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Rooting Japanese Maple cuttings for Bonsai?

I finally broke down and ordered a red Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) off Ebay to reduce to bonsai starts. The only local nurseries which have them want $100-$200 for the same size 4 ft tree I ordered for $20 (hell ova markup!). I realize it will be all long and twiggy and I won't get to bonsai until at least next year with the cuttings I make this year - no matter as I FINALLY will have a blood red maple (and probly plenty to trade) but I was wondering if any of you have made successful cuttings of these or other woody plants and have any tips for me, so to speak.

Are rooting hormones or powders neccesary? I never use them on other plants but I've never tried to root a woody plant. My book on plant propagation says to strip off the outer coat on the part going under the soil and cut all leaves in half to encourage better rooting from the inner flesh on tree cuttings. I already do those things on Nep cuttings. I will be planting the tree cuttings in the fired clay grit I use for cacti & succulents so it will have bonsai ready roots that will fall out of the soil when the time is ready to move them.

To quicken the tree starts for next year (double the growth rate essentially) can I put them under lights indoors overwinter instead of letting them go dormant as they should or will they die? I know they can't be treated that way every year since they need sleep but what about the first year?
 
Hack down the tree to leave a couple of growing points. Reduce the roots to the same ratio as the leaves and growth left. Be patient. It'll reduce the size of its leaves and try to die, but mine didn't. Shape as preferred.

Use excess new growth for Softwood cuttings, and experiment with them.
 
I personally don't know that I would stress the plant that much all at one... Cutting one third of the entire plant back at a time is my normal limit (maybe more if I have been growing the plant and know how it will react). Also if it is a true "Blood Red" japanese maple it may very well be grafted onto a different rootstock in which case rooting will be either very, very difficult or impossible.

I would say yes on the hormone. At the very worst it will help combat infection if you get the stuff with the fungicide in it. Also one person's rooting techniques in one area can never be guaranteed to work for someone else. Some of our family friends own a nursery and all the different nurseries in the area covet their hollys because no one else can get them to root even with the same techniques.

One technique that they use at the nursery for woody plants is to make their cut then take the blade of a knife and just strip the outer layer of bark/whatever else they end up taking with it from one side of the cutting before treating it to allow a fuller callus. Basically they just hold the leafy end of the cutting and just make one quarter inch (long) swipe of the blade at the lower portion of the cutting. Imagine you are making a tiny spear but don't take THAT much off haha just one little shaving.

It's worth a shot. If you have success let me know. Bonsai was my first love before CP's came into my life. If you want to try grafting that is another option. Get a small green japanese maple from seed (I have a ton if you want them and I can send them once I'm back home in summer) and look up the different grafting methods and play Dr. Frankenstein 'til your hearts content.

Good luck!
-J.P.
 
Um, not sure if it helps, but when ever I search "how to root a tree" it says to air layering works.
 
I've never had success rooting Maples cuttings. I have not tried many, but all I did failed. I too was trying Red Maples.
I think you would have better luck air layer it. I think that's what is recommended in all my bonsai books I have.
 
Thanks for the warnings guys, I won't lumberjack the whole thing then as I'd planned. I'll just try a few tip cuttings and try an air layer or two and let the main plant live in a nice big pot for the summer. Maybe that'll be my 8 hands bonsai... :D

Any idea why they don't root well, is it because of the red leaves not photosynthesizing enough?
 
I think it is just that the stems don't have enough energy stored to make roots, not the color of the leaves.
 
TRy goglin propaating japanese maples. Gr8 instruction for it on the garden web.
LMO
 
According to my prop. books leafy Japanese maple cuttings as well as other Asiatic maples will root readily in a sand or perlite/peat medium 1:1 if made from tips of vigorous pencil size shoots in late Spring and placed under mist. 10,000-20,000 ppm IBA with wounding at the end of the cutting is beneficial.

They go on to note that overwintering the first year is a problem. New growth shortly after rooting should be induced on the cuttings by using supplementary lighting and fertilizer.

They also mention that hardwood cuttings taken during midwinter and treated with IBA after wounding will also work.
 
  • #10
Thanks Tony, were you trying to butter me up and tell me everything I wanted to hear? lol! :D

I'll be attempting to root mine not in sand but that Shultz aquatic plant soil (fired clay pieces), it's better than any sand we can get around here which is all so fine it settles into a compact mass.
 
  • #11
If cuttings fail, there is always grafting.
 
  • #12
um, what exactly would he graft to?

Oh, I wonder if I can graft a red maple on to a normal maple in my yard. (not the Japanese maple but those read leaved versions of all the maple trees in new England) I might try it this fall.
 
  • #13
I wouldn't recommend grafting..no reason for it, and it leaves an ugly scar on the trunk..
not a great idea for Bonsai..and no benefit that I can see..

Air layering should be successful with japanese maples..
and cuttings will root if you use rooting hormone and high humidity..
probably not 100% success, could take all summer, but some should work..

I once did a "cutting seminar" at:
http://www.internationalbonsai.com/
and I had about 50% success with Japanese maples..
they have a humidity chamber there where they keep them for several months..

but IMO the best way to get a good "starter tree" is to buy a small one,
plant it out in the yard for 5-10 years, to thicken the trunk, then begin training as a bonsai..

(you can buy tiny 2-3 year old japanese maples, spindly, pencil-thin trucks, for $5 - $10 at Bonsai nurserys..
"potensai" ;)

12 years ago I plucked some Japanese Maple seedlings out of the ground from a local park..
they had sprouted under a grove of adult maples, and would have just been mowed over if I hadnt collected a few..these had just sprouted from seed..just two cotyledons and two small leaves..

I took a flat rock, spread out the seedling roots along the rock, then buried the rock with the roots on top..
so the roots would have a nice spread in the future..

I planted 3 seedlings out in the ground at my parents house..
for the next 12 years, whenever I would visit, I would just give them rudimentary pruning, so they didnt go too tall and lanky..

This spring I dug them up..
I just gave away two, and kept one for myself..
Check out the root spread..this is the result of using the rock! :)

maple01.jpg


For scale, the root spread is about 6", and the trunk has a diameter of 1.25"..

I had never seen those roots!
they were always buried under ground..so I never knew if my experiment (with the rock)
worked until a few weeks ago..it DID work! :)
only "error" is that there is no rear root..the root spread is only on one side, which forced the front of the tree to be that side..which wasnt my original favorite choice of front..but I think it will work out..

I tried to spread out the branches the last few years, but I didnt do it soon enough and they were too "set in their ways" to bend apart..
So I hacked the tree down to this:

maple02.jpg


the tree is 18" tall..

basically im going to start it over..build new branches from scratch..
I have the final concept worked out, in my head, I need to try to draw it out..
it might not look like much now, but it has potential! :)

somewhere I have a "before" picture..I need to dig it out..
I want to completely re-do my Bonsai webpage..
I havent updated it in like 7 years..
and actually, geocities just died, so I need to move it anyway..
I will work on that this summer..

Right now I only have two Bonsai..the Maple and a Dawn Redwood..
I have lost a lot of trees over the last 15 years.. :(
most died over the winter because of poor winter storage facilities..
I was living in apartments..
but now that we have a house, I can protect them properly..bury them in the ground.

Scot
 
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