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dil3000yo

Transplanting maple seedlings?

dil3000yo
9 years ago

We have a ton of small (about 4" tall I would say) maple seedlings in our yard. I'd love to be able to transplant a few. Is it best to do so now while they're so small or wait until they're bigger? Should I wait until winter? I was thinking of transplanting them into pots to grow until they're bigger before I put them in the ground in their permanent places.

If I do put them in pots is there a certain kind of soil that is best to use in the pots?

Comments (4)

  • hairmetal4ever
    9 years ago

    Maples have fibrous roots, making them easy to transplant, but I'd still wait until fall. Probably around the time the leaves are changing color or have fallen off.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    tie a colorful piece of something.. so that when the tree is nudie.. you know which one to move ...

    what he said about timing ...

    one might ask.. if you have hundreds of seedlings.. why you think moving and encouraging more of the same heavy seeders.. would be the best idea .... i am sure there are better.. cleaner trees... that could be mail ordered for less than 20 dollars.. and you wont spend the rest of your life complaining about the heavy see crop ...

    i like to say.. just because its free.. doesnt mean has a good value ... its about worth what you paid for it.. nothing ... its a weed tree ... hence the reason they are already.. all over your yard ...

    ken

  • skyjumper
    9 years ago

    oh ken why do you hate maples so much? aside from the truly invasive silver maples, they are good trees imo.

    op - I would just make sure they are not silver maples. look around your yard - which tree is dropping these seeds? figure out what type of maple it is.

    I have planted and transplanted many red & hybrid maples (seeds from autumn blaze maples). they are very hardy trees and transplant well. right now would be a great time. just try to get as much root mass as possible and give it plenty of water. like every other day. i'd also give it a shot of miracle grow (dissolved in water) once a week. the thing will probably put on 2ft of growth the remainder of this summer. once in a pot you can plant it permanently in a year or 2 with very little transplant shock. just keep the pot surrounded in mulch in winter to keep the roots from freezing.

  • Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
    9 years ago

    With wild red maples definitely wait till fall if fall color is important to you. Some will be a bland yellow, others great. May as well pick one you like.

    I bet you COULD transplant them now as they are free and it would be a quick easy move. Still though, what if you pick the three with poor coloring? Just yesterday I pulled some black cheery weeds / trees out of a flower bed and put a couple around a dead crepe myrtle. I figure at least one will show good fall color and be the winner.

    Far as putting them in a pot? Make sure you have potting soil and someplace to hide the pot from full sun as it may cook the roots.

    What else.....man, if you are itching to do it now, just move six to a spot in the ground, put a flag or two around them and figure one or two will die and one or two just won't look good and you'll have to choose the best of the remaining two next year.