Japanese maple raft project

[Zaratrusta]

This one got moved back into a pot today. Clearly digging the Akadama!
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The new grafts are strong enough to get wired…
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It still needs some clean up that should have been done last fall, but I can get to that in a bit.
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Do you intend in the future to make one of the trunks (left one or middle) a bit taller? I feel a little of height difference between the trunk would look good.
Amazing job btw !

 

[Pitoon]

This one got moved back into a pot today. Clearly digging the Akadama!
View attachment 423190View attachment 423191View attachment 423192View attachment 423193
The new grafts are strong enough to get wired…
View attachment 423194View attachment 423195View attachment 423196

It still needs some clean up that should have been done last fall, but I can get to that in a bit.
View attachment 423197

Fantastic tree!

 

[Dav4]

Looks lik it’s starting to move?

Not yet, but things are beginning to warm up and it’s only a matter of time… knocking out the maples in the cold room while they’re still dormant.

 

[Dav4]

Do you intend in the future to make one of the trunks (left one or middle) a bit taller? I feel a little of height difference between the trunk would look good.
Amazing job btw !

The middle trunk will eventually be the larger more dominant trunk but will take a few more years to pull off.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

It’s coming right along!

 

[cmeg1]

I like this….very interesting.

 

[Dav4]

 

[namnhi]

 

[August44]

View attachment 430424

What is that?

 

[Dav4]

What is that?

It’s a seahorse masquerading as a Japanese maple raft!

 

[August44]

VERY COOL SEAHORSE!

 

[Adair M]

View attachment 430422

I see you have a deer fence. Do they enjoy jumping over it?

 

[Dav4]

I see you have a deer fence. Do they enjoy jumping over it?

As of right now, there have been zero fence line incursions!

 

[TreeJunkie]

I might have missed it but are the thread grafts from the same plant?

 

[Dav4]

I might have missed it but are the thread grafts from the same plant?

Almost all the main and secondary trunks were created with either approach or thread grafts… plenty of pictures here in this thread

 

[Dav4]

In a few weeks, I’m planning on removing the sacrifice branches growing from two of the two year grafts. It’s a bit annoying to have this one in a nice pot again but looking so out of shape for this time of year but I can hold out a few more weeks

 

[namnhi]

You know where my heart is for this seahorse. Lovely!

 

[Dav4]

 

[Dav4]

Some photos covering the fall foliage development over a few weeks. The last photo with the best color from this morning… I started filling it out a day or so ago.

 

[penumbra]

Stunning.
I have never done a raft.