Shishigashira project (air layering)

[parhamr]

I've wanted some fancy maple cultivars, so I trekked down to "Garden World" where premium landscaping trees are sold on consignment by local growers.

For $75, I got a 6' tall Shishigashira Japanese Maple in a 6 gallon nursery can. It appears to be grafted about 5" above the soil line, but it's a pretty darn well healed graft, if so. The tree has a 2" diameter trunk and its buds are currently swelling.


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Growth habit:


I plan to attempt at least 5 air layers on the tree this year. Then, next year I'll be able to set about another 5 further down into the canopy. This tree is going to more than pay for itself (as I don't need 12 new maples) and I'm excited about what is to come.

Updates to follow.

 

[parhamr]

Eeep! I just found 6 large scale insects. This tree had been overwintered by the vendor in a greenhouse. They may have been dead from chemical treatments, but I squished them, regardless. Seeing as though the tree was in a greenhouse, I'm less confident that our deep winter freeze was enough to kill them.

I am well stocked with pesticides this year and plan to start applying them during the first dry period of the growing season. I also have insecticidal soap and neem oil for spot treatments.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

I've wanted some fancy maple cultivars, so I trekked down to "Garden World" where premium landscaping trees are sold on consignment by local growers.

For $75, I got a 6' tall Shishigashira Japanese Maple in a 6 gallon nursery can. It appears to be grafted about 5" above the soil line, but it's a pretty darn well healed graft, if so. The tree has a 2" diameter trunk and its buds are currently swelling.
View attachment 133718

Tag:
View attachment 133717

Growth habit:
View attachment 133716

I plan to attempt at least 5 air layers on the tree this year. Then, next year I'll be able to set about another 5 further down into the canopy. This tree is going to more than pay for itself (as I don't need 12 new maples) and I'm excited about what is to come.

Updates to follow.

That's a great idea. I've had a similar plan, only I decided to keep most of mine and start a forest.

 

[Dav4]

Check out this thread of mine...https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/some-projects-for-next-spring.13228/ In it, I highlight the fun I had doing multiple air layers simultaneously on a shishigashira a few years ago. All layers took easily and quickly, though I managed to kill them all within 2 years after separation. Enjoy!!

 

[fredman]

I managed to kill them all within 2 years after separation

Did they die because of something you did, or are they just not strong on their own roots?

 

[quietobserver]

Check out this thread of mine...https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/some-projects-for-next-spring.13228/ In it, I highlight the fun I had doing multiple air layers simultaneously on a shishigashira a few years ago. All layers took easily and quickly, though I managed to kill them all within 2 years after separation. Enjoy!!

I'm with @fredman what was the post-mortem? I've got a nice one from the garden center that I've considered layering but haven't for fear of losing the eventual layer which is basically the current tree.

 

[Dav4]

Did they die because of something you did, or are they just not strong on their own roots?

I'm with @fredman what was the post-mortem? I've got a nice one from the garden center that I've considered layering but haven't for fear of losing the eventual layer which is basically the current tree.

The following spring- less then a year after completing the layer- I worked the roots. I know, a year earlier then most would recommend, but I figured that they had grown so well the previous year that they were ready. I wasa bit aggressive, as usual, but didn't do anything I hadn't done with a maple before. They all leafed out just fine, then sat there for a month or two, never grew extensions, then the leaves started to wilt and wither. One by one they slowly started to succumb to root failure... I believe I started with 6 layers and only had 2 by the end of the summer. They were planted out in the garden that fall... one never leafed out, and last year's drought did in the last survivor. Personally, I suspect there was a root pathogen at work, but will never know. What I do know is that they all grew roots like crazy when they were attached to the parent tree... sigh.

 

[quietobserver]

The following spring- less then a year after completing the layer- I worked the roots. I know, a year earlier then most would recommend, but I figured that they had grown so well the previous year that they were ready. I wasa bit aggressive, as usual, but didn't do anything I hadn't done with a maple before. They all leafed out just fine, then sat there for a month or two, never grew extensions, then the leaves started to wilt and wither. One by one they slowly started to succumb to root failure... I believe I started with 6 layers and only had 2 by the end of the summer. They were planted out in the garden that fall... one never leafed out, and last year's drought did in the last survivor. Personally, I suspect there was a root pathogen at work, but will never know. What I do know is that they all grew roots like crazy when they were attached to the parent tree... sigh.

Sorry to hear. That sucks but thanks for sharing.

 

[fredman]

@Dav4 Yeah it's shitty when that happens. Worst is when one is unsure and left to only speculate about the cause.
I wonder if there is info out there about which maples can stand on their own roots...?

 

[parhamr]

I just bought a textbook: The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation: From Seed to Tissue Culture, Second Edition

In its species-specific reference section, the book indicates growers will perform the following…

1. Force Acer palmatum stock to break dormancy by moving them to ~70 degree greenhouses in February; place under artificial lighting
2. Take cuttings from new shoots (I forget the exact details, but that’s not why I’m posting this)
3. Remove the soft terminal shoot, the bottom two leaves, and then one from the next pair
4. Use 1–2 percent NAA or IBA hormone
5. Place cuttings into 50-50 perlite/peat mixture
6. Place cuttings under misting system; use 16+ hour light cycles and bottom heat
7. Stop the misting after new growths appear… somewhere around week 4
8. Continue with this routine through late fall
9. Allow a brief dormancy
10. Force early dormancy break with a similar routine as above
11. Transplant to larger pots of similar media
12. Feed well
13. Sell when ready; maybe even wait for year 3

Note that in commercial propagation of Acer seedlings they are selling 2–4 year old cuttings and heavily focusing on developing strength. The book was clear that failure of cuttings—other than through fungal and bacterial infection—comes from inadequate generation of carbohydrates from an inadequately long and vigorous growing season.

 

[AlainK]

A very good buy! For a 'Shishigashira', I would pay the equivalent of three times as much here.

If it were mine, I would think about air-layering the three branches for bonsai, and plant the grafted tree in the garden. It must be grafted on a very vigorous stock and will develop nicely as a garden plant.

 

[parhamr]

@AlainK I’m renting, so I want to take this tree with me if I move. I’m not going to plant it here

 

[parhamr]

Yesterday I did some standard bud pinching: removal down to pairs and anything growing straight up, down, crossing, or from a crotch.

It shows exciting vigor

 

[just.wing.it]

Yesterday I did some standard bud pinching: removal down to pairs and anything growing straight up, down, crossing, or from a crotch.

It shows exciting vigor

View attachment 137975

That's just a beautiful picture!
Some nice tight internodes on that one.

 

[yenling83]

Nice man I love Shishi. A couple of tips that have helped me.

-get the tree growing really strong, feed a lot and don't cut the tree back while your air layering. Stronger trees root easier and have better chance of surviving when separating
-you want to make sure all sides of the soil medium or moss are equal and all areas are staying wet an equal amount of time and are getting equal amounts of sun(ideally). This will help to get an even amount of roots completely around the trunk.

 

[parhamr]

@yenling83 that's helpful! Thanks.

Two weeks ago I trimmed back the tall shoots and identified 12 possible air layers. I loosely attached zip ties just above where I might make the attempt.

Your guidance regarding light and water will be helpful in determining the order of operations—I'm not intending to strike all 12 in a year

 

[ghues]

What's with all the baby hemlocks?

 

[parhamr]

@ghues see https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/t...ted-cuttings-western-n-america-natives.26614/

(I’m hoping they’ll go to my peers as part of a 2018 mentorship class)

 

[parhamr]

I just learned from somebody in the nursery trade that these can be grown (mostly) true to type from seed! Given my Shishigashira is trying to bloom this year I might very well be able to propagate from seed as well.

 

[parhamr]

Dank