On 07/26/2010 04:23 PM, echinosum wrote:
Simon_Ash;895354 Wrote:
I have a Snake Bark Maple which I planted last year & it is currently
around 9' tall.

At the point where the branch broke off, the main trunk is down to
almost half its thickness, although its generally around two thirds
thickness.
I see what you have is Hers's maple (misprinted as Her's maple on
Wikipedia, I'm right, Wikipedia is wrong). It has at various times been
considered a separate species, A. hersii, and also a variety of Acer
grosseri, but I think recent thinking is that all these are subspecies
of A. davidii, the classic snakebark, despite the very obvious
differences. I also have one, about 10 yrs old. I'm guessing yours is
about 5 years old?


Um.

Was there an attachment to this I didn't see? It can be quite difficult
to differentiate the various Macrantha section Acers from a photo...

For the record, there are other errors in Wikipedia around the species
(Her's maple indeed!) This one is currently, and correctly in my view,
placed under davidii as Acer davidii ssp grosseri (as you say), and is
synonymous with A. hersii, an obsolete name (A.grosseri Pax 1902, A.
hersii Rehder 1922). This is a distinct plant from A. davidii ssp
davidii (Franchet 1855) first collected by Father Armand David in
Sichuan Province in 1869. Furthermore A. Laisuense (Fang and Hu, 1966)
is currently (de Jong, 1996) considered a separate species.

Which just goes to show you can't believe everything you read on
wikipedia. And also that I am prepared to bore just about anyone to
tears about this stuff!

[snip stuff I mostly agree with]

In summary, I think your tree is unlikely to be an attractive tree in
future as a result of the damage, so you have two choices: (1) replace
it this winter (2) try the drastic remedy I suggest. You will choose
the former if you don't hvae the patience, and don't have the space
/location for a reserve tree.


Note that maples have just one set of emergency buds. If you lop it off
this fall it will probably come back, but don't do it until after leaf drop.

Anyway I think it has every chance of becoming an attractive tree in a
couple-or-four years.

My personal preference is to cut the ragged bark to a clean edge, and
leave the wound to dry. (In this case, moisture is the enemy, not
dehydration. If there's enough cambium left to nourish the leaves,
you'll be OK). Snake bark maples are very good at healing, within a few
years it will probably grow around. True, the spot of the wound will
never have the striping, but eventually that whole part of the tree will
be past the point also. But basically you've got an established (or at
least partially established) maple, if you want a multi-stemmed tree
you'll probably have a chance to have one from this plant if you let
some buds from further down develop.

In the case of apples, I'm a strong believer in planting 1st winter
trees (bare root "maidens"), because in the long run they establish so
much better. You clearly planted quite a large tree. I wonder if it
would establish better if you planted a younger one?


Part of the reason we often plant large maples is that because they are
difficult to establish, a larger plant has more of a reserve to make it
through the first couple of years. Growing a ssp grosseri as a 2 year
old graft directly in the landscape may prove a challenging proposition...

Good luck with it, whichever way you decide.

-E