How tall can you make a dissectum japanese maple?

11 years ago

Ive always been interested in giant weeping plants that create a "shelter" below them. I was wondering how big i could eventually train it and if i should use sacrifice branches up until i get to the desired height and then cut them off. after i grow it up to the desired height i would like to grow it horozontal for a while to get the biggest impact from one plant.

Does anyone have any ideas on what cultivar to use? I was thinking of using Inaba shidare or Tamukeyama.

Thanks
Ben

Featured Answer

Embothrium

11 years ago

As can be seen in the Iseli photo if the specimen has some height then the branches can cascade rather than pile up on each other - references often recommend training weeping laceleaf maples up for this very reason.

What is funny is how often people think they want the low mound instead of the more interesting and graceful staked/high grafted weeping tree.

Even when the alternative is pointed out to them.

When you get inside an unstaked one that has been growing for many years there is often a lot of dead wood due to the congestion of the branches. The closeness of them makes it look like it would be desirable, if it were possible, to grab the apex of the shrub and pull the whole top up and open, like a coiled wire.

This post was edited by bboy on Fri, Feb 8, 13 at 13:01

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Comments (6)

mmajicmann
11 years ago
interesting idea! i do believe the photo is a Tamukeyama and i bet you can grow it as tall as you can stake it... 12 feet or so?
some good stuff in link below

Here is a link that might be useful: pruning
alley_cat_gw_7b
11 years ago
Hey Ben, Ive seen it done and ive done it.
The ones ive seen others do have been grafted on to very tall understock....almost just as a novelty. When i saw them i didnt care for them. I thought they looked silly.They must have been on a ladder to top work the tree.
As for the one i did. I took a fairly mature crimson queen and staked up a long flexable branch out of the center top and cut off the opposing branch. It worked and after quite a number of years it had added a 'few feet plus' easily to the height of the tree. We ended up moving it to my brothers 'acres' after it got too wide for my wants. Ill look for a photo and post here later.
AL
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alley_cat_gw_7b
11 years ago
Sorry no good pics...but you might get the idea. This pic was from around 2007.Also sorry gf is in pic...but you get the idea. It did add alot of height and filled in nicely.We moved it about 2011...sorry no recent fotos.
alley_cat_gw_7b
11 years ago
Another shot from the begining stage...It does work. I wish i had a pic from years later because it sure filled in.
alley_cat_gw_7b
11 years ago
I got it close to the base of those windows...thats what i was trying to do, but once was enough lol