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Originally Posted by Jay
OK I'm going to stick my neck into this one. Could Carl be asking why did you collect this tree if there isn't a plan in place for it? You mention in your 'Collecting Guidlines' above to only collect what you will use... if there isn't a plan for it, how are you going to use it? I have collected several trees that I now admit I had no plan for....they are still awaiting a decision and probably will just go back to be landscape trees.
I think an addition to your guidlines...which I admit are real nice, is to know that the collected material has a future and that you are not collecting it just because.....I came all this way and I'm going to get something!!!
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I'm glad you asked.
This is urban collecting. The owner of the property I got these two trees from wanted them gone, in fact he wanted them gone so bad I actually stopped him a while ago while he was trying to pull the Japanese Maple out with a rope and a truck. But this isn't the point.
I have found that with collected material it is best not to have a plan. No, I am serious. I can never tell which parts will take off and which will die back, maybe some people can, I never could. As I stated in the article above, wait for a year or two be for you start work, this allows for the plant to recuperate from the stress of collecting and also allows you to see many possibilities along the way. My original thoughts are very seldom the final plan.
As to the maple in question, as I have stated, the top portion of the tree was already dead, it died back some years ago. The tree responded by putting out new growth below the dead part, naturally reducing the height.
When I decided to save it instead of letting the landowner toss it, it was because of the thick trunk, low branching, and good nebari. As far as a plan goes, I can always trunk chop it lower in the future.
Again it was collected for it's thick trunk, nebari, and low branching, attributes that would attract any collector. In fact I wish I had a few dozen more just like it....it would take many years to develop the trunk and nebari of a Japanese Maple to this degree, surely it was worth the effort?
Will