Acer buergeranum Beginner suggestion

I would like to know using the below listed material, what would the soil mix for a Acer Buergeranum be? I remember reading some place maples like a wet feet???

Turface
Soil conidtioner (pine bark)
Dry stall
Granni grit grower

I will plant the tree in a 14x12x6 grow box. I was thinking 2parts turface 1 part dry stall 1 part soil conditioner?

I used crushed granite chicken grit for quite a few years, but it packs down & I had soggy soil. Now I use fine aquarium gravel. The particles are round & drainage is much better.
Iris

what is the rule of thumb sizing grow pots?

I think finish pot selection is 2/3 height of tree

remist17 wrote:I would like to know using the below listed material, what would the soil mix for a Acer Buergeranum be?

Turface
Soil conidtioner (pine bark)
Dry stall
Granni grit grower

Turface, nothing else is required.
-Jay

remist17 wrote:what is the rule of thumb sizing grow pots?

I think finish pot selection is 2/3 height of tree

Maybe you mean 2/3 of the diameter of the trunk for a finished tree? Grow boxes are as big as they need to be to adequately provide space for the roots to spread out. 2'x2'x6" should do. Not sure pressure treated is a good choice, so maybe 1x6 white pine, and drill a bunch of 3/8~1/2 inch holes in the bottom.

I use sifted soil conditioner, turface and sifted dry stall mine seem to do great in this mix 50%turface,30 drystall 20 pine bark.

The key to good drainage is to sift the growing media and use a fairly narrow size range. It is the mixture of particle sizes that really packs down and causes poor drainage.

I used to include some bark in my growing media, but it lead to root rot in some cases - a little too moist and then nice and hot during the summer. I now use a purely inorganic mix with a mix of low cost organic and soluble fertilizer. Straight turface would work very well for an trident maple. I tend to use smaller grains (1/8 - 1/4", 3 - 6 mm) for trees that like it a bit moister and larger (1/4" - 3/8", 6 - 10 mm) for things like pines. it use the 1/16" - 1/8" for cuttings and layering. The true fines go into the veggie garden and grow bed.

You want to size the growing container so that the tree can fill it with roots in a year or two. When working with smaller, starter maples I like to trim the roots in a roughly circular pattern and plant them in a shallow (1.5" - 2.5", 4 - 6 cm deep) container that is about 2 - 4" (5 - 10 cm) larger in diameter than the root spread. The roots will colonize most of this in the first year, fill it in the second, and be ready for pruning and repotting in the spring of the third year. I typically cut back to the original diameter, cut the stronger roots back by another 1" - 2" (stronger are cut back further) and plant back into the same container for another 2 years. Once a good nebari is started I then cut back less and move up a container size every 2 - 3 years. You don't get as much trunk expansion as planting in the ground, but you also end up with lots of similar sized roots as opposed to the 2 - 5 very strong roots in the ground.

Thanks for the updates all. A few questions:

1- I have a bunch of 5/4x6 decking boards that have been on the deck for a few years (at least 5). I am tearing off the deck and thought this would be good wood to use. will this cause a problem.....
2- I am only able to water the plants in the morning and the evening. If I go to turface only or turface with a little bark will the plants dry out? Thats why I thought about going a little more organic.
3- My one maple is about 22" now (measured last night) and a trunk about .5", The root ball is large, bought it as a nursery plant. I will cut the ball down and try and feather out the roots. Knowing this would you say a 10X6x4 box is ok for this ?

remist17 wrote:Thanks for the updates all. A few questions:

1- I have a bunch of 5/4x6 decking boards that have been on the deck for a few years (at least 5). I am tearing off the deck and thought this would be good wood to use. will this cause a problem.....

Not at all.

2- I am only able to water the plants in the morning and the evening. If I go to turface only or turface with a little bark will the plants dry out? Thats why I thought about going a little more organic.

Since the grow box probably should be set in part shade, they will not get dry. In fact, watering twice a day may lead to root problems.

3- My one maple is about 22" now (measured last night) and a trunk about .5", The root ball is large, bought it as a nursery plant. I will cut the ball down and try and feather out the roots. Knowing this would you say a 10X6x4 box is ok for this ?

10x10x4 might be a bit better.

Ok great thanks

I have some shade cloth that is going up for the maples and elms.

I put the shade cloth up and they seem to be loving life.

I have some other trees that I dug up and are trying to grow. They are Oaks. I put them in pots with straight miracle grow potting soil. I dug the trees up out of the ground and thought the potting soil would be the best for right now.

Knowing what I know now, I guess I should repot them in a courser mix. Is it to late to do this?

It probably is too late to transplant now. Just watch your watering.

remist17 wrote:I put the shade cloth up and they seem to be loving life.

I have some other trees that I dug up and are trying to grow. They are Oaks. I put them in pots with straight miracle grow potting soil. I dug the trees up out of the ground and thought the potting soil would be the best for right now.

Knowing what I know now, I guess I should repot them in a courser mix. Is it to late to do this?

What kind of shade cloth did you end up using? Any pics?

Sorry for the late reply. I put up some 60% shade cloth purchased from Gemplers supply. I do not have any photos as I am kinda ashamed of the plants I have. Still learning....

I have a nech attached to a privacy fence that is 4 feet wide and 8 feet long. I used 1x2 treated boards to make a frame 4'x4' and split the bench in half. The maples and elm is under the shade. The boxwoods and junipers are in the sun.

remist17 wrote:Sorry for the late reply. I put up some 60% shade cloth purchased from Gemplers supply. I do not have any photos as I am kinda ashamed of the plants I have. Still learning....

I have a nech attached to a privacy fence that is 4 feet wide and 8 feet long. I used 1x2 treated boards to make a frame 4'x4' and split the bench in half. The maples and elm is under the shade. The boxwoods and junipers are in the sun.

If the boxwoods are Kingsville you should put those in the shade. Maybe even under the shade cloth, but Kingsvilles that I have seen dont like full sun as much.

remist17 wrote:Sorry for the late reply. I put up some 60% shade cloth purchased from Gemplers supply. I do not have any photos as I am kinda ashamed of the plants I have. Still learning....

I have a nech attached to a privacy fence that is 4 feet wide and 8 feet long. I used 1x2 treated boards to make a frame 4'x4' and split the bench in half. The maples and elm is under the shade. The boxwoods and junipers are in the sun.

no need to ever be ashamed we are all learning even the pros.