Maple Dilemma

Jonny

Warm temperatures have forced my Amur Maple to start budding. It has been kept in the garage to protect from freezing temperatures for the last month, but, in the last several days I've noticed it has started to pop thinking spring is here.

I've moved it back outside to try and slow it down, but ever so mindful of frost damage to the tender buds.

What else can I do ?

Jonny

Attached Images

Amur Maple 002.jpg (66.5 KB, 91 views)

Advertisement

Mcspeed

Not sure what to tell you other than keep it outside, and hope that those buds aren't all it has. Prune in the spring and hope for new bud pops.

This is why I don't like the garage for winter storage. Bet it gets to the 60's, and 70s regular , 50 to 60 anyway, during sunny nice weather stretches, which wakes up the trees, to let them face more freezes. If you use a garage for storage you must watch the temps, and vent the garage heat out when it warms. Keeping the pot insulated helps keep it cold during the temporary warm ups.

Not sure about the amurs hardiness, but a cold frame would probably be a better idea if it can take the cold.

Bill

Dav4

I agree with Mcspeed. I'd leave it outside for now. I think you're going to lose those buds regardless of what you do. If the tree survives the winter, it will be weaker, but will hopefully have more dormant buds start to grow. I think Amur maples are extremely hardy and could survive outside in a protected place with the root zone mulched. I keep most of my trees in an unattached garage with the pots mulched. Usually, I'm more concerned with rising temps in the garage in mid to late winter, but with the crazy weather this year, I've been keeping the doors to the garage open 24 hours/day to try to keep the temps below 45F. The mulch really minimizes temp swings at the root zone, which I think is crucial in keeping the tree dormant. I've been following both root and air temps in the garage since the trees were put away the first week of December(I'm using an indoor/outdoor thermometer with a probe buried in the mulch). Hi/lo air temps have swung from 55F to 25F, but the Hi/Lo soil temps have stayed at 43-42F. I'd prefer soil temps fall to 30F or there about and stay there until March, but I don't think that's going to happen this year. Any way, good luck with the tree.

Dave

rockm

Leave it outside. Hope temps go below 32 soon. Keep it outside in a cold frame or in a sheltered area with mulch on the ground. Amur is very winter hardy and tend to push buds when kept above 32 for long after they've had only a little dormancy.

Jonny

Thanks for the advice, I can put it in the cold frame with the other junipers, but I was under the impression, the trident and J. maples including the Amur would require a little more protection than what the cold frame would provide.

Maybe the temperatures will finally be more seasonable now that we've had a little snow.

Jonny

Dav4

The Amur maple, rated to zone 3, is much more winter hardy then the trident or Japanese maple, which are generally rated to zone 6.

Dave

Vance Wood

Just try to keep it sheltered as much as possible and let nature take its course. Temperate trees are genetically programed to survive situations like this and the tree will probably survive just fine. However if you attempt to bring it indoors and treat it like a preemie baby you will undoubtedly weaken it to a point it might not survive. This is why trees have latent buds and dormant buds, to allow for natural and unusual incidents that may happen in its lifetime.

__________________
The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa

rockm

Amur maple is used as an alternative to trident maple in cold climates. They are able to withstand alot lower temperatures with no problem. I have to leave mine out in a a relatively unprotected spot--outside a cold frame with only mulch--here in Zone 7 or face bud break in Early February. My trees here haven't pushed new growth and are still dormant now, even though we're having temperatures in the mid 60s--the lows at night in the 30s keep them still--at least for now.

davidryan820

Vance I hope this isn't a silly question but if trees have latent and dormant buds-- as if the buds are under the current ones ready to step up-- what happens to those latent buds that aren't needed? Do they become next season's first ups?