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| | Metro Maples - Maples On The Move
2008:
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| Feb
14, 2008 - Start of a new year. Click on the link above or at
the bottom to see 2007 Maples on the Move. Left to right - After 53 years I finally find an owl's
nest. Unfortunately this owl lives in one of my oaks next to the
proposed XTO pipeline bore pit and is in danger. If someone can
identify this beautiful bird please call or send an e-mail. Center -
Here is my title page for the presentation that I am giving to
close-out the national American Rhododendron Society convention in
Tulsa, OK on April 16-20. Right - Lendonwood Gardens, Grove, OK is one
of the gardens in the convention tours. |
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| March
1, 2008 - Finished grafting about 4,000 trees, Goshiki kotohime is a
small leaf dwarf in the new garden, the shape of Fire Dragon® maple
after 9 years. |
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| March
8, 2008 - Katsura is beautiful but leafs-out early but was not damaged
from the 24 degree low temperature, my Japanese maple
hybrid #5 is starting to grow in the greenhouse, and covering maples
from the cold. |
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| March
9, 2008 - Here is my Shantung test plant that hopefully has leaves
that stay yellow, my Japanese maple hybrid #7, a new Japanese maple
called the Bishop that Scott, my first employee, ordered for me.
He has one also and we are having a contest to see who can grow it the
fastest. Mine is starting growth early in the greenhouse while
Scott's is just sittin' there. |
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| March
18, 2008 - Spring is here. Left, 15 gal to 25 gal maples are
growing real good, Butterfly is a dainty pink as it unfolds over the
pond, yellow and red Japanese maples now showing-off, plus some
azaleas too. |
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| March
19, 2008 - Left - Orange Dream, middle - Higasayama has more pink this
year, right -
Deshojo. All nice spring color maples. |
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| March
22, 2008 - Ezo nishiki is an early Satsuki azalea with lots of shibori
(stripes), Green Filigree is being re-tested in the new garden and
notice the fine variegation in the finely dissected leaves, Koto no
Ito is a good grower with very narrow leaves, a bushy habit, and
excellent fall color. |
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| March
23, 2008 - Beni Schichihenge has bright orangish-pink but reverts to
solid green limbs in our climate, Higasayama now is even better with
the dark green mid-veins, Peaches 'n Cream in the new garden shows
more bright red than I've ever seen. |
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| March
24, 2008 - Sumi nagashi is a neat, fast growing, tall and tight
growing red-leaf with green bark that is always loaded with blooms and then
bright red seeds, Aka shigitatsu sawa has interesting reticulated
leaves and different colors, Boskoop Glory is very bright this year
and right now is not the wine-red color that it gets. |
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| March
25, 2008 - Some coral bark maples still have red stems while others
have already lost some color, Red Emperors are looking exceptionally
good this year and growing great, Shin deshojo is a bright spring red
shown with an out-of-focus Orange Dream in the background. |
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| March
26,2008 - Orangeola with a natural shape, new garden by front parking
lot is looking good and features maples and rhododendrons, the area in
front of the Display Garden has been expanded with pot-in-pot maples
that can be changed-out according to the season. |
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| March
27, 2008 - This Orangeola was shaped with bamboo and pruners and is 7
feet tall, many azaleas are blooming now, and rhododendron City Park
blooms with 2 Mikawa yatsubusa in the background. This dwarf
rhododendron is a R. hyperythrum hybrid and is very heat
tolerant. It is growing on a sunny south slope in Tsuki
Gardens. I've grown this one 14 years. |
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| March
28, 2008 - Shantung maples are blooming, Crimson Queen is framed by
yellow leaves, and Nuresagi, translated means Wet Heron, is another
very good red upright, shown with Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium', also
called Dancing Peacock, is an excellent green Japanese maple. |
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| March
30, 2008 - One of the greatest forces on earth is the power of our large forest trees unfolding in spring,
and is
unmatched by thousands of Hoover Dams, Deshojo, in Bonsai training,
was cut-back very hard 4 weeks ago and now you can notice dozens of
new bright red buds opening, Inaba Shidare on left contrasts with
azalea Boldface and dissectum Flavescens in the Display Garden. |
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| March
31, 2008 - Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' is also called Dancing
Peacock, A. s. 'Moonrise'TM,
and Acer sieboldianum 'Sode-no-uchi' is a small leaf maple with
9 to 11 lobes and is popular for bonsai in Japan. These 3 maples
are available at Metro Maples. See Catalog for prices. |
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| April
1, 2008 - Underneath a Paperbark maple is azalea Tradition in full
bloom, first grafts of Shantung test plant 'Dwarf Golden Dragon' is
out of the greenhouse and planted in Tsuki Gardens and is growing much
faster than the mother plant ever did so maybe it is not a dwarf after
all, Ward's Ruby is the deepest red azalea you're likely to ever
see. It is at the entrance to the garden. |
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| April
2, 2008 - What does Keith grow under his Fire Dragon® Shantung
maple? Left is a Murasaki kiyohime, center is a Shaina, and
right is one of the many Japanese azaleas. The azaleas you'll
see locally are nice, but the Japanese have been working hard
selecting azaleas for over 300 years. |
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| April
4, 2008 - Entrance to new garden, a bird nest inside a Goshiki
kotohime, and yellow rhododendrons have been difficult in hot climates
but I am trying this one called Capistrano. |
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| April
8, 2008 - Here is my Bishop with a rally banner to lead it to victory
in the growing contest with Scott Hubble. Deshojo, pruned hard
at the beginning of March is putting out bright red new growth
everywhere, and my Chinese Snowball Viburnum in bloom. |
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| April
11, 2008 - Fireglow in the Display garden, getting some color
from my hybrids but the next step is to cross them to each other to
get all the possible genetic combinations of both parents, Acer
negundo is native to Fort Worth along drainage ditches and streams but
this cultivar is called Kelley's Gold. |
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| April
13, 2008 Usually a maple sits on my table but now I am using an azalea
Kogetsu no homare, I got 3 bird eggs in the Goshiki kotohime, close-up
of the reds changing to greens on Beni komachi. |
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| April
20, 2008 - The National Rhododendron Convention that I was hosting is
over and was a big success. Here is a Rhododendron called
Lendonwood, azaleas are also rhododendrons and they did not suffer
like many of the Tulsa trees from the huge December ice storm, and an
azalea with red tulips and yellow pansies on the convention tour. |
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| April
22, 2008 - Deshojo that was pruned hard is now growing very fast,
bird's are hatching now, here is rhododendron 'Black Eye' in it's
second year in Texas. |
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| April
23, 2008 - A big hail storm 6 days ago is now showing-up as stratches
on Red Emperor, Shantung maple with very little hail damage, and
Suminagashi took the hail better than any other red upright. |
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| April
24, 2008 - Shaina looks good but will be even better as bright red
new growth appears in May, Satsuki azaleas are just starting to
bloom, and so far this Stella Rosa laceleaf is leading the pack in the
Maple Rookie of the Year contest. |
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| April
30, 2008 - Here's the Bishop again, hail damaged and not growing new
shouts but it is sunning and filling-up the clay pot with roots
getting ready for summer growth. I used blood and bone meal,
expanded shale, some colloidal clay to hold nutrients, Texas green
sand, Tennessee potassium, mollasses, chunky peat and sifted aged pine
bark, some slow release 21-7-12 and Superthrive in this plant to try
and win the growing contest with Hubble. Oh, I also save rain
water for it. Good luck Hubble you're going to need it.
Center - Butterfly is now creamy-white and spectacular this
year. Right - Blaine's Dragon is a test plant Shantung maple and
has very nice new growth colors and is a leading candidate for Maple
Rookie of the Year. |
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| May
1, 2008 - Satsuki azalea Tama no Hada with a 5 inch bloom. My
2007 hybrid #7 is still colorful. Dwarf Golden Dragon (name will
be changed when I introduce this tree), is a discovery I found of a
Shantung maple with really nice spring and summer colors. Here
it is being tested in the hot Texas sun. Compare the colors of
this Shantung test plant to one of the brightest Japanese Maples,
shown below, called MoonriseTM. |
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| May
2, 2008 - Nishiki Gawa shape after 12 years and it also has very
interesting bark and bright fall colors, Coonora Pygmy is all green in early
spring then has pink colors in May if given a little sun, and Acer
shirasawanum MoonriseTM is looking
bright in the new garden. |
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| May
5, 2008 - Close-up of the Bishop showing hail damage but new red
growth emerging, center - Scott and I moved this 30 foot Autumn Blaze
maple in the middle of last January because it was encroaching on the
mother Fire Dragon® Shantung
and now it is growing fine. We
learned that the root system on Autumn Blaze maple is fairly
shallow and wide spreading but overall it was not too
aggressive. Right - Still a good time to plant and we are now
potting all the new grafts done last February into 1 gallon
pots. The bright yellow of Orange Dream is shown. |
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| May
9, 2008 - Adding the last secret ingredient to the Bishop. Epsom
salts applied at the same rate as your fertilizer makes the nutrients
in your soil available to the plant. Beni shichihenge,
translated is red and changeful, and is holding pink color very
well. Higasayama now has dark green mid-veins. |
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| May
10, 2008 - Inaba shidare at 10:00 am. Scott Hubble sells 1,000
Fire Dragon® which is awarded free to Mr. Gary
Ellis of Dallas. Inaba shidare at 1:00 pm just starting to get a
little shade but note how the colors change throughout the day. |
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| May
11, 2008 - Happy Mother's Day. Azalea with the bright greens of
Osakasuki behind, Fireglows are more purple now, a trio of azaleas
in Tsuki Gardens. |
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| May
13, 2008 - Shantung maple seeds from a southern China source are
sprouting. Shantung are the only maples whose first things you
see are actual leaves as the cotyledons develop under the soil
surface. Center - Try, try again as my first watermelons were
destroyed from hail so I planted again. Right - Second attempt
at getting Acer oliverianum from seeds. I have been wanting to
try Oliver's maple since many in the Maple Society say this is one of
the best. It comes from China at elevations of 4500 to 6000 feet
and looks like a larger leaf Acer palmatum but with much greener
bark.. |
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| May
16, 2008 - A week after applying Epson salts my Bishop has grown 3
inches on the bottom and about 1 inch on the top so Scott should be
getting worried. Besides the hail damage I have also been
pruning a few leaves here and there to stimulate new growth.
Center - After 12 years from a cutting this Satsuki azalea starts
bonsai training. Scott removed 6 large limbs, leaving the two
shown, and in about another 5 to 10 years I will have a nice
bonsai. Right - Fire Dragon® Shantung takes
all kinds of weather, even the nice consistent weather of 2008, and in
containers are beginning to send out bright red growth. |
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| May
17,2008 - Crimson Queens in 10 gallon containers, Center - yes my
Stewartia not only lives in Texas but is blooming. Stewartia is
one of the best small trees in the world with attractive flowers in
late spring, good fall colors, and great bark. Grow it like an
azalea. Right - Orangeola looks more green in the morning sun,
then a shiny purple-green in the afternoon as shown. |
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| May
22, 2008 - Last of the satsuki azaleas in bloom. Here is Kinu no
tsuki. Center - Keith's Bishop was burning in too much sun and
now is in the garden with a little more protection and beginning to
grow faster now. Right - Kozan no homare in bloom. The
weather has turned hot and dry, but maybe spring is not over quite
yet. |
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| May
25, 2008 - This was the first year Scott did grafting and he got 71 of
72 ginkgos to take, but don't ask him about Ueno yama. Bad news
for Keith's Bishop as thrips chewed-off both growing points on the top
but the lower 2 shoots are still growing OK. Here is the color
of dwarf Golden Dragon in late May as it starts to put on some orange
summer growth. |
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| May
29, 2008 - An exciting new little seedling, probably from an Acer
japonicum 'Aconoitifolium', but it has red new growth. A sign of
Shantung maple's will to live as this crooked one had all it's soil
shaken-off two months ago and then it was thrown on the burn
pile and now is growing in the ashes. The last of the Satsuki are
blooming. This is a new variety for me with a great compact
habit and nice small flowers with wide overlapping lobes and lots of
shibori. It is called Kimi no hana. |
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| June
1, 2008 - Hail damage (left) on Shantungs are now healing over.
Also note the 90 degree branch angle which is the strongest possible.
Fire Dragon®
Shantungs (center) currently have high transpiration rates, so water
them now for fast growth, but once you start watering you should
continue on a regular basis until the rains come. The watermelon seeds have grown a lot
in 3 weeks. |
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| June
6, 2008 - Two weeks of heat has produced 7 record high nighttime
temperatures and 5 straight days of high winds, some over 50 mph, so I
am regrouping the small maples to save water. Dwarf maples
finally arrived from Oregon so is it better late than never? The
Bishop is growing very slowly so I think it must need more nitrogen so
I added some calcium nitrate, which is the fastest acting form of
nitrogen. It'll either burn or grow like a weed, but time is
running out on the growing contest with Scott. |
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| June
12, 2008 - This "Maple Rookie of the Year" candidate is a
Shantung maple called Blaine's Dragon. It is growing new shoots and
side branches that Shantung can do when they have enough
nitrogen. I found these 3 small kittens 10 days ago living in
the container storage area and have been taking care of them since
there is no mommy cat. Just 30 days ago this watermelon was only
a 3 inch tall seedling and now has several 4 inch long watermelons. |
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| June
23, 2008 - My Bishop looks like it is starting to get in high gear as
several buds are coming out, even 2 of them on the insect chewed
top. Paperbark maples are spectacular when backlit from morning
or late afternoon sun and are very easy to grow. Here is the
shape of my original Orange Dream which now must be 10 years
old. It is very upright, and twice as tall as wide. |
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| July
1, 2008 - Metro Maples only got .7 inches of rain in June and not much
in May so it was the hottest, dryest, and most windy May-June
ever. We set over 12 record highs, mostly for the highest
overnight low temperatures. With 18,000 trees, 99 percent in
containers, and only 4,000 gal/day of water to work with you'll get
some early fall colors like the interior leaves of this Trident
maple. Center - Maples are being protected with an
anti-transpirant product called Moisturine. It goes on white and
dries clear and will also save me water. I have some quart spray
bottles to sell that are $18 each. This stuff is amazing.
Right - Beni schichihenge is in a pot in 10 hours of sun and has zero
burn and is not even watered that much. It is one of the
toughest Japanese maples ever. Notice the bright white now and
the red stems. |
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| July
14, 2008 - It's official. This Shantung maple test plant does
hold its color in the Texas sun and heat (picture taken at 1:30 pm,
temperature 98 degrees), and my first graft (right) not only holds
color but it is also growing well. Center - All my watermelons
have been destroyed by critters. Right - Last photo of my Norway
maple 'Cirmson King' that was grafted onto a Shantung maple
rootstock. Grasshoppers loved these leaves and was a major
contributor to its demise. |
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| July
23,2008 - Fireglow in dappled shade getting a very short period of
sunlight, center - Fireglow grown in several hours of the hot Texas
sun (stressed) is a much darker color, and test plant Yasemin (right),
growing in the hot sun but the leaves are puckered and mottled as it
struggles to take-up the proper nutrients in the extreme heat.
Another 100 degree day and now there have been more of these than in
the same period in year 2006. |
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| July
28, 2008 - 105 degrees for the second day and several hours of hot sun
makes this coral bark maple, grown in a pot, have yellow leaves
despite consistent watering, center - a Shantung test plant with
orange new growth but I am really looking for orange fall color,
although it has not shown orange since 2005, right - even Shantung
maples, as tough as they are, can turn yellow from too much heat (and
not enough water), when grown in a pot or even the first year in the
ground with temperatures like this. They probably will not turn
green again until it cools down. |
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| Aug
3, 2008 - Temperature in the shade at 11:00 am was 94 degrees on its
way up to 107, but nearly all the current year's growth on this Shin
deshojo was cut off in anticipation of cooler weather around the first
of September when bright red new growth will appear . Center -
Metro Maples is testing a Japanese maple called 'Ground Cover', shown
hanging right down the container. Right - This Seiryu got lost
in the woods and wasn't watered until I noticed the brown
leaves. After watering a few times there is bright green new
growth coming out everywhere. |
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| Aug
13, 2008 - More missed rains but finally a cool morning close to the
dew point creating a little fog at 7:00am. I had rain of
.7 inches in June, .3 in July, and .3 in August so far, but a huge
upper-level low pressure system the size of North Dakota is headed our
way and predicted to stall-out nearby so it looks like we are in for a
big rain event! Center - the natives are barely alive and their
growing tips and fruit are shriveled from the drought and very high
nighttime temperatures which are detrimental to all plants.
Right - If you Fireglow has green and brownish overtones, then it
didn't get enough water like this one. |
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August
18, 2008 - The first real rain of summer and now after the fourth day of ideal growing weather
new leaves appear. Left - The Shin deshojo that I pruned 2 weeks ago
is now starting to push out bright red new growth. Center - I
pinched one of the leaves on Golden Dragon Shantung 1 week ago and now
the second new leaf is coming out. Right - Even the Tamukeyama
dissectums are trying to grow new leaves. For those not living
in north Texas here are the daily high temperatures at Metro Maples
starting on May 19 going thru August 14:
99,94,92,94,95,95,95,95,84,92,93,94,95,94,96,99,97,97,95,97,98,97,93,98,97,98,99,101,100,88,94,92,94,96,98,
100,99,97,98,100,100,92,95,97,98,98,99,100,100,100,98,99,98,99,102,99,98,93,97,98,100,100,100,102,102,100,
99,100,101,105,105,99,101,103,104,105,107,105,102,95,102,95,104,105,96,93,96,100 |
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| August
28, 2008 - Left - my Deshojo on its own roots now in bonsai training,
center - getting Fire Dragon® Shantungs ready
for sale this fall like this 2" caliper one in a 25gal container
(I am going to miss this one), right - my Coastal Redwood grown from
seed collected on a trip last year now
is over 2 feet tall. |
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| Sept.
7, 2008 - Shantung research: Left, this 1" caliper Fire
Dragon® Shantung was pruned hard (every leaf
removed and the whole top) and probably 98% of the roots were removed
to get it in this shallow bonsai pot and now only 2 weeks later in has
several 2 inch new shoots. I've heard that Shantung doesn't make
a good bonsai so I am going to find out myself why. Center -
This Shantung maple has been grown in heavy shade and very sandy soil
and never watered or fertilized for at least 5 years (3 of
those years were severe drought conditions). It not only
survived but looks healthier than many of the natives and is now 8
feet tall with about an 1 1/2 inch caliper. Scott Hubble dug it
up Friday and put it in this 45gal pot and it immediately receives
some hot midday sun. Right - The bright yellow color has
finally faded some on Golden Dragon Shantung test plant but the color
lasted much longer than any other yellow-leaf tree at Metro
Maples. (See more photos above) |
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| Sept.
17, 2008 - It is fabulous weather now but the summer was the fifth
hottest ever and many red oaks are dying in my area from stress and a
mysterious fungus, center - Keith and Scott pose with 9 to 12 foot, 25
gal. Fire Dragon® Shantungs that are
ready for sale, and Fire Dragon® Shantung,
circled, survives Hurricane Ike's 100+ mph winds in Houston. |
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| Oct
3, 2008 - It's still exceptionally dry. This Bloodgood has
leaves turning fall colors from having a portion of its roots growing
in a dry, non-irrigated soil, center- many natives in my area, like
this staghorn sumac, are shutting down all growth early from a lack of
rain, and (right) starting what I call 'The Shantung Showroom'
by digging a pot-in-pot system. The advantages are cooler and
more stable temperatures in the root zone and thus healthier plants,
less watering, and less storm damage. The trees are given plenty
of room making it easier for you to see all sides. |
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| Nov
2, 2008 - Sudden early cold with lows in the thirties at the farm
causes some Fire Dragon® Shantungs to turn
every imaginable color. Only the ones that had been recently
stressed from digging or ones that have been kept very dry are turning
at the moment. All the trees are rapidly losing chlorophyll so
expect fall colors soon. |
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| Nov
6, 2008 - Suminagashi turns mixed colors instead of the usual red,
center - a paperbark maple by the front gate is a great red once again
and, right - the large Shantung at the gate is beginning to
turn. So far the colors have not been as bright or as long
lasting due to the very long and hot summer. |
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| Nov
20, 2008 - I am back from 7 days of visiting gardens and nurseries in
Japan. Left - Here I am with author Peter Gregory and USDA
scientist Dr. Richard Olsen in front of a 100 year old
Tamukeyama. Center - A natural waterfall surrounded by large
Japanese maples. Right - View of Japanese maples from a-top a
2-story Zen Temple built in 1628. Mark your calendars for my
presentation of this trip on March 5, 2009. |
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| Nov
21, 2008 - More pictures from Japan tour. Left - Very large
maples are grown to be dug and sold, the drainage grates in Kyoto are
adorned with maple leaves, and this ancient Japanese maple trunk is over 3
foot across. |
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| Nov
21, 2008 - More pictures from Japan, and maples with the Golden
Pavilion, and a vivid pink maple with pines. |
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| Nov.
23, 2008 - Shantung maples are finishing their fall colors with
yellows, oranges and the reds of Fire Dragon®.
Colors this year were not as good as last year.
Japanese maples should be colored-up this next weekend, after
Thanksgiving. |
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| Nov.
26, 2008 - The red Japanese maples are just starting, like this
Trompenburg. Center - One of the better colors of Fire Dragon®
Shantung was on this under-fertilized, and slow growing one.
That's a Caddo Maple in the background. Right - The coral
bark Japanese maples have been a nice yellow and red for nearly 3
weeks. Happy Thanksgiving. |
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| Nov.
29, 2008 - Seiryu (Blue-green Dragon) is turning a very bright red,
inside view of Koto no Ito (String of Old Harp) shows solid bright
yellow instead of usual mixed colors, and a mature Orange Dream,
known for brilliant spring color, is a very bright mixture of red and
yellow. |
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| Nov
30, 2008 - Mother Fire Dragon®
color at peak and I feel lucky to get this picture with some sunshine
that lasted just a few minutes, center - a Fire Dragon®
just coloring-up and was grown in the shade along with Red Emperors that
are still purple looking, Right - Koto, found 7 months ago as a very
small kitten has survived and so has this Fire Dragon®
that was pruned into this little bonsai pot during August and is
just barely starting to color with a very unusual light orange tone so
stay tuned to see how it ends. |
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| Dec
3, 2008 - Orange Dream backlit from the sun, center - this Shantung is
turning mixed colors but has always been solid yellow in the past,
right - Nishiki Gawa has thick rough bark and sometimes a brilliant
pinkish red. |
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| Dec
4, 2008 - Aka shigitatsu sawa, lower left, and my towering Suminagashi
are getting close to peak color, center - borrowing a Bobcat to make more pot-in-pot areas
to keep the roots cooler in summer and to compensate from higher winds
due to a natural gas pipeline company eliminating all vegetation to
the south of me, right - Oregon Sunset is a nice
small growing red Japanese maple but is just now coloring-up.
Second freeze last night as Metro Maples got down to 29 degrees. |
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| Dec
6, 2008 - A time laspe of some unusual color on a Fire Dragon®
where all the roots and leaves were removed in August when it was put
into this small pot. Left -Nov. 30 just starting to change, Dec.
4 - A different color and in the greenhouse to keep from freezing,
Dec. 6 - A different but nice color on Saturday. |
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| Dec.
7, 2008 - Fall is not over yet! Here are 3 that do not have
damage from any of the 3 freezes. Acer palamatum with yellow of
Aoyagi, center - Suminagashi with fall color and showing compact habit
and slender leaves on my 18 foot tree, Aratama is new this year and
similiar to Shaina except in fall when it is yellow and red. |
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| Dec.
7, 2008 - Nuresagi with bamboo, Fireglows in 10gal containers, and my
9 x 15 foot wide Shishio Improved just coloring and so far does not
show any freeze damage so it may get spectacular. I am planning
to dig this one up and bring to the farm in February. |
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| Dec.
9, 2008 - Left - Koto no Ito a vivid golden orange, center - Emerald
Lace, a new one for me with a very small leaf and weeping habit, turns
a rich burgundy, right - a trio of a red Fireglow, a rich yellow Acer
palmatum, and a peachy Koto no Ito. |
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Dec.
10, 2008- Why many of the Japanese maple leaves are turning so late is
a mystery, center - New garden reds finally turn with Suminagashi,
left, Aka shigitatsu, lower center, and an unknown 30 year old on the
right. Right - It is getting late in the year and leaves are
falling
(some blown off by high winds), and now the maples are revealing their beautiful and dramatic branching structure,
like with this Orangeola.. |
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| Dec.
11, 2008 - It got down to 26 degrees so fall colors may be over but
most all maples had a chance to show their great fall colors such as
this Osakasuki, which can be orange or red, center - After studying all my large Shantung is now
seems evident that Fire Dragon® has deeper
fissured bark on its 2-inch caliper limbs, right - a similar size
branch from a typical seedling Shantung maple. |
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| Dec.
12, 2008 - It doesn't get any better than this, even after another freeze, but this Osakasuki was brilliant in
the morning sun, center - my
Mikawa is still trying to color and usually it is an outstanding red and
yellow, right - a dwarf Koto maru with fall color and showing detail
of its many fine twigs. |
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| Dec.
13, 2008 - Shishio Improved with nice red color even with half of the
leaves missing due to the freezing weather, center - all of my
Bigtooth maples, which are native to Texas and are a sub-species of
the Sugar Maple, are coloring extremely late, right - Ueno Yama is
known for its spring colors but can also be a knock-out in the fall. |
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| Dec
14, 2008 - The year is coming to a close. It has been a great
year despite the hail damage in spring, the ridiculous winds including
6 straight days and nights, the time
wasted fighting the gas pipeline company and redoing my website, and
the 5th hottest, dryest summer ever. My Shantung test plants
look promising, my hybrid Japanese maples are doing great, and my trip
to Japan was also very exciting. Also Scott, my first employee,
has done an outstanding job and my wife, Jeri, and Roy were a big help
getting us through the busy Saturdays. None of this would
have been possible without so many great customers and I wish to thank
all of you and hope you all come back in 2009. It will be even
better. Fall was long and pretty good. Fall colors
started early November on some stressed trees and is still going on a
little right now as seen above. Left - Sharp's Pygmy turning
bright red, center - An Acer palmatum that is orange. I saw
bright yellow and reds also on this very nice seedling grown Japanese
maple, and right - Mikawa yatsubusa finally gets a bright red and
yellow color shown next to my 2 Fu Dogs with their Jingle Bell
necklaces. |
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Click
to see pictures of Maples on the Move 2007 |
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