Acer Palmatum Dissectum air layer possibilities?

[Bonzeye]

Hey guys so once again helping my parents out at the house they recently bought and they have this large acer palmatum dissectum probably 4ft tall and 5-6ft wide with the straightest most boring trunk that’s probably 5 inches in diameter. There’s a strange connection between the trunk and the first branches that I’m guessing could be a graft. I’ll assume the tree was planted about 15-20 years ago when the house was built along with the 30boxwoods. Anyway they hate this poor laceleaf and want it gone this winter. Are there any options on air layering this? How big of a branch could I try it on? Could I air layer the entire trunk just below the first branches? If I were to get some layers off the top could I trunk chop this beast and dig it up? Just hate seeing plants die and would like to save as much as I can. Am I crazy? Well I guess I’ll just sit back and hope for you experiences fellas to chime in.

 

[AlainK]

Yes, you could air-layer at the junction of the graft, or just below. But you could, also air-layer each branch separately.

If you graft the rootstock, maybe it will take less time, some cultivars are more difficult than others to air-layer.

 

[Shibui]

The ring just below the branches is almost certainly the graft union.
Many of the weeping JM do not grow well on their own roots so can be really difficult to layer. If you manage to get roots there is no guarantee it will continue to grow long term. Feel free to try by all means but experience says you will just be getting some practice.
Layering just below the branches to include the rootstock is a much more viable option as the roots will be those of the standard AP it is grafted to. The real question is whether that is worth the effort. Can you see a viable bonsai in either of the branches?

There is a fair chance that the rootstock will bud when the top is removed but is a stump bonsai really worth the effort. If you like carved JM trunks or are prepared to spend maybe 15 years growing a new trunk and branches the trunk is an option but I think you could spend the same time and grow a far better tree from scratch.
There is also a possibility that the stump may not shoot. Some growers excise all the buds from the rooststocks so they don't sucker. JM occasionally just won't shoot very well from older wood and are also prone to dying back on one side after severe pruning, especially when roots are cut at the same time.

 

[Bonzeye]

The ring just below the branches is almost certainly the graft union.
Many of the weeping JM do not grow well on their own roots so can be really difficult to layer. If you manage to get roots there is no guarantee it will continue to grow long term. Feel free to try by all means but experience says you will just be getting some practice.
Layering just below the branches to include the rootstock is a much more viable option as the roots will be those of the standard AP it is grafted to. The real question is whether that is worth the effort. Can you see a viable bonsai in either of the branches?

There is a fair chance that the rootstock will bud when the top is removed but is a stump bonsai really worth the effort. If you like carved JM trunks or are prepared to spend maybe 15 years growing a new trunk and branches the trunk is an option but I think you could spend the same time and grow a far better tree from scratch.
There is also a possibility that the stump may not shoot. Some growers excise all the buds from the rooststocks so they don't sucker. JM occasionally just won't shoot very well from older wood and are also prone to dying back on one side after severe pruning, especially when roots are cut at the same time.

No i don’t see a viable bonsai in any of the branches but thinking about messing with it for practice.... just hate to see the tree get ripped out of the ground and burned
Thank you for the response

 

[Shibui]

Practice is a good enough reason to layer. Just as long as you don't have your sights set on a show masterpiece from the results. Most layers look far better when they are on the tree. Like collected trees they look so much better before than afterwards for some reason.

 

[SexyGArdener]

No i don’t see a viable bonsai in any of the branches but thinking about messing with it for practice.... just hate to see the tree get ripped out of the ground and burned
Thank you for the response

I'm not sure if you made the attempt or not, but I recently attempted on a dissectum (possibly Orangeola) in mid-June and it has enough roots so far to support the severed branch(es). I'm hesitant to remove it this late in the season because the air-layered branches are quite large and I don't have room to over-wintered them until proper potting in Spring. I'm taking a risk leaving them on the tree, but they'll be landscaping trees anyways so no big loss.