JAPANESE MAPLE AIR LAYER; with base support

[aframe]

Just another JM layer...so the girdling is not shown. Started 2nd week of May; severed 10/25/14. The mother tree was not very vigorous, but healthy enough to layer; so the layer took longer than 'normal'.

My trees suffer accidental damage from time to time (dogs, kid, me). So I came up with a base support to restrict movement at the root level. What is not shown here is the severed layers were secured at the base, above soil, via twine and secured to the pot as well.

Literature says if there's not enough root growth, add winter protection and sever in spring...so here is an example of adequate root growth for this size of layer. (just under 1" diameter)
anyone wanna take a stab at the cultivar?

 

[aframe]

creating the base support

Making 2 base supports for the 2 layers, securing with wire.

 

[Derek91]

Seems to be a long shot but I'll guess "kamagata" 2nd guess would be "sharps Pygmy".Do you know if it is a cultivar?

 

[aframe]

Seems to be a long shot but I'll guess "kamagata" 2nd guess would be "sharps Pygmy".Do you know if it is a cultivar?

The shape of the leaves made me think sharps, but the color is off. I really have no idea...bought the tree from a lady In a trailer park for $3.

 

[Derek91]

Dang,you stole that no matter what it is.
Its Impossible to tell but Its fun guessing. I figured I throw out a couple ideas.

 

[aframe]

Dang,you stole that no matter what it is.
Its Impossible to tell but Its fun guessing. I figured I throw out a couple ideas.

Yeah, I tried to pay the lady more - but she was grateful that I had been helping her out around her house and tried to give it to me; we finally settled on $3.00, funny story really. That's exactly it, fun to guess. She had other JM of interesting varieties that were quite old, which made me wonder if is was a specific cultivar - there's so many (and claims to so many) its impossible to tell. I should have asked more, but her English wasn't great and my Spanish was worse; apparently her late German husband had acquired it after they moved from Argentina...I didn't have the heart to make any further inquires.

 

[aframe]

So the fall color on this maple is a deep purple despite not feeding it with any significant amount of P or K. so I bet next fall as I switch the feeding ratio to higher P and K I'll get a good purple fall show. I doubt it will be spectacular like Mach's Sharps Pygmy...but should be pleasant. Problem is our fall here in SC, CA is typically warm...if the night temps would dip lower this year than fall color should improve.