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From: sandy@twg.com (Sandy Vrooman)
Subject: Re: Japanese Maple Info Needed
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1993 15:49:13 GMT

1. Japanese Maples do not breed true from seeds. This is one reason
maples are grafted. Seeds can be started indoors before the last frost
in flats. Outside after last frost. You need to protect seed &
seedlings from birds and insects. Keep the flats well watered and in
bright shade.

2. The prime directive of any young tree is to grow as tall as
possible.  Nursery stock usually is raised to be ground trees, not
bonsai. You need to manipulate the growth of a maple to achieve the
desired bonsai look. Bonsai nurseries let stock trees grow for a
season and then cut them back drastically. They do this for several
years before the tree is ready for styling. Maples have rings that go
around the trunk. These rings are called internodes. Leaves will
sprout from the internodes. Be brave next spring take a nursery stock
maple and cut it back to only 1 or 2 internodes while dormant. Train 1
shoot as the new leader and the other as a side branch. Before the
internodes get too far apart for the scale of the tree you desire,
pinch back both branches, and then let the side branches go. Keep
doing this until you have a trunk of the dimension you desire. The
repeated pruning should give you a trunk with nice taper. Then the
next spring, be brave again and cut all of the branches off of your
ideal trunk and wait for new branches. Be careful to leave the ring at
the base of the branches intact, these will be the buds for your final
branches. Good luck.

3. The major publication is by Vertrees. I think the title is simple
like "Maples".

Sandy Vrooman

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