AusBonsai

Just wondering if anyone knows where I can buy seeds of Acer japonicum "aureum" full moon maple? I love the look of the full moon maple, and would love to grow some myself. Any help would be great

http://www.yaminarareplants.com.au/contents/maples.htm

plants for sale here, right down the bottom of this page

HiLuke308 , mate i have tried for quite a few years to grow Acer Japonicum form seed and have never had a strike .While seed is available i don't know of anyone hat has actually grown one , most are grafted . I actually have a large tree here which was removed from the garden and is currently in training for a future Bonsai .They only produce 1 set of leaves per year up here so it will be a very slow process .Some grafted trees are exceptionally well done CLEFT OR WEDGE grafts , i hand picked all mine and 15 years down the track you can barely make out the union .

There is just a very light bark/colour variation at the graft .I could possible get seed from a local who has a red , yellow , green and orange specimens in their garden approximately 20 years old , but like i said i have never managed a single strike . I think you will find the are like most of the ornamental red Japanese maples , if they do strike the roots wont support the tree after the second season .I have struck close to 1000 Bloodgood and Autropurpurum but they die in the first or second season . I managed to get a single red a lace leaf to strike but it died this year after 1 season .

I do have i trainer Atro' that is close to 5 years old but it won't make another couple of seasons unless i root graft some seedling onto it, the colour is not an Atro' colour but a mottled pinkish red and green .Save yourself some time and find a good supplier to hand pick a grafted specimen from .

Cheers Alpineart

All aureum are either grafted or struck from cuttings or layers, any cultivar of any species grown from seed can no longer be called that cultivar. Many do it, but they are simply polluting the gene pool, so to speak.

All cultivars of a species are genetically identical. Thats why an aureum in Norway is the same as an aureum in Sydney.

By growing from seed you introduce genetic variation, so it is no longer a true representative of the cultivar.

Paul

Wow, Thanks for the great response guys.

Just curious, if I air-layer off of a grafted tree, will it be able to support itself on its own roots being that it would no longer be a grafted root stock? So correct me if I'm wrong, but I would need to take a scion from a japonicum "aureum" and graft that on to an Acer palmatum root stock, or buy a already grafted tree.

Secondly, is there any reason as to why cultivars cannot support themselves after 1 or 2 seasons on their own roots? I obviously have a lot to learn about horticulture

I've been told that Japanese White Pines' are the same, yet someone from my club has a couple he has personally grown from seed that are 5 or so years old. I'm confused

Many cultivars can be layered and will grow well on their own roots. Shindeshojo, kashima, shishigashira are some that do well. Others not so well. Cultivars are generally grafted because there is a greater sucess rate in propagation this way, and the vast majority are grown for garden use, not bonsai, so grafts are not much of a concern. Often growing maple cultivars by cuttings has a low success rate, and its not profitable. I've found shindeshojo grows better on its own roots than as a graft, but I only get about 10% strike rate with cuttings. Can't grow Shishigashira from cuttings, but it layers easily, so go figure.

Also many cultivars simply won't grow from seed due to genetic problems. I get plenty of kamagata seed but have never had one strike, same for a dissectum maple I have.

It is thought that japanese white pine own roots are susceptible to fungal attack, and is why they are generally grafted. Layering or cutting propagation of JWP cultivars can be difficult, so this is another reason why they are grafted. These pines grow well in the wild of Japan, I imagine they would grow alright if you can provide the right conditions for them. And many of the famous JWP seen in books are collected from the wild and are on their own roots. Zuisho is a cultivar that apprently grows well from cuttings and on its own roots, but I don't think it is available here. A nursery in Melbourne had tried several times to get it, but it wouldn't survive qaurantine.

Paul

I know big bump, but I just bought some acer shirasawanum aureum seeds from sheffields.
The seed is dried out and the instructions for germinating them are intense.
U
120 days of warm stratification, followed by 120 days of cold stratification. I am very doubtful this will work. I know unlikely to grow to type, but as with maples its so fun to try.

I have a acer shirasawanum palmatafolium I bought from maplesxmail and yes they grow extremely slowly. A trident maple you could defoliate 5 times from spring to summer and it will keep pumping out leaves.

For spring to summer my palmatafolium has put out one set of leaves, and one small new branch. Extremely slow growing.