Wulfskaar's Liquidambars (Sweetgum) from seeds

[Orion_metalhead]

Have you ever tried cuttings? Are they possible?

 

[Wulfskaar]

Have you ever tried cuttings? Are they possible?

No, I haven't. I've had very bad luck with all the cuttings I've ever done, with the exception of JBP seedlings. I have so many sweet gum seedlings popping up in my yard every year that I just don't need to try cuttings.

 

[Grunge_Bonsai]

Here in middle GA, we have more sweetgum than we know what to do with as well. I just wired one that volunteered in the back garden bed where it grew this year. I may try to transplant it (though legginess for this one may prevent me from fooling with it further).

Next year, I’m gonna try your gumball thumping technique and see if I can trick one into rooting.

 

[Wulfskaar]

The color change has been pretty interesting this year.

 

[Wulfskaar]

The color change this year has been quite beautiful.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Leaves are coming in again! I also sprinkled a bunch more seeds and a few have sprouted.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Last year, I trimmed the tops in June. They did fine, but I didn't get much of a result. Might do that again, but earlier this year. I am not interested in these trunks getting fat. I'd like to keep them relatively small for this forest.

Also, it's hard to see in this pic, but there are a few seedlings that have sprouted in the back of the box. I've got a couple more growing solo in their own pots right now that will be added to the forest in a year or two.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Can I prune it down and bit now?

Last year I waited until June and it didn't grow much after that.

Currently, the tips are still growing.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Mid-summer pic. I pruned it about 6 weeks back. I think I over-fertilized, because the newer leaves got weird and curled up. Newer growth is starting to come in now.

I have a few more growing individually that I plan to add to this forest maybe next year.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Around late June or so, some of the new growth came in stunted and weird. This happened on this planting as well as 4 others I have separately. The stunted leaves are still green but have not grown further.

Anyone know what this could be?

 

[Wulfskaar]

Any ideas on what might cause the new leaves to look like that (see above)?

 

[Wulfskaar]

Silent Disco update:

The stunted, weird leaves are still there. Still no idea what caused that.

The leaves are just beginning to turn I think. Hoping the stunted leaves don't mess up the colors. The mother tree has a few spots with orange leaves.

I might repot into the same box in spring, but will add a few more trees to the composition to fill it out a bit more.

 

[Wulfskaar]

A bit more color starting to come in.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Silent Disco update:

The stunted, weird leaves are still there. Still no idea what caused that.

The leaves are just beginning to turn I think. Hoping the stunted leaves don't mess up the colors. The mother tree has a few spots with orange leaves.

I might repot into the same box in spring, but will add a few more trees to the composition to fill it out a bit more.

View attachment 615915

There is a leaf blight that we get on our native Ashes and on some Oaks. If I spray fungicide, Copper or Daconil while dormant and in earliest growth with buds just moving and as growth proceeds it does a pretty good job of hindering this problem. Waiting until the leaves come out allows it to do it's disagreeable thing so nip it in the bud is the best motto. ,

 

[Wulfskaar]

There is a leaf blight that we get on our native Ashes and on some Oaks. If I spray fungicide, Copper or Daconil while dormant and in earliest growth with buds just moving and as growth proceeds it does a pretty good job of hindering this problem. Waiting until the leaves come out allows it to do it's disagreeable thing so nip it in the bud is the best motto. ,

Thanks! I was wondering what that was. The leaves in spring were healthy and great. The leaves coming out in summer were malformed and small and never looked right.

 

[BaKiBonsai]

Cool stuff. I recently collected some seeds in my way home. Planning to die some before winter and some with artificial stratification. Looking forward to sprouting in spring.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Fall colors this year have not been nearly as good as the last 2 years. The leaves were diseased and weird this year.