Five Year Native Tree Challenge: Gabler's Freeman's Maple

[Gabler]

Interesting. I think I would have removed some of the lower branches at this point, but I guess it depends on what the final plan is. I do like the chop you just made.

I probably will remove some lower branches, but for now, it's my understanding that they'll help promote good taper, so they stay. I can't un-chop them, but I can always chop them later. It'll take longer for wounds to heal, sure, but generally, these maples heal fast and smooth. A finger-thick branch pruning scar will heal over with just a year of unrestricted growth above it. At least that's been the case in my limited experience.

 

[Gabler]

The tree recovered well over the course of the last year, and the buds are swelling about two weeks earlier than last year, so it was time for some root work. Here’s the tree repotted.



That long leader was just a bud last spring—all that growth in spite of the fact I had crammed the tree into a little bonsai pot much too soon after collection in 2021. I went ahead and pruned back the lower branches, but that leader needs much more time to thicken. This may not be the right tree for a five-year challenge, but we’ll see how it does. I have a dozen other five-year threads going, regardless.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Looking good!

 

[Gabler]

Last year, the leaves looked more like a silver maple. This year, they’re looking more like a red maple.

 

[Gabler]

I got some nice flowers this spring.

 

[Gabler]

I thinned out the leaves on the lower trunk to allow light in. The sacrificial apex will hopefully pick up the pace a bit when the weather finally gets hot and sunny.

 

[King Yodeler]

Today, I collected a bunch of seedlings. Three I smushed together to make a triple-trunk maple. Hopefully, the trunks fuse correctly. Two I chopped back pretty hard and made some rough stick-in-a-pot shohin trees. One I chopped extremely hard to make a mame that's truly under ten centimeters. I'll see if they live. If not, I have several dozen more seedlings to play around with.

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Hi I saw your post about your maple project. I'm a big fan of the look of the Silver maples and Acer x freemanii hybrids myself. Is there a chance I could get one from you or even some seeds. I have some Silver maple projects in the works but i have no hybrids. It would be wonderful to have some in my collection. I am trying to make the majority of my trees natives.
cheers
Jody