# Ginkgo Growth Rate



## Elmore (Jun 12, 2006)

In another thread an AS member made a comment on the growth rate of Ginkgoes. I replied "Fast growers? No. Typically moderate to slow in growth rate." They are sometimes known for a pretty good rate when young but are said to slow down with maturity. Attached are pictures of a male tree that I rooted in 1996. At one point, a few years back, it was in a 3 gallon container and looked like it was going to go south on me. I nursed it back to health and transplanted it into a 7g container. This spring it has put on 29 inches of new growth and is still stretching. This new growth starts at the lateral branches, about half way down. It is a male tree that I found locally. I call it "Maggie's Male". The original tree (see attached image) is a fairly broad and attractive specimen. I now graft it. 

29 inches of new growth

<img src=http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=35045&stc=1&d=1150138566">


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## Elmore (Jun 12, 2006)

*New Growth on 'Jade Butterflies'*

Here is a Ginkgo cultivar known as 'Jade Butterflies'. It is supposed to be a dwarf and exhibit short inter nodal growth. Often it is compared with Acer palmatum 'Shishigashira' in appearance. It must take on that look with maturity. It definitely looks different than many of the other Ginkgoes that I grow...large leaves with darker colors. Currently it looks pretty much the same as many of the others but as the new growth hardens it appears darker in color. I grafted this tree in April of 2003. It is in a 7g container and has put on 24 inches of new growth this spring. I know this because my cat measured it.

<img src="http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=35052&stc=1&d=1150141898"width=500>


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## coveredinsap (Jun 12, 2006)

Sorry, but I still consider them 'slow growth'. We've got walnuts that spring up from squirrels planting the nuts that easily grow to 8' - 10' feet in 2 years. Ditto for the privet that springs up from bird droppings.

Did you ever notice that the trees you want to grow fast never do, and the ones you don't want to grow are the fastest growers of all? 

We've got a walnut that volunteered about 5 or 6 years ago that is now about 15' - 20' tall and you can't hardly touch your fingers of both hands together around the trunk. I'm probably going to have to move the satellite dish soon because of it.

Of course, keeping trees contained in buckets makes them grow slower too.


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## Elmore (Jun 12, 2006)

*New Growth on 'Chase Manhattan'*

Here is the dwarf cultivar 'Chase Manhattan'. It is known for it's tiny leaves and small stature. Michael Dirr, in his book, says that his 'Chase Manhattan' should get 3 feet by the time he's 99. He's either very old or he's not paying attention to his tree. I spoke to the original grower of this tree, Bon Hartline, last week. Mr. Hartline said that his original tree is about 25 years old and about 25'x4'. A very compact and attractive little tree. I obtained mine from Jules Kline (Crestwood, KY) in 2001. It was a very young graft in a 1g container, very small. I have been growing it in a 7g container for a few years and it is about 3 feet tall. It has put on 12 inches of new growth this spring.


'Chase Manhattan'

<img src="http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=35054&stc=1&d=1150145919">


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## Elmore (Jun 12, 2006)

coveredinsap said:


> Sorry, but I still consider them 'slow growth'. We've got walnuts that spring up from squirrels planting the nuts that easily grow to 8' - 10' feet in 2 years. Ditto for the privet that springs up from bird droppings...



If I wanted "fast" I would grow ornamental pear and soft maple. To me, those are just cultivated weeds. I grow superior trees. Relatively rare and unusual trees. Nothing but the best and later for the rest.


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## dakota (Jun 12, 2006)

Have you tried anything with the one you called 'Bulldog' yet?

-Andy


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## Elmore (Jun 12, 2006)

dakota said:


> Have you tried anything with the one you called 'Bulldog' yet?
> 
> -Andy



Yes...I watered them yesterday. I need to give them a bit of fertilizer and bump up a few into 3g containers. The rest will probably remain in 1g containers for at least one more season. They were grafted about 1 year ago. 

Here is the original tree, a rather full foliaged and compact male specimen.

<img src="http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=35057&stc=1&d=1150167227"width=500>


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## 1I'dJak (Jun 13, 2006)

elmore ginko man, we're gonna be buying some property soonish maybe someday.... and i'd like to plant a ginko... i live on vancouver island... get a little wet...got any suggestions? and are all ginkos at nurseries males... how does that work?


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## Elmore (Jun 14, 2006)

1I'dJak said:


> elmore ginko man, we're gonna be buying some property soonish maybe someday.... and i'd like to plant a ginko... i live on vancouver island... get a little wet...got any suggestions? and are all ginkos at nurseries males... how does that work?



got any suggestions? Yeah...plant as many different kinds as you can find. If you have room, plant a female tree, for nuts.
Contact the UBC Botanical Garden in regard to growing in your area.
There are some reputable growers, on the west coast (Oregon), who do Ginkgoes. Handy Nursery Company, Buchholz and Buchholz Nursery and STANLEY & SONS NURSERY, INC....to name a few. They are wholesale but perhaps you can find a tree through them. Tell em I sent you.

Here is what I said in another thread in regard to obtaining a Ginkgo at a nursery :




Elmore said:


> Like I said in an earlier post, "I find it difficult to decisively locate a graft union on older Ginkgo trees. Many grown from seed will look like they have a union. It's not as apparent as on smooth barked trees i.e. Acer palmatum."
> 
> Even if they were grafted it could be a female. That is why it is so important to deal with a reputable nursery or nurseryman. There is a very good and reputable tree nursery in a southern state that was selling the cultivar 'Fairmount' and many of these turned out to be female. I am sure that they bought in the liners, grew them in the field and sold them WB or b&b. I don't know how they reconciled with the customers but I am confident that they took care of them. It was an embarrassment, I'm sure. There is a retail nursery near me that has some good sized Ginkgoes for a reasonable price and looking at them with the son of the owner, he related that they are budded after looking at the trunk but I have an apple tree in my yard that came from them and it was sold as a quince. You just never know. I visited another local retail shop a few weeks back and they had some smaller trees, about 3 to 4 feet tall. Reasonably priced and I noticed some "Buddy Tape" on the lower trunk that gave me the impression that these were budded but there was no description as to the cultivar or even a designation of being male. All these Ginkgoes and the ones at the other nursery had tags that simply said Ginkgo biloba/Maidenhair Tree. When I produce one I do my best to label it properly. When small I put a tag or two in the pot and when larger I put a label on the branches or trunk in addition to the tags in the container. Still mistakes can happen. The graft union on this species is more evident on a very small tree than on an older, larger tree.


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## Elmore (Jun 16, 2006)

*Extremely Slow Ten Year Old Ginkgo Seedling*

About ten years ago I cleaned some seed near the north east side of the house and low and behold one got away and sprouted. It has been growing in this very shady and extremely rocky location for about ten years. It is only about nine inches tall and the stem is about as big as five tooth picks bundled together. I may try to move it some day to see how it will do in a good deep soil or some soilless mix. It's the slowest growing Ginkgo that I have ever seen. I consider it a natural Bonsai.

<img src="http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=35180&stc=1&d=1150515789"width=500>


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