Propagation: seedling you didn't expect

Discussion in 'Maples' started by emery, Aug 16, 2015.

  1. emery

    emery Renowned Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    One of the fun things about maple seedlings is that you never know what your going to get. But this takes that idea to a new level!

    These 3 came from the Maple Society seed exchange, labeled as Sugar Maples A. saccharum. The initial leaves looked like young sugar maple leaves, but first one and then the others divided and it quickly became apparent they are A. pentaphyllum! Shown here with the 2 other pentaphyllums I've in pots, one from Esveld and one a gift from our own Gomero, I believe from one of the Australian seeds. These look identical to that plant, and are doing very well indeed.

    Seedlings are a lot fun! ;)

    -E
     

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  2. maf

    maf Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    A very nice surprise Emery, they look exactly the same as the ones I grew from Australian seed. I am glad you managed to get some from various sources. Do you notice any difference between the Esveld (grafted?) plant and the others?
     
  3. emery

    emery Renowned Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    The Esveld plant has maybe a little shorter leaves, but the variation is minor and possibly down to a very poor side graft. I should mention again how much I appreciated your sending me some of the spare seed Maf, even though I wasn't able to get it to go at that time. Yes I'm very pleased indeed to have some of these young plants! Have you been able to establish one in the ground, if that's in your plans?

    Let me take this opportunity to plug the Maple Society seed exchange. If you contribute seed it's free of charge, and if you have none you can still get seed for the cost of postage. I've gotten lost of great plants from the program, this year some nice (possible hybrid, as is always the case with garden source seed) Acer pictum and Acer caudatifolium. A lot of seed didn't germinate but I expect some of it will next spring. The program is great fun and I hope lots of people continue to participate.

    -E
     
  4. maf

    maf Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Have not planted any in the ground yet. I have five left in pots that I overwinter close to the house. One or two of them at random seem to get a bit of winter die back each year, and as you know they can be very late to leaf out in the spring, so going to put them in the new greenhouse this winter. How do you overwinter yours?

    It was no trouble to send the seeds btw. I was actually looking at the plants a few weeks ago and wondering how practical it would be to try and ship a spare one to France, so I am glad to hear that you managed to get some elsewhere.
     
  5. emery

    emery Renowned Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    I overwinter in one of two unheated out-buildings. More tender plants go on tables or shelves in a room where I leave the door open most of the winter except if temps descend very far. The rest go on palettes over a concrete floor in a stable, there's lots of air flow and it's a healthier environment.

    The problem with the room is that it stays very damp and there is a real problem with moulds. Both pentas were there last winter, and both had some die-back, complete with fuzzy tips! (This in spite of being sprayed with copper periodically throughout the winter). Another problem in the room is mice, who killed a large number of davidiis as well as a bunch of crataegifoliums and small palmatums. They badly damaged others including a small rubescens which has thankfully recovered beautifully this year.

    I experimented with 2 pauciflorums this past winter, one in each location. The stable one did much better, whereas the one in the damp room has (even now) quite a bit of dark splotching on a few stems. Root growth and graft healing were about the same, however.

    So this year the grafted penta will go in the stable, as it's well healed and now in a larger pot. I'll probably put one of the little ones out there also, and bring it in if it's looking very cold indeed. I'd kill for a greenhouse basically, but with a daughter heading off to uni in the US it's not even a project right now...
     
  6. TheScarletPrince

    TheScarletPrince Member

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    @emery Get ready for that debt! Haha (U.S. college is a bad choice).

    Have you tried Carbon filtration or some other method of venting that damp room? Can also try silica or even a dehumidifier!
     
  7. emery

    emery Renowned Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Prince, tell me about it... although the EU has lots of excellent (and free or low cost) options for college, they don't include much in the way of liberal arts or for that matter a traditional "college experience." And so the decision was made to go domestic for 4 years; time will tell if it's a sensible one. In fairness though the US attitude towards motivation and innovation is often quite different from that in Europe, with all due respect to my European friends and colleagues!

    For the room, it doesn't have electricity, but even with that the Norman winter is redoubtable for humidity, even in the heated house we pull several liters/day. Many years ago I did try silica but it wasn't a cost effective solution. Open door / open window helps some, and the weather is usually above freezing here.

    cheers,

    -E
     

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