Japanese maple please help wanting to dig out

[purelydaniel]

Hey guys I want to dig out a big maple about 6 meters high would it be okay to right it righ down or not, I need to know by tomorrow I've read that I can't cut it right back it's as thick as three coke cans

[Olivecrazy]

Ive never had a maple but i would say if its dormant go for it get a good root ball chop it to the hight you think is good an go from there

[purelydaniel]

You can come help me dig it does any one live on the sunshine coast we can go dig up some nice privets I have to get pics up

[Olivecrazy]

You can come help me dig it does any one live on the sunshine coast we can go dig up some nice privets I have to get pics up

Im a very keen collector dont tease me like that ive dug stuff out that i needed a boat trailer to winch it out if i was close i would help

[purelydaniel]

Where about are you

[Olivecrazy]

South Australia dont think the wife would let me fly to dig a tree

[pommie_mal]

You can come help me dig it does any one live on the sunshine coast we can go dig up some nice privets I have to get pics up

I can help if you can wait till Friday or next weekend? I live just up the road at Gympie.

[shibui]

Question is do you really need a bonsai Japanese maple that is as thick as 3 coke cans???? What sized pot will you need for such a monster??? Can you even get such a pot?? What cost????

As for survival - If it is dormant I'd say it would probably survive transpalnt and cut back - but you are in Qld so may already be growing??? My experience is trees with new buds are least likely to survive. However you insinuate that it needs to be dug tomorrow or???? dead anyway?? What have you got to loose???

A trunk that thick will have thick roots so take an axe or saw to cut through roots - maple wood is very hard. Do not be frightened to cut roots short. A bonsai with few, thick roots is not worth having. Cutting roots really short when you dig will give the better future bonsai.

good luck

[Andrew F]

dont tease me like that ive dug stuff out that i needed a boat trailer to winch it out

[purelydaniel]

I know Howe to dig the trees out it's just wanted to know of it would be okay to right it right back that's all I want to male a twin trunk

[Bougy Fan]

I think it will be too late - my tridents are all coming out into leaf already.

[shibui]

Whether it will shoot from a cut down trunk depends on many things - age of the trunk, time of year, conditions after digging, etc. i do not think there is 1 real answer. The older the wood the less likely it will bud so depends on wether this 3 coke can trunk grew quickly or over many years. You give no info on whether the tree has started to grow this season or not and only you can vouch for your hort skills after digging it so the answer is the same as how long is a piece of string? too many unknown variables to give you a reliable answer from 2000km away. My best answer, again, is what have you got to lose??

[alpineart]

Hi pd , mate your got nothing to loose except blood , sweat and tears . I posted a topic quite some time ago "Urban Yamadori Maple" , it might give you some idea of what your up against.

Cheers Alpineart

[davemc]

Hi pd were is the maple located?

[Webos]

It'll survive, and yes, cut it back as much as you like... But be sure to seal all of your wounds bot above and below the ground. Maples easily succumb to fungal diseases through wounds. I lost a beauty a couple of years back this exact same way.

Good luck, big maples are hard digging. They root themselves in really, really hard.

Adam