Johnnyd
Shohin
They are very finicky cultivar. I used bonsai soil in a rooter pot to air layer 2 months ago. Still no roots. Maybe they are just on a different timeline than I. Luckily I hedged my bets and bought two very thin shin deshojo from Evergreen gardens (cuttings grown). I'm pretty sure he uses a misting system and greenhouse. Even with Brent's expertise they did not have many roots. I put them in the ground in early spring with some wiring. I have a feeling they will trunk up before my airlayer does. I wish I could find a source for shin deshojo that are field grown in the US. I've found an old thread previously of a nursery in California that sold decent caliper trucks. But they were sold out last time I checked. They are spectacular cultivar for sure!I have a similar problem with my Deshojo maple, so maybe is better to post here than to start a new thread.
Couldn't find anything locally, so I had to buy it online from a nursery in France. "The trunk" is pencil thick and it has a horrible graft. It has lot of brances, but all of them are straight and thick as a matchstick or thinner. Distance between nodes is on average 5 centimeters (2 inches). Branches are emerging in groups the trunk, 4-5 even 6 from a single place.
I repoted it a week ago, after receiving it, in a colander using pumice and coco fiber (80/20) as substrate, it was in a very small plastic container with organic soil. It wasn't in great shape when it came, but now I see new leaves on some branches, so I think it is doing well.
I know I have to let it grow and I am not in a hurry. Growing in the ground is not an option unfortunately but I plan to put it in an airpot as big as possible when the time comes and it will be grown on the terrace. At a later date I want to air layer a branch and grow it on a tile.
Question is: should I choose a branch for future trunk next season and wire it (next season), to put some movement on it? At the moment all branches are straight as an arrow.Would it be a good idea to pinch the growth on the chosen branch for a few seasons, to insure the future trunk will have short internodes?
Should I cut some branches where there are too many emerging from the same spot? For now I think is better to leave it as it is, allowing the tree to grow and strengthen without additional stress, but I am not sure what to do in the winter.
Regarding the air layering, even if I'm not in a hurry I think it will be better sooner than later, because it will allow more time for root development. How thick should be a branch before attempting the layering?
Many thanks!
On the subject of thickness I would guess about 1/2 inch would be safe. If you only have access to thin material it would be a nice opportunity to twist them up. Graham Potter has a nice video on YouTube where he puts wire on seedlings. Be warned maples may be more brittle. Good luck Chrisian!