Air layered away

BrightsideB

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I picked up these two over the winter. The green is a ‘dwarf sharps pygmy’ and the other a ‘dwarf kuro hime.’ I have 12 layers 8 successfull so far that I did early spring. The other 4 I did recently.

Does anyone have some experience working with these types of dwarf cultivars with any knowledge of what to look out for? I have noticed looking at some of the branches that reverse taper is something to look for.

I was also successfull in rooted cuttings from both cultivars. It’s less then 50% spring cuttings for me.
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Shibui

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Larger JM typically need encouragement to ramify so it is common to trim to promote more shoots.
Dwarf types typically ramify heavily and naturally have shorter shoot extension so they can appear to be under control while inside the canopy there are many spots with multiple shoots from the same places leading to the reverse taper you are seeing.
Dwarf maples typically need far more thinning of crowded shoots and less trimming to shorten longer shoots.
 

BrightsideB

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Larger JM typically need encouragement to ramify so it is common to trim to promote more shoots.
Dwarf types typically ramify heavily and naturally have shorter shoot extension so they can appear to be under control while inside the canopy there are many spots with multiple shoots from the same places leading to the reverse taper you are seeing.
Dwarf maples typically need far more thinning of crowded shoots and less trimming to shorten longer shoots.
Thanks for the tip! Makes a lot of sense. After 5 years I am starting to develop some of my tree’s and getting them into bonsai substrate. So I am still very new to the processes of developing tree’s. And characteristics of different species.

I’ve seen a branch with 4 shoots and air layered right at the base. I did that to a lot of the branches with multiple shoots. I figured it would make for a thicker nebari and I didn’t want to layer several inches under a big reverse taper. They are so dense I have to air layer all the outer smaller branches until I can get into the main trunk.
 

BrightsideB

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I cut off three layers yesterday. I really like the one with four trunks. It will be fun to develop. I am going to put them all in pots until next spring I want to at least do a forest with 5 tree’s.
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