Can I grow a Japanese Maple indoors?

Snow Cherries · #1 September 9th, 2006, 02:04 PM

Is it possible to grow a small maple indoors or would the lack of sunlight and moderate temperatures prevent this from being a possibility?

**Rima** · #2 September 10th, 2006, 01:23 AM

A whole lot of factors prevent it from being possible - won't work at all.

uhlawstu1 · #3 September 10th, 2006, 05:33 PM

Well, why not? I don't profess to be an expert, and I'm sure it wouldn't be easy, but I'm equally sure it is within the realm of possibility. So, for the sake of argument, let's point out the issues.

Greenhouses are, after all, not the out-of-doors. So I guess Its just a matter of how much you want to duplicate that environment indoors. Greenhouses are bright and humid and your house is dry and dark - even when you think it's well lit its not. Your human eye is very poor judge of brightness in the objective sense becuase your eye mechanically adjusts when light levels change. Issue #1 would be light intensity and that would be easy to solve. Spend a couple hundred bucks on a HID light. Humidity levels is another issue. Your central AC dries the air. And your house is designed to stay dry. I guess you could keep the plant in a room with a humidifier.

The biggest thing is the dormancy period. Because your not going to want keep your house cold in the winter just for the sake of looking at a tree with no leaves, but, since the tree isn't that good looking in the winter anyway, maybe put it outside at that point.

I cant think of any other major obstacles. so the question becomes how far are you willing to go to keep it inside. If that doesn't include, at a minimum, having a very bright light humming for 12 or 13 hours a day above the tree and keeping your house nice and steamy, it probably won't work. But I disagree with Rima - it probably could be done. But at the same time - you probably dont want to do it.

schusch · #4 September 11th, 2006, 01:15 AM

How about living outdoors next to your maple? ;)

Seriously, I once brought a maple-in-leaf on a train, and I could see what AC does to the leaves. You have certain type of architecture that integrates trees in houses, but it does so by opening roofs, and isolating the tree with glass under the roof opening.

But I think Snow Cherries wants to keep a maple in a 'regular' indoors environment.

**Rima** · #5 September 11th, 2006, 02:06 AM

Any idea how many people have tried to do it (and not succeeded)? Thousands, over centuries! People who know more about growing trees in containers and how to keep them alive in unnatural conditions and who take better care of their trees than any tree has a right to ask for, and they're all bonsai-ists - many real experts who do succeed in keeping a few so-called 'undoable' species inside under ideal conditions costing lots of money, with years of horticultural knowledge and both outdoor (field growing) and indoor experience. No one can keep them alive for more than a year, if that, and if you want to prove them wrong, people who've spent their lives working with trees as a livelihood and/or personal obsession(!), then good luck to you. Some things just don't work.

**Galt** · #6 September 12th, 2006, 07:43 AM

Living in the PNW I would thing a tree would do just fine outside but should you really want to have it inside you would have to cycle its time indoors with time out of doors during the growing season. Possibly 3 to 7 days inside based on response and then put it back out for an equal if not longer time if I am guessing correctly. Then, as was pointed out earlier, it would need to go back out in fall to start trigger the dormancy process and remain outside over the winter.

So in that sense, you could bring it in for a dinner party to spruce up the room, but then back outside with it!

Regards

**shelli** · #7 September 12th, 2006, 09:15 PM

I've actually never thought about growing a maple indoors. What kind of maple? I guess I've never considered it because if it did work (and worked well) the tree would grow through my roof! ;-) If you think about it, maples don't grow naturally in southern climates (like southern Florida), so they probably wouldn't be happy in your house. How about putting in a large picture window and planting your maple right outside of it so you can enjoy it from the inside looking out!

majohnson · #8 September 17th, 2006, 05:27 PM

I had an Emp 1 growing inside for 6 months, until I got tried of taking in and out. It can be done! It just requires time on your part. I would take it out evey morning about 8am and back inside roughly at noon. It was placed in a sunny location when inside. It's much like growing large palms indoors, you must mist them with a spray bottle 2-3 time daily. I used Neptune Sea Harvest weekly.

**Rima** · #9 September 17th, 2006, 07:21 PM

You live in CA where the weather doesn't change much from month to month, and as you said yourself you had to drag it in and out all the time - not practical for most people!

Laurie · #10 September 17th, 2006, 07:37 PM

Snow Cherries, since you live in a wonderful climate for growing maples, I assume that you are asking about indoor culture as an apartment dweller without a balcony. If this is the case, you can grow a maple in a pot outside, and since it would not be planted in the ground, it would belong to you, not the landlord, and you can take it with you when you leave. So if there is a safe place to put a pot on the premises, i.e. not blocking corridors and entries, then your neighbors are likely to enjoy the tree as much as you would. For a year I grew potted roses tucked into the shrubs of the small yard of the apartment building, where we lived.