Japanese maple forest in autumn color

[MACH5]

Hi,

Wanted to share a few pics of my Japanese maple forest. This piece has been with me since 1999. A few years ago it was planted in a very shallow tray-like pot. That proved to be a bad idea!! Eventually the forest began to decline in health. In the Spring of 2011, it was repotted in a deeper pot ( pictured below) in an effort to bring the trees back to health and in good growing conditions. Since doing so, they have grown considerably better and look much healthier now. Eventually I do plan to transplant the forest into a wider but slightly shallower container. Maybe even a rectangular one? Hopefully I'll find the right one. Thus far I have not found the right pot for it. And the search goes on!

Next Spring, I plan on doing some extensive wiring to reposition and create more movement in some of the trunks and branches. Thanks for looking!!

 

[Smoke]

Nice color and leaves. No burns, congratulations.

I like the bark on the main tree, really looking older.

 

[MACH5]

Thanks Smoke! Yes I do work hard to prevent leaf scorch precisely so that I may get good Autumn color. However despite all my attempts, I do have other maples that were looking great up until we got a hard freeze about a week ago and lots of their leaves got burned! Arrggg!!!!!

 

[Dan W.]

Beautiful color! Honestly I don't think the pot is bad either

 

[MACH5]

Thanks Dan! I think perhaps a sky blue or cream colored pot may be better? And sort of stuck with a rectangular shape now. IDK we'll see

 

[Dan W.]

I'm looking forward to it Have you thought about asking one of the potters to make a custom one for it?

 

[MACH5]

An idea that always escapes me but a good one indeed! Hopefully I can find one which I think it will end up be cheaper? If not I may have to resort to your suggestion and eventually order a custom one.

I also think this piece still has to earn it... not there yet

 

[jkd2572]

Are the pics showing up lack and purple or is it just me?

 

[mcpesq817]

Wow, fantastic color! Very nice, thanks for sharing.

 

[bonsai barry]

Beautiful tree and great photography = Nice presentation. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Thanks Dan! I think perhaps a sky blue or cream colored pot may be better? And sort of stuck with a rectangular shape now. IDK we'll see

Depends what season you want to focus on. The beauty of maples is they have such different personalities through the seasons. I'll be that pot color looks nice during the summer

I agree it is a little small, however. Personally I like the oval; I think a rectangle might get too formal for this group. The current trunk arrangement is oval...

 

[MACH5]

Depends what season you want to focus on. The beauty of maples is they have such different personalities through the seasons. I'll be that pot color looks nice during the summer

I agree it is a little small, however. Personally I like the oval; I think a rectangle might get too formal for this group. The current trunk arrangement is oval...

BNut I agree! The current arrangement is for an oval. However, eventually I do plan to add a few more little trees to the sides and back of the composition. With that said, I may well end up with another oval after all. We'll see.

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

I think it would look best in one of those earthy crescent-moon-shaped pots.

But seriously, is this new? I don't think I've ever seen this one. Very impressive group!

 

[MACH5]

I think it would look best in one of those earthy crescent-moon-shaped pots.

But seriously, is this new? I don't think I've ever seen this one. Very impressive group!

Thank you Alex! No, not new. I've had this group since '99. This is first time I am posting this one. The original composition had many more trees, but I edited a few as time passed and trees matured. Now I'm finding myself adding a few more small ones towards the back and sides. Next Spring I may place a couple more here and there. Still thinking about it.

Not sure about a crescent type container, but I can certainly see this on a nice slab Pairing containers to trees is surely an art onto itself!

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

Totally kidding about the pot. haha -- It would require planting the trees at angles that would make them cross each other and it was a funny image in my mind. lol ;-p

Yes, that's one thing I would suggest seriously -- adding more trees would give it a fuller look. I wonder if you only fertilized certain sections more heavily and less in other sections, if that would yield different rate of change into fall color. Just a thought.

 

[MACH5]

Totally kidding about the pot. haha -- It would require planting the trees at angles that would make them cross each other and it was a funny image in my mind. lol ;-p

Yes, that's one thing I would suggest seriously -- adding more trees would give it a fuller look. I wonder if you only fertilized certain sections more heavily and less in other sections, if that would yield different rate of change into fall color. Just a thought.

Not sure what that may do for color. I wonder if someone has experimented with this idea. I'd be curious.

What I find really interesting is that these trees all came from different sources and somehow they all decide to color up exactly the same at the same time. I would have guessed that coloring and timing would vary somewhat from tree to tree.

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

From what I've learned in my genetics class (puts glasses on) is that expression like that is from genetic inheritance, environmental influences, or both. For instance, hydrangeas change their flower color based on the acidity of the soil, while Satsuki azaleas' flower color seems to be solely based on their genes.

Now, that doesn't have much to do with leaf color, of course, but I suppose it's something to go on.

I guess what I'm getting at is that it autumn leaf color seems to be mostly based on the environment of the tree. Now, the colors it displays (which pigments die off first) is probably a genetic thing, but in this case we know they're all the same species.

So what is it that causes leaf color change? Is it only based on temperature and sun exposure, or does uptake of fertilizer have anything to do with it?

I'd like to experiment on this next year...seems fun. I need to take A LOT more cuttings, though. Can't wait until spring!

PS- Sorry for being so long-winded. lol

 

[MACH5]

Haha no worries Alex and thanks! Very interesting and hopefully someone who knows more can chime in? I am not sure if there is any conclusive study correlating fertilizer uptake to fall color.

I am definitely no expert, and much less so when it comes to biology! But I am very curious to know more about some of these questions. Do let us know what your experiment(s) yield. I'd really like to know!

 

[edprocoat]

Man its beautiful, I like the pot too. The color of the pot and the pattern on it looks like a forest floor, gives a sense of a natural scene. Great job.

ed

 

[Ron Dennis]

Beautiful color! Hope you will post more photos as you add the other trees and decide on a different pot.