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| | Metro Maples - Maples On The Move 2012:
by Keith Johansson, owner
Updated 2-2-12
(click
here for Maples on the Move 2007) (Maples on the Move 2008) (Maples
on the Move 2009)
(Maples On The
Move 2010)
(Maples On The
Move 2011)
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| Jan 8, 2012 - A brand new year and a brand new Maples on
the Move. Metro Maples is on the move once again and growing
into the future. We never take a defensive position because of
weather or the economy and believe the best defense is a good
offense. We are currently digging and moving many of our display
trees to new locations. My wife says I move them around like
furniture. Left - Many of my 2 year old dwarf Shantung are now
planted in a total redesign of the front of my Display Garden.
The one shown to the left, and several others, even still have their red
fall leaves. These dwarfs were discovered in 2010 and most likely
occurred due to an adaptation to the harsh Texas climate. Their
smaller leaves and reduced growth rates will save moisture and aid in
their survival. It will be pure fun watching them
grow. Center - A 'Baby Dragon'®
bonsai had some top branches cut back and is starting to look good after
three years. Did you notice the trademark symbol used on 'Baby
Dragon'®
as this legal process is almost completed. Right - Go out and
look at all the great maple shapes and colors now that we don't have the
leaves blocking the view. This curving upright is 'Mikawa yatsubusa'
and also has attractive light green bark and closely-spaced bright red
buds. Also as president of the NAB of the Maple Society I invite
everyone to go to www.maplesociety.org
and become a member. Our fall meeting is in Seattle with a post tour
into Oregon. |
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| Jan 13, 2012 - Friday the 13th but no bad luck here.
Left - All the air-layering that was done last year were examined and
removed from the base as we had 100 percent success. A large Sharp's
Pygmy is shown with a 5 gal root system. Center - Jeter is a new
stray cat that adopted us and wants to be a maple farmer. Here he is
telling me he can earn his food (and he has an enormous appetite) by
catching mice and squirrels. I agree to his terms as he has claws
that are sharper than my grafting knife. Right - The beautiful bark on a connoisseur
maple. Acer gresium, (gre see um), commonly called
paperbark maple. |
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| Jan 17, 2012 - Left - 4 days ago the low temperature was 24
degrees so finally the dwarf Shantung are losing the longest lasting fall
colors I have ever seen. Left center - That's me holding a18' Fire
Dragon®
in a 95gal pot in the sales area. Right center - Another cool
shape. This is a Mikawa yatsubusa seedling now in a pot twice as
large as it has had the last 2 years. Right - Beautiful new growth
on another dwarf Shantung that's been kept in the greenhouse. |
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| Jan 20, 2012 - The Texas Rangers new pitcher, Yu
Darvish, arrives at DFW airport
with a maple shirt and the words 'I Will Survive'. I guess he
thinks he is as tough as a Japanese maple but he hasn't pitched a day game
in August yet. The leaf is eerily similar to Metro Maples' first logo as shown.
Center - Shape of 'Fire Dragon'®
at 13 years. Right - Interior view
of a large 'Murasaki kiyohime'. |
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| Jan 26, 2012 - I see signs of an early
spring. Left - This time of year the Coral barks have stunning red
on the young vigorous shoots. Center - Three things for "there's always a first
time". First graft on a dwarf Shantung test
plant and the first time to make a graft that still had some fall
colors (even the record 5 inches of rain yesterday didn't knock off all the
red leaves.). This is also the first time I have started
grafting in January. Chinese New Year brings in "The Year of
the Dragon" and you can bet that I will name at least one new
Shantung Dragon this year. Right - A close-up of a main horizontal branch
of an
old 'Inaba shidare'. Notice the secondary branches that first go
up, then out and then down. |
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| Feb 2, 2012 - The weatherman official declared the drought
over in north central Texas. Jeter's response to seeing his shadow on
Groundhog Day, "Six more weeks of cold? I don't think so.
Now can I go back to sleep." Center - Root exposure on a small
Shantung bonsai that was repotted. In a couple of years this should
look real good. Be careful with surface roots on Shantung as they
are not designed for sun and can burn until they develop bark. Right - Herb seeds are up and will be used along
with my dwarf Shantung, which are the centerpiece, in the new dry Mediterranean
garden. |
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