Sangokaku Propagation

[Neurox]

There's this maple tree that i've seen for some years near my house, and recently after looking into bonsai I took interest in it. After looking up close, I noticed all the branches are a bright red color, so I believe it to be a Sangokaku. What would be the best time of year to get a cutting, or attempt to air layer a branch of this tree for bonsai purposes? I'm sure it's dormant right now so i didn't want to just wing it without asking. I've got some Japanese maple seeds in the fridge too so i thought this would be a nice back up incase none of them ended up germinating

 

[0soyoung]

Hardened foliage is necessary to grow roots --> spring after it is leafed out.

With a cutting, you are in a race against time to grow roots before transpiration desiccates the stem. An air layer is sustained by the mother plant (via the xylem/wood), so you can be patient (further, the girdle can be cut prior to bud break even though not much is going to happen until after it is leafed out).

BTW, go for both. Don't be timid.

 

[Neurox]

Hardened foliage is necessary to grow roots --> spring after it is leafed out.

With a cutting, you are in a race against time to grow roots before transpiration desiccates the stem. An air layer is sustained by the mother plant (via the xylem/wood), so you can be patient (further, the girdle can be cut prior to bud break even though not much is going to happen until after it is leafed out).

BTW, go for both. Don't be timid.

So i should just wait for the tree to leaf out a bit in the spring, and go for both methods?

 

[sorce]

wait for the tree to leaf out a bit i

I believe waiting for the new growth to harden off will help...

grow roots before transpiration desiccates the stem.

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[0soyoung]

So i should just wait for the tree to leaf out a bit in the spring, and go for both methods?

Why not? Cuttings are somewhat difficult. You need to apply rooting hormone (3000 ppm IBA or 2000 ppm NAA) to 'kick start' root initiation with cuttings (it is not required with air layers, though it is an option you can choose). One gallon zip lock bags fit over one gallon nursery pots to easily make a rooting terariium for cuttings.
But, when I said

go for both. Don't be timid.

I meant seeds too; you asked

I've got some Japanese maple seeds in the fridge too so i thought this would be a nice back up in case none of them ended up germinating

One is not a back up for the other (though they are means of propagation) except in the sense that you just want an acer palmatum. So, try all three ways. Don't be timid.

 

[Neurox]

So, try all three ways. Don't be timid.

I definitely will! I just wanted some acer palmatums, no matter the cultivar, to have as a bonsai project so the more the merrier Once some new growth and leaves come in on the tree I'll go air layer / get cuttings from it
(I'll probably post updates along the way as well)

Thanks for the help!

 

[james]

In general, you can air layer JM in late winter, before buds pop. I have done this with Sangu Kaku personally, and you can get a jump on the season. Best to do after risk of frost gone in your area. Next is to chose the area to layer, this will be your new base. Nice to get some wiggle, or at a branch point, if you want a multi stem tree.

 

[Neurox]

Nice to get some wiggle, or at a branch point, if you want a multi stem tree.

Is the wiggle so it can still be manipulated by wire or?

And I think of all goes well I'll try to get two air layers going, with one being at a branch point and another for a single stem tree (but not inline with eachother).

 

[bwaynef]

I had really good luck with A.p. 'Sango Kaku' cuttings this fall. (I can look it up, but I think it was late August.) A greenhouse, mist, and hormone gave me a REALLY high percentage, but I've had some luck without those things with regular JMs.

 

[August44]

How long should it take to get a good air layer on a Coral bark maple? Can I air layer 2-3 branches at one time? If I wait until after the chance of frosts, that would be first of June maybe and then Oct could bring frost again. Is that enough time. After that I can store new air layer in temp controlled place. Thanks, Peter

 

[Paulpash]

How long should it take to get a good air layer on a Coral bark maple? Can I air layer 2-3 branches at one time? If I wait until after the chance of frosts, that would be first of June maybe and then Oct could bring frost again. Is that enough time. After that I can store new air layer in temp controlled place. Thanks, Peter

Make your decision when to separate a layer based on root volume in the bag rather than length of time. I wait til it has almost filled the bag and is starting to circle along the edges til I cut it off. The higher the root mass the better - both in terms of survival and reestablishment. I know in my climate (UK) if the layer is done just after the leaves have hardened off that it won't be ready til September but it depends on many factors like leaf mass above the ring bark, available sunlight and, of course, when you actually perform the air layer.

Yes, you can layer multiple branches at once but remember each layer MUST have its own substantial, individual leaf mass.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

If needed air layers can be left on the mother tree over winter. For JBP it always took 2 years for an air layer to root in my climate.

With the maple, you have a better than 50:50 chance that it will root before the hard freeze in autumn.

The health of the understock, mother plant, makes a difference. A vigorous tree will have air layers root quickly. A weak tree will take longer for the air layer to produce roots. So results will vary. But it is safe to winter a tree as one would normally while it has a air layer in place waiting for it to root.

 

[August44]

The nursery wants $185.00 for a 6' tree that has an ugly graft. I could get 4-6 air layers from it, but that seems like a lot of money. I'll check around.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Here in zone 7 we can start AP layers now and separate by end of May, or start layers around Aug 1st and sever near end of September

 

[0soyoung]

It basically takes the entire growing season here, sometimes longer. I am in zone 8. But USDA hardiness zones are only pertain to how cold it gets in winter and actually doesn't tells one anything about the growing season.

The AHS heat zone would be better for these purposes. I am in an AHS head zone 1 which means, on average, we never have a day with temperatures above 86F (cool, as in not very hot). Marietta GA is in a heat zone 7, meaning there are 61 to 90 days above 86F, @Hack Yeah! @Peter44 is in an AHS heat zone somewhere inbetween, but definitely higher than mine. So, he likely can grow adventitious roots on his trees faster than mine, and maybe close to the pace you get, @Hack Yeah!

 

[bwaynef]

I performed (is that what its called?) an airlayer on a seedling Japanese Maple last year about this time and it was ready to come off by June. I waited 'til August because life got in the way, by which point the cut plastic pot I'd layered it in was solid with roots. I've never airlayered Sango Kaku, only cuttings, but I'd assume good technique done at the right time should yield not-too-dissimilar results.

 

[MiguelMC]

let me just try and recap since i believe this to be quite useful information, so for maples is best to air layer before the tree starts to leaf (late winter early spring) or after the 1st flush has hardened so (so mid summer kind of)
how about cuttings? should they be taken again before leafing and again after the 1st flush has hardened or can we take them all year? Im asking because I have a maple that I would very much like to take some cuttings from it, but i was thinking about doing so around the same time the big prune is in (after leafs have droped off). thoughts?

 

[ysrgrathe]

Entire books have been written on the subject of cuttings. Read the section here as a start; usually softwood cuttings are easiest for maples but there are other techniques. Timing matters greatly!

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/13-propagation#section_heading_5635

 

[0soyoung]

how about cuttings? should they be taken again before leafing and again after the 1st flush has hardened or can we take them all year? Im asking because I have a maple that I would very much like to take some cuttings from it, but i was thinking about doing so around the same time the big prune is in (after leafs have droped off). thoughts?

It is hard to say, but I've had the best luck with acer palmatum when cuttings are taken in late May to early June, no long after the initial growth spurt is done and the leaves are all hardened. These are so-called 'semi-hardwood cuttings'. One can also try the soft new growth (=softwood cuttings), but I've had no luck with that. This year I am trying 'hardwood cuttings', cuttings taken after leaf drop (last year) and before bud break (this year). I live in a very mild, but cool climate. So growth is generally slower than in places with warmer growing seasons. In places with hard winters, the principle problem is often getting newly rooted cuttings through the winter.

I think rooting cuttings is a valuable activity. Your future bonsai with need a branch (thread graft) or nebari repair/improvement sometime in the future. Cuttings from the same tree would be better, especially for adding a branch.

Finally, I echo ysgrathe (with my editing, as per my experience)

Entire books have been written on the subject of cuttings. Read the section here as a start; usually softwood cuttings are easiest for maples but there are other techniques. Timing matters greatly!

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/13-propagation#section_heading_5635

 

[ysrgrathe]

100% agree with 0soyoung. There are obviously some terminology issues as that reference defines "semi-hardwood" as ~July time period in NC, which way too late for maples. Usually ~May in warmer climates and ~June in colder climates. Dirr has some research showing strike rates vary a lot even with a 1-month period so figuring out the exact timing for your region is quite helpful.