Weeping plants, like Weeping Japanese maples, have no idea how to grow in an upright fashion. As you’ll see in this movie, if just left to grow on their own they would simply lay on the ground and grow in a horizontal fashion.
Sounds crazy doesn’t it? But that’s the beauty of a weeping plant. All they want to do is weep!
In this video I am working with a small grouping of Weeping Japanese maples that I bought from One of Our Members
at Our 2019 Backyard Growers Shindig. Horace and Lisa showed up with a van packed full of Japanese maples. And when I say packed full, I mean packed full!
I have no idea how many they brought that day, but they left with only a handful. At the end of the day I told them I buy any weeping varieties that they had left. I think some were $10 and others $15. I spent $450 that day on Japanese maples and you can see them in this video one year later.
I already have people who have spoken for a few of these trees at $99.00 each. I’ll dig them late this fall or early next spring and sell them all at my plant sales in 2021.
In order to produce a nice looking weeping Japanese maples Like Many in These Photos, you have to train the trees to grow upright, then all of the new growth comes out and weeps down.
Enjoy the movie and pay close attention the “one finger pruning lesson”.
Questions, comments, mean things to say? Post them below and I will respond.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. Why do weeping Japanese maples need to be trained upright?
A. Weeping varieties don’t naturally grow upright. If you leave them alone, they’ll just sprawl along the ground. You have to train a leader upward, then all the new growth will weep down from there and give you that tree form.
Q. What happens if you don’t train a weeping Japanese maple?
A. It’ll stay low and grow in a mound instead of becoming a tree. They’ll still weep, but you won’t get any height out of them unless you guide them early on.
Q. What is that tree tying tool Mike is using?
A. It’s a simple tree tying machine that wraps tape around the stem and stake, staples it, and cuts it all in one motion. It just makes the job faster and easier when you’re training a lot of trees.
Q. Why is it important to remove growth below the graft union?
A. Anything growing below the graft is from the rootstock and not the actual variety you want. If you leave it, it’ll take over the tree and ruin it. You’ve got to remove it as soon as you see it.
Q. Why are Japanese maples grafted instead of grown from seed?
A. Named varieties don’t come true from seed, so growers graft them to keep the exact look and traits. Seedlings can look completely different, which is fine if you’re experimenting, but not if you want a specific variety.
Q. Why are my Japanese maple seedlings growing so slow?
A. Seed-grown maples are usually slower and less predictable than grafted trees. They’ll grow at their own pace, and some will take a few years before they really start moving. That’s normal—just give them time.
I have a question about some clippings I took a while back. I have about 12 hydrangeas and 10-12 arborvitae. The hydeangeas are starting to leaf out a bit but here in the Southern Tier of NY state we will starthaving frosts next month, or sooner! Should I leave the plants in my little greenhouse or move them to our unheated garage. Thanks Mike.
David,
You want them to go dormant for the winter, but if you could keep them warmer but still dormant in the garage that would work. Mine I leave outside all winter. Some hydrangeas like Macrophyllas are tricky getting through the winter.
Congratulations Mike! Your loss was on purpose. I’ve wanted to suggest you do that for years. I could never figure out how someone as active as you could put it on! Your lighter self will likely be able to share your good advice for many extra years. Blessings, Jean Anderson
Jean,
I spent 14 years working as a meter reader, walking from house to house 8 hours a day, marching through 24″ of snow and in the dogged heat of the summer and still put on weight. Do what I do carry that weight wasn’t easy but I just pushed through it. Even now my fitbit registers about 10,000 steps usually before 2:00 pm working in the nursery. I now feel great.
Since you feel fine Mr. McGroarty thats great. This is the most important .thing.
Thanks Mike so much I’ve been watching you for sometime now your videos are so helpful 😊you’re the best!!!
Thank you!
Mike, I have been following you for years and I loved every video you and your children made. But this one has me alarmed, are you ill? It appears you lost a lot of weight. I hope you are not ill God bless you and your family for being honest and sharing your ideas.
Janet,
I’m am perfectly fine, just lost weight.
What was your secret of losing weight mi ask
Owen,
After a lifetime of battling my weight I finally opted for weight loss surgery and I am extremely happy with my life now.
Hey Mike,
Do you have the mapples on the ground? How do you grab them later on? I might have overlooked the video on that, but you did so many!
Thanks for your massive effort on educational videos and content,
Alexis
Alexis,
Those maples are planted in the ground, I’ll dig them next spring.
I’d like to thank you also Mike. My wife was the green thumb gardener around here until she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She loved spring and getting back into the dirt. The outside has gotten kinda sad. But as part of my therapy to shake off the stresses of being the sole caregiver, I’ve been the keeper of all that’s green and beautiful around here. I don’t do near the planting she did, but I do keep everything looking good thanks to you!
The knowledge that you share with the public has taught me so much, it’s a very special thing to have! Thank you Mike! Is this an old video or are you losing weight bud?! If you’re losing, good job sir! Thanks again…
Christian,
It’s a new video, after years of fighting my weight I had weight loss surgery last year and I feel great.
Holy crap Mike I had to do a double take. You’re a shadow of your former self. You look really good, and I would dare say you have a healthy glow.
Hey mike, Jimmy Swaggart would have taken the tree to a prostitute to save it.
I loved the comment.
John
Yeah, I don’t know where that comment came from, but I’m like that.
Great video I have not tune in sometime. You got much weight off .
Mike,
Glad to see you lost some weight. Take care of your health! You are an inspiration to many, many gardeners all over the country! A veritable Rock Star!
Thanks Chuck, I appreciate it.
Thank you for being so generous with your knowledge. I have fallen in love with the outdoors again because of you and your videos, which I stumbled upon just a couple of months ago. I just wanted to thank you. You are appreciated. 🙂
Thank you Erin!