AusBonsai

Well the first of the original seed grown weepers have been sold off, and while I wait for the remainder to leaf out further before they too can be sold, I think back over the experience.

It started as a half cocked idea about being a tentative trial for a business while I was studying, and any source of income seemed like a good idea. It ended up as a reality check. I quickly realised that it was not going to be my path to an early retirement, but possibly a path to insanity.

From beginning to end I loved learning and seeing these trees grow. I’ve set a few aside for my own future attempts, but with the demise of the 2019 crop of seedlings, and a winter full of discarding and giving away unwanted plants, it’s time to stretch those itchy propagation fingers again.

Target for this year is; fewer in number, greater in quality. Having just cleared space around the house, there will be no filling up every corner again.

I will be attempting:
- Japanese Maple cuttings for future additions to the forest (traditionally I suck at getting JM cuttings to root)
- Chojubai cuttings (already started)
- Japanese Maple ‘Arakawa’ airlayer of thick stem not thin growth like last time
- Prunus Mume air layering of various cultivars for future personal bonsai use.

No:
- Shishigashira air layers (there would be no tree left, plus no growth on it that looks inspiring right now)
- indiscriminate growing of plants “because I like them”
- propagation of plants I don’t have a realistic plan for beyond vague ideas of selling them at Sunday markets.
- growing 500 dianthus Fringed Pink again just because I read about them in passing and wanted to try to grow them

I may start a topic for it, or I may not depending how I’m feeling when the time comes.

Shibui tried to warn me! I'm down to the last 5 maples from this experiement, with them all just turning up their toes one by one.

Of those 5, only the one below looks like it has enough strength to keep going beyond this season. It was one of the strongest the whole way through, always at least 10cm taller than any other one in the group. Crossing my fingers the strong growth continues! I'm too nervous to prune it, so it's just sitting on the lawn and getting much love and attention from me.

Weeping maple red
whispering future beauty
summer breathing hope

....

I tried a haiku ... not sure of all the rules.

Down to just 4 remaining from this whole experiment! Here are 3 of them, they seem to be dealing with summer surprisingly well really.

Thanks for the update Tim ... Hey, 4 is better than none right... and hopefully you learnt some stuff along the way. I appreciate the fact you continue to post about your maple experiment, even if it didn't quite go as planned! Live and learn ...

Likewise with your pine seedlings, I enjoy seeing them progress and what you are achieving with them!

I finally got around to taking a photo of the best performing maple from this experiment.

this was the strongest the entire way through, always a good 10cm taller than any other seedling, and it has continued that vigor on so far. I've not pruned it once, this is exactly what has grown since i began this experiment and it is easily 3-4 times the size of the other 3 that have survived. It has changed colour to be very green now; when the first year or two it was quite a vibrant red in summer foliage. This tenancy to change to a green leaf after a few years is well documented in cut leaf maple seedlings, so i'm not surprised in the slightest. What pipe dreams i had of riches and fame from creating a new cultivar have now officially gone

I won't be revisiting seed growing weeping maples by chasing more as strong as this one though!

I'm moving onto trident maple and flowering apricot growing from cuttings now Nice to have a memorial tree from these crazy days though!

Still have 4 holding on!

These three that have managed a second growing season on their own roots, i wasn't expecting them to make it through the year but that they have!
And this one that was by far the largest and strongest the entire way through. I have not yet pruned it as i've not wanted to take any energy out of it, so the shape leaves a lot to be desired at the moment. This one i have some vague confidence in it going on from here. I will maybe wire a better shape into it rather than pruning it, and give it a third year of unimpeded growth.