose where you wanted to layer on this.

I’m a little confused. Can you clarify the parts in bold? I’m a little sleep deprived this week, so I’m sorry if it’s obvious but the two seem to conflict.

@MACH5 your maple is amazing and I love this thread. I just pulled the trigger on buying some fresh seeds from an Arakawa maple. Been wanting to experiment with maple seeds and maybe I’ll get lucky and seem some nice bark attributes some day. Probably I’ll realize that I need better starting material by then lol.
I know it’s been over 6 years now but do you have pictures of the parent maple before you did the airlayers? It would be interesting to see how you chose where you wanted to layer on this.

Temperature is part of the process, but not the primary driver, as it is an unstable environmental factor and can change year to year...

Why Leaves Fall from Trees in Autumn - The National Wildlife Federation Blog

French author Albert Camus tells us, “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” And what opulent bouquets the leaves of autumn do create—whole mountainsides of dazzling … Read more

blog.nwf.org

Why Do Plants Go Dormant in the Winter? - Dyck Arboretum

Winter is coming. Trees, shrubs and other plants have gone dormant, allowing them to survive the cold weather. Why is this so important for plant survival?

dyckarboretum.org

 

[TyroTinker]

Thank you for clarifying. I’ll check out those links soon too

 

[BackyardBonsai]

Inducing dormancy is not controlled by temperature (but temp does influence leaf color--frost is key). Entering dormancy is driven by shortening daylength primarily.

Are you saying if I want a tree to stay dormant at the late of say September, all I have to do is cover it with a dark color cloth? I live in the hot zone I do want the tree to spend the energy pushing out a late summer flush that only a few leaves here and there. Can I force it to stay dormant until Spring by cover them or put them in a dark area a few more minutes each day?

 

[rockm]

Are you saying if I want a tree to stay dormant at the late of say September, all I have to do is cover it with a dark color cloth? I live in the hot zone I do want the tree to spend the energy pushing out a late summer flush that only a few leaves here and there. Can I force it to stay dormant until Spring by cover them or put them in a dark area a few more minutes each day?

you can prolong dormancy by burying the pots up to the trunk of the tree under mulch. The pile of mulch acts as a heat or cold "sink" depending on the weather. coming out of winter, it will retain more cold than air temperatures. It's not going to give you much more time, though, probably a week or so, if air temps spike and stay that way.

 

[BackyardBonsai]

you can prolong dormancy by burying the pots up to the trunk of the tree under mulch. The pile of mulch acts as a heat or cold "sink" depending on the weather. coming out of winter, it will retain more cold than air temperatures. It's not going to give you much more time, though, probably a week or so, if air temps spike and stay that way.

What if I want to initiate an early dormancy? You stated the dormancy is triggered by day light and not by temperature.

 

[LanceMac10]

@MACH5 did I read here that you enjoy more of a distant, far view image? The third smaller tree definitely gives such a view, but I wonder if it somehow leads the eyes back, not continuing up thru the two larger trunks?

Killer tree, no doubt, just my usual nit-pick.....

 

[MACH5]

@MACH5 did I read here that you enjoy more of a distant, far view image? The third smaller tree definitely gives such a view, but I wonder if it somehow leads the eyes back, not continuing up thru the two larger trunks?

Killer tree, no doubt, just my usual nit-pick.....
View attachment 269377

Yes Lance I prefer distant views. The small tree moves towards the back slightly but the last segment of the trunk will face forward. It will mimic the movement of the larger trunks. So all will move in unison. Still in progress.