What could I do if my japanese maple is pushing leaves in winter. The leaves changed color and dropped (I pruned the remaining ones) but after two weeks it started leafing out. Should I let them grow and put the tree inside in warmer location or should I prune them forcing it to dormancy? Is a relatively young plant.
1 Like
this happened to me last year after I left it in my garage and my roommate left the space heater running for a week although it happened 2nd week of February instead of now. It was a second year air layer of a really rare cultivar. I just babied the crap out of it until Spring. It looked really good until August when it shed half its leaves. Its still alive now but I am hoping it gets a full dormancy this winter.
Best of luck to you.
2 Likes
Sam!
This late in the (northern) winter, I would vote for saving the buds!
.
A lot depends where you are. Outside temps…
You don’t mention where you are. Your name tag doesn’t say where you reside (general area or local zone…?)
And, maybe, the tree size!
Is it in the ground? (Wrap it with see through bubble wrap and hope for spring!)
.
If you are in a temperate climate, it would be different than what I would do here, up north, at 25F.
.
Regardless, keep the tree above ~40F. It needs some light and water. Unheated garage with a window? Maybe spring for a heat mat and a grow lite?
Bring it in at night if you have to. Put it under any available light if you bring it in full time (~8 hours a day…). Remember to water if the soil is not frozen.
.
Emergency for me here, I would put a tree in my 50F basement under several 100 watt grow lights. Small trees into a large unused fish tank with flourescent light.
.
It was a crazy fall here. Still had green leaves on my maples in November. Then it hit -5F. 40 today… rain, rain, rain…, nights 30. Expect 20 next week…
Spring will be early, cold and wet… Dont know what to expect when I pull the decideous trees out of their winter storage in March / April…
.
Just some ideas! Pop in a photo. Its always fun to see what others are doing!
Bonsai On!
2 Likes
Thank you for your response! yeah, I guess I will have to babied this one too.
Hey! Thank you a lot for your detailed answer. Im in Mexico City, so temperate climate. Usually japanese maples do fine because we are at high elevations (7,400 ft) so the weather is cold this time of the year. The problems is that this year, during the day we got ~67F.
Thanks for the suggestions, I will go for saving the buds then and yes, I’m already bringing it in at night hoping it’ll do fine, Fingers crossed.
Thanks!!
Good! As above, unless it drops below 40F, dont wory about the buds!
For bonsai, its the perk, and bad point of living in a temperate climate. You probably cant keep Ponderosa, Spruce, or Japanese pines, though… They need to drop below freezing to winter sleep…
.
At 15F, I throw a tarp over my LARGER outside bonsai.
The windchill factor here will kill them. Sometimes goes to -30F. I have only lost a couple over the years to winter.
I have actually lost more trees by taking them inside for protection…
I have miserable luck with temperate (indoor winter here…) trees. Currently killing a Fukien tea tree, several medium Portulacaria (succulants) and a ficus. My 2 young Portulacaria and ficus starts got TOO dry and died at new years… Too dry in my house in winter for cactus 
… even though I have a humidifier going (2 gallons a day!)
…
However, I do have some awsome Ponderosa! They are high mountain native and can take extream cold!
.
Good luck!
Bonsai On!
1 Like
yes!! sadly any japanese pines make it here (I really would love to have some white pines).
I guess everyone just wants to have whatever they find rare in their natural environment; cactus, ficus are everywhere here and I kind of hate them because they are everywhere jajaja
Thanks again for your detailed responses!