Japanese maple not leafing out.

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Mame
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I started an air layer on my Japanese maple 3 weeks ago just as I saw some buds on the lower part of the tree. All of my other maples have many leaves but this tree has not started budding above the air later I need to know what's wrong. it's a beautiful tree.
 

0soyoung

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If you've got buds on the branches, just be patient.

Of course, I assume this tree of yours is 3 or more years old from seed or that the branch you are trying to layer is. Stems grown last year are not layerable (is that a word?) - the CODIT reaction to girdling will almost certainly clog the single ring of xylem.
 

Nor Cal AC

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If you've got buds on the branches, just be patient.

Of course, I assume this tree of yours is 3 or more years old from seed or that the branch you are trying to layer is. Stems grown last year are not layerable (is that a word?) - the CODIT reaction to girdling will almost certainly clog the single ring of xylem.
Yes the tree is at least 10 years old. I am air layering the trunk 18 in from the top.
 

Mikecheck123

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A similar thing happened to me last year. It was staying too wet. Similarly, I think your soil looks pretty subpar. I bet if you slip pot into some well sifted bonsai soil that it'll wake right up. And you won't be risking anything on the airlayer.
 

Nor Cal AC

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A similar thing happened to me last year. It was staying too wet. Similarly, I think your soil looks pretty subpar. I bet if you slip pot into some well sifted bonsai soil that it'll wake right up. And you won't be risking anything on the airlayer.
You don't think doing a repot in spring right after an air layer would create too much stress?
 

Mikecheck123

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You don't think doing a repot in spring right after an air layer would create too much stress?
You're not doing a repot. You're doing a SLIP pot. You're putting the whole root ball into a bigger pot and surrounding it on the bottom and all sides with well-draining bonsai soil. This causes no stress to the tree at all because nothing's being disturbed.
 

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You're not doing a repot. You're doing a SLIP pot. You're putting the whole root ball into a bigger pot and surrounding it on the bottom and all sides with well-draining bonsai soil. This causes no stress to the tree at all because nothing's being disturbed.
I'm going to try that ASAP. Thanks for the advice.
 

Dav4

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Slip potting into a different sized granular soil is a bad idea. The water is likely to run right through the exterior granular portion and never actually wet the untouched interior portion. If the tree hasn't budded out above the air layer, there in lies the problem with that part of the tree. If the soil is still draining, I'd leave it alone until next year and do a meaningful re-pot at the right time of year.
 

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I think the top of the tree is definitely dieing. No buds yet. Most Branch's are loosing it's green cambian layer. Very dry and brittle. Should I separate now and sacrifice the top to keep the lower healthy???
 

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If it is still alive you might try drilling a number or 1” holes at various places in the root ball and filling those with bonsai soil. I have seen this recommended but have never tried it. It reportedly is a good way to get water and nutrients down into the rootball of a tree with compacted roots. Maybe someone else here with experience doing this will offer advice on it.
 
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What does everyone think should I cut the top of the tree off.
You need to do something to make sure oxygen returns to the soil mass. This can be applying a wick (mop head strand or similar) several inches into the bottom of the pot, burrying the first few inches of the pot bottom in the ground and letting the Earth wick water away, or by slip potting into a larger pot containing soil of similar size. Cutting the top off will not make up for there being a lack of Oxygen in the root zone.
 

MrWunderful

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Yeah the top might be a gonner if there is no green up top.

If it were mine I would 86 the layer and address the roots next year.

Edit: I had to change my post because i couldnt see the pictures Clear.
 

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Okay I took the advice I did a quick slip pot. My first one hopefully I did it correctly it is a larger pot so it should help.
I think you shouldn't mess with the top until you see some growth, somewhere.

The roots need to be addressed, whether its opening it up so water percolates all the way through the entire root ball, or improve drainage so its not waterlogged.

If it were my tree i would be scratching the trunk low to see if there is any green left in the cambium.
Have you been able to look at the pictures above. I did an air layer and below the air layer it is leaving out nicely but above it seems as if it is dying. I believe I did the air layer correctly I know I didn't go too deep
 

0soyoung

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I think the top of the tree is definitely dieing. No buds yet. Most Branch's are loosing it's green cambian layer. Very dry and brittle. Should I separate now and sacrifice the top to keep the lower healthy???
I think you should carefully undo the bottom of the bag and look at the bottom of the girdle to see if the bark is black there (just below the missing bark ring). Since I've seen this happen many times, I'm going to predict that is what you will find.
 

MrWunderful

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Okay I took the advice I did a quick slip pot. My first one hopefully I did it correctly it is a larger pot so it should help.

Have you been able to look at the pictures above. I did an air layer and below the air layer it is leaving out nicely but above it seems as if it is dying. I believe I did the air layer correctly I know I didn't go too deep

Yeah I edited my post. I didnt see the leaves down low initially, and thought the entire tree didnt leaf out.

I personally would ditch the top if there is no green with the scratch test.
 
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