Growing Silver Maples

[MojoRisin]

I have silver maples at my house and hate them due to the bazillion helicopters they drop every year. Those cause maples to start growing in all of our gardens, some just in the decorative rock. Heck, some grow in the slats of the deck. I do have a large opening on my hunting land that I am working on putting stuff into. Silver maples would be good for me there. I have bags of the helicopters I just plan to spread there. Of course, if I want some to take hold, I bet they don't.

I am planning on taking some the trees that start in my gardens and put them into little pots to transplant next year onto my hunting land. My question, is what do I do with these pots in the winter time? Should they be brought into the basement and put under normal lighting? I have no intentions of adding any special lighting. They get standard light bulbs or nothing. I don't like silver maples enough to really spend money on them. Or, do I just leave them outside and hope the snow does not demolish them?

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I pondered this same thing a couple years back. Then decided I didn’t want a bazillion helicopters on my hunting land. Because you know once they establish they will spread like mosquitoes, and they will overcome every inch of your land, and the surrounding land. Ok, I may have had some bad dreams of me trying to kill off a bazillion baby silver maple plants that may start growing each year, and then I thought I don’t want them.

 

[MojoRisin]

I pondered this same thing a couple years back. Then decided I didn’t want a bazillion helicopters on my hunting land. Because you know once they establish they will spread like mosquitoes, and they will overcome every inch of your land, and the surrounding land. Ok, I may have had some bad dreams of me trying to kill off a bazillion baby silver maple plants that may start growing each year, and then I thought I don’t want them.

I hear ya and I hate silver maples but I have read they are good browse (including the leaves) and I could control any plethora of trees with a chainsaw. The surrounding area is basically swamp so I would not expect them to proliferate across the land. This multi-acre opening I have needs some bigger growth. This year has been a banner crop of helicopters. My deck and lawn are full once again after the recent winds. I despise them things and wonder why the hell so many people in my neighborhood planted them when the houses were built. That and the fact the roots get exposed out of the ground is another thing I hate about them in a residential area.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

This is a bit off-topic to your potting of silver maples, but there are several red maple cultivars on the market that are seedless - no "helicopters". They're male clones and don't make seeds. 2 that I'm familiar with are Autumn Spire and Sun Valley red maples. I've planted both of those. So if you want maples around your homes that don't make helicopters, those will do well.

Since the helicopters are problems for many folks, I thought I'd put this info out there. Sorry for the semi-hijack !!

 

[roymunson]

My now 7 year old did this at grandma's house a couple years ago. We planted them in a hot box in the garden and when they were big enough, transplanted them into a spot with more room, then finally this winter I planted them at our new house where they'll be permanently.

We left them outside all winter long. I'm sure we had some loss, but shoot, it takes 5 minutes to plant 100 helicopters.

Now I just need to look into how to properly trim them to keep the leader and have the rest of it bush out.

 

[Bill]

I pondered this same thing a couple years back. Then decided I didn’t want a bazillion helicopters on my hunting land. Because you know once they establish they will spread like mosquitoes, and they will overcome every inch of your land, and the surrounding land. Ok, I may have had some bad dreams of me trying to kill off a bazillion baby silver maple plants that may start growing each year, and then I thought I don’t want them.

I remember that thread and I almost spread some also. Glad I didn’t. I have a small field with a big one on the edge. Let the field go fallow and now their so thick I don’t believe a deer would go through it. I mowed a path last year just so I could get into the field. I’ll have to take a pic next time I’m there.

Maybe planting them would be different as it would be while before a zillion helicopters were produced and some other things would be planted by the birds.

 

[SD51555]

I have silver maples at my house and hate them due to the bazillion helicopters they drop every year. Those cause maples to start growing in all of our gardens, some just in the decorative rock. Heck, some grow in the slats of the deck. I do have a large opening on my hunting land that I am working on putting stuff into. Silver maples would be good for me there. I have bags of the helicopters I just plan to spread there. Of course, if I want some to take hold, I bet they don't.

I am planning on taking some the trees that start in my gardens and put them into little pots to transplant next year onto my hunting land. My question, is what do I do with these pots in the winter time? Should they be brought into the basement and put under normal lighting? I have no intentions of adding any special lighting. They get standard light bulbs or nothing. I don't like silver maples enough to really spend money on them. Or, do I just leave them outside and hope the snow does not demolish them?

Couldn't you get all the browse you wanted with a couple hours on the chainsaw? I haven't found a deciduous tree on my property the deer won't browse after it re-sprouts. I'd take an acre of ash stumps for browse and cover over any planting.

 

[Apple Junkie]

I am not a fan of Silver Maples either, but all sorts of critters eat those helicopters and the seedlings they give rise to. I don't think you need to baby them, just leave them outside and they will be fine. However, at the end of the day I think soil conditions will determine what takes over your opening. If box elder and honeysuckle have not already started the take over, I don't know what will. Good luck with your project, it should be interesting.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Sounds like the OP has a large opening he's trying to fill in...so nothing to chainsaw to create browse. Transplanting silver maple that grew in your garden will work. Maybe I missed something, but why are you asking about waiting until next year and overwintering them. Just put them in the ground this fall and be done with it.

Silver maples were commonly planted in towns and around new homes back in the day because of their fast growth. But yes, their seeds, the fact that their roots come to the surface quickly, and the fact that they also have a tendencies to drop a ton of dead branches to the ground made them unpopular.

 

[j-bird]

The dang things will grow just about anywhere. I wouldn't mess with potting them. I would simply spread the seed where you want them...and some will surely take as long as it has soil contact, sun and moisture. You can then cage if needed. I would try to mix in other varieties if you can, just for diversity. Raising in pots and then over-wintering and the like for something as prolific as a maple tree just seems like a lot more work than I personally would want to put into a maple tree. From what I have seen silver maple prefer a damper soil condition as well....

 

[MojoRisin]

Sounds like the OP has a large opening he's trying to fill in...so nothing to chainsaw to create browse. Transplanting silver maple that grew in your garden will work. Maybe I missed something, but why are you asking about waiting until next year and overwintering them. Just put them in the ground this fall and be done with it.

Silver maples were commonly planted in towns and around new homes back in the day because of their fast growth. But yes, their seeds, the fact that their roots come to the surface quickly, and the fact that they also have a tendencies to drop a ton of dead branches to the ground made them unpopular.

You are correct in that I am filling in a large opening and this opening is not optimal soil. It is damp. I know the silver maples have a fighting chance in there. I planted many Ninebark this spring as well as adding a bunch of Red Osier Dogwood and other shrubs that can handle the soil. I can definitely get them in the ground in the fall. I didn't know if it was better to do a spring transplant. But now I am thinking of just spreading the bags of seeds I've acquired per j-bird's recommendation.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I know if you just throw some in the air, and they land in a rain gutter, they will grow about 6 inches in no time.

 

[TreeDaddy]

What is the habitat value of a maple tree?

bill

 

[Bowsnbucks]

In the case of silver maples, pretty much only for browse while they're "reachable". The wood is really soft, and is easily damaged by wind, wet snow, ice, etc. I'd saw them off periodically once they get established, and keep stump sprouts coming for browse and cover.

 

[j-bird]

I would agree with above. Maples are only really valuable to deer if they are within browsing reach. Sure they can provide cover, and hold soil and the like, but specific for deer....if they can't eat it....it's not much use. Soft maples (silver and red) tend to be decent stump sprouters in my experience....hard/sugar maple....not so much. I have better luck hinging soft maples as well.

Yes - I too grow maples in rain gutters at times....damn things!

I am glad to hear he is planting other things as well. The diversity will help in the long run.

 

[144]

Yep, red maple stump sprouts get hammered around here. I’ve got a few I plan to cut in the next couple of weeks just to get them to stump sprout.


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[wklman]

I love maples. My woods get covered in maple seedlings every spring and the deer mow them off by fall. They're a great early spring food when there's really not much else around.

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[H20fwler]

There are a lot of better options than silver maple that would be a benefit and be native. It does always seem like it would be so easy to do but once in I think they would be like a vampire doing whatever they want spreading everywhere taking over and shading out native plants and trees.
Silver maples are dirty trees...I guess they can be browsed and different animals eat the seeds but I would go with almost anything else even if it is more expensive.

 

[g squared 23]

There are a lot of better options than silver maple that would be a benefit and be native. It does always seem like it would be so easy to do but once in I think they would be like a vampire doing whatever they want spreading everywhere taking over and shading out native plants and trees.
Silver maples are dirty trees...I guess they can be browsed and different animals eat the seeds but I would go with almost anything else even if it is more expensive.

I 100% agree. A ROD, elderberry or maybe a even buttonbush thicket would be more beneficial and less likely to become a nuisance. If I saw anyone claiming to be a “habitat manager” try to spread a single maple-coptor on my land, I dare say I would kick that person squaw in the nuts.

 

[Tree Spud]

There are a lot of better options than silver maple that would be a benefit and be native. It does always seem like it would be so easy to do but once in I think they would be like a vampire doing whatever they want spreading everywhere taking over and shading out native plants and trees.
Silver maples are dirty trees...I guess they can be browsed and different animals eat the seeds but I would go with almost anything else even if it is more expensive.

Anytime someone says easy and they grow anywhere is a concern. So many other better choices for browse, they offer no cover.

Outside of fall leave color ... last tree I would ever consider planting.