Autumn moon japanese maple

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Hello all. So I have a question about this Autumn moon maple I picked up for $65 dollars (great covid-19 price) at a nursery. It's just under 4feet (121cm) from trunk to tip in a 5 gallon bucket. It was too good of a price to pass up. My friend gave me an 18x13x5 inch pot for free.

So my question is, is it to late to trim the roots good 6in (15cm) to transfer to training pot? Or should i leave it in the nursery pot for rest of the year till early spring 2021? It's a beautiful tree i don't want to kill it by potting it to late already June 16th here or by maybe leaving it in the nursery pot rest of the year. I have attached some photos to get a better view of it. I do live in North Eastern USA but not really far north. Most summers are 80-100 with humidity and we don't usually get frost till late December.

Thanks everyone.

 

[JudyB]

Unless you have a way to keep the roots from freezing in the winter, I would say that it's too late in the season to do this amount of root work. You should put your location in your profile so it will show up under your name.

 

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Done, thank you. I do have a shed and a garage it could be stored in if need be.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

The ideal time period has passed. Once the tree has leaves it is too late to repot. I would wait until next year, late winter, or early spring to do the repot.

 

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Thanks you two so much for the help. I will wait till winter/spring and pot then. I have one more quick question for either of you. Come winter should I dig a hole and put pot and all into the ground, cover with some mulch?

 

[JudyB]

That is one way people protect in winter, sounds like it would work fine in your area. Be careful about mounding too much mulch around the trunk, rodents like to chew bark in winter, and mulch is so cozy for them.

 

[JoeR]

because of the graft, if you intend to use this as bonsai I would actually air layer above the graft unless your winters are cold and it needs the rootstock. Beautiful tree

 

[Hack Yeah!]

because of the graft, if you intend to use this as bonsai I would actually air layer above the graft unless your winters are cold and it needs the rootstock. Beautiful tree

Do these readily layer?

 

[JoeR]

Do these readily layer?

I'm not sure, never had a full moon. Standard Japanese maples do, so I imagine so, but you would have to look around bnut or Google to find out.

 

[sorce]

$65 dollars (great covid-19 price

Welcome to Crazy!

Do you know where it was grown? Sometimes it's on the tag. I ask because it's possible this was shipped from somewhere that couldn't sell it for any price, and just because it was a good buy for the
Nursery, doesn't mean it was "a good buy for you".

As far as their responsibility for winter care is concerned. And of course, that is for a tree you are supposed to plant.

You might have to go "double safe", whatever that is, or at least approach it with realistic expectations. Which for me, simply means keeping a keen eye open for more!

I thought maybe layer it too, but that base doesn't look bad, either does the graft, but the guy who knows if they do layer, will probly also know how the grafts look in 50 years. So I'd wait for that opinion.

Some grafts get too bad to bother with. In that case I'd layer.

Either way.... unless you can "make the shed or garage climate controlled", I reckon you shouldn't use them.

Sorce

 

[Paradox]

I tried to air layer an Autumn moon which is a real close cultivar to Full Moon. It didnt work out, it wouldnt make new roots.
Yes I used rooting hormone and yes the gap was deep and wide enough (it didnt bridge).
So Im not sure how readily these air layer.