the answer is ....taaadummmmmm.... yes of course that's what they are trying to do now "if you leave them they will grow"just move 'em to a place you want them depending on what type of maple you have it may or may not look like it's mom...HINT remember the size of the mother tree...David

Cool!! Free trees. What a deal! I moved them along the fence line where I needed some trees. I probably will have to wait years to see much growth. ?? How can I protect them this winter from the snow smashing them. They are so tiny now.

They probably will be ok even if you do nothing ...thats how they grow in the wild ...but in the wild some do die ..if you are worried you can mulch them which will give them more support use cedar mulch ..it's bug resistant and get stuff thats not to fine ...but honestly i'd just plant a few extras and leave as is if they all grow thin 'em out ...then if she dies she dies ...but you'll still have plenty ...David

Well they are planting in the beds as of last night. But....they are so tiny a few only an inch or two tall. They are all standing tall in their new home. I think maybe they will get trampled with the snowfall. ??? Should I take them out and pot them up for a year or so. What happens to them when two feet of snow fall on top of them. Perhaps they will grow considerably between now and then. I really have not had any experience with this before. I do appreciate your help regarding this. Looking forward to hearing what I should do for their survival. Thanks

What happens to them when two feet of snow fall on top of them.

They'll be long dormant and safely asleep. The mulch should help them come through this first winter fine.

I collected a pair of tiny maple seedlings from a Crimsom King maple several years ago and replanted them in a terra cotta pot.(3-way mix plus a topping of wood chip mulch).I just left them near a raised bed in the back yard. That first summer most of the leaves fell off but I just left it out over the winter.(Zone 5) The next year the maples had grown larger with more and bigger leaves.They also kept their leaves 'til the fall.Today the seedlings are almost sapling sized.The have not had a day out the elements(rain,wind,snow,blazing heat) and are better than ever.I give them a drink of water once in a while in the summer.Today I gave them a sprinkle of slow release fertilizer for the first time ever. I hope that extra attention does'nt kill them. :>)

P.S. The terra cotta pot looks like hell.

Just adding this note to the previous follow up.

About 3 weeks ago, the local deer population chewed off all the leaves on my maple saplings.I just left the stems in the terra cotta pot hoping the saplings would leaf out again next year. To my amazement in just 3 weeks they have re-leafed almost as much as before.
I will now spray "Deer Off" on the saplings every week.

Wow how cool that they grew new leaves. They are pretty hardy little trees I would say. So I can just leave them in their pots through the winter, let them freeze solid in the pots as the ground sure freezes. Not a problem from what you wrote. Am I correct? Thanks for the help.

I think that would be a big mistake...at least put inside a unheated garage or shed..or bury the pots in the ground or in DEEP mulch ....you may get lucky with a mild winter ..alot of snow insulation or just lucky but you are shooting craps by doing it ...even more so the smaller the pot ...which gives the roots even less insulation ..now if we're talkin' about a ten gal pot well maybe still I wouldn't ...but it's your decision ..David

I always pot mine up for a few years.I wait till they get at least 2 feet tall before planting out.I've got about 60 now in little 4 inch pots-next year I'll move to larger pots.They are hardy little trees.I've got 2 in my yard that are 6 feet tall-I started both of them as tiny seedlings!It is so cool looking at these trees,remembering when I potted up those tiny seedlings!

I am thinking of replanting some maples from my overgrown back yard to my barren front yard. Is it too late in the year? Should I wait until spring. They are about the size of saplings

Hi there Mary

Just noticed your comment posted precisely a decade ago in June 2006

The big Question is,how are the seedlings looking now ?

Are they resembling Mum

I dare say they are around 5 or 6ft now

Happy Gardening & Best wishes

Stephen,Cheshire.UK