Tree Propagation Guide

dbonsaiw

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Is anyone familiar with a resource that summarizes which species and cultivars can (and cannot) be propagated through cuttings (hardwood vs. softwood etc.) and airlayers?

I took 10 hardwood cuttings from a plain vanilla JM early last spring and 80% took. I was going to do the same next year with a host of species, but learned that hardwood cuttings isn't the best way to go with JMs at least and now I'm just confused. I would have thought that the foliage on the tree later in spring would lead to transpiration and failure, whereas an earlier cut would alleviate the need for misting and give the tree more of an opportunity to form a callous. But I'm clearly wrong as the experts here seem to favor cuttings, at least JMs, taken in later spring/early summer.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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@dbonsaiw
The saying that maples, especially Japanese maples, are not "good" from cuttings is strictly from a commercial nursery perspective. For the nursery business, you need a predictable crop of hundreds or sometimes thousands of plants ready for resale in a predictable period of time. Maples don't do that from cuttings, but are predictable from grafting.

However, for bonsai hobby, we only need a few at a time, production cost is not a big issue, for bonsai, cuttings and from seed are the best way to propagate maples for bonsai.

Dirr's book is good, but it is or was for the nursery industry. The book is also somewhat dated. For bonsai propagation one can tolerate 10% yield for cuttings of a maple cultivar. Dir would list 10% as a failure to root. Also, Dir is now a couple decades out of date. Newer cultivars are not listed. So, even if Dirr says a maple will not root from cuttings, this only means success rate will be too low for nursery business. Some dissectum type maples, really don't root from cuttings, a few newer cultivars do root from cuttings. So it is worth the effort to attempt to root cuttings of maples that Dirr lists as "not rootable" as long as you are not planning on paying the mortgage with the results.

Key "good stuff" in Dirr is how to set up a propagation bed, how to root cuttings. The mechanics of propagation have not changed much since the first edition. Dirr is an excellent reference for technique.
 

dbonsaiw

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The saying that maples, especially Japanese maples, are not "good" from cuttings is strictly from a commercial nursery perspective.
Interesting. My set up is pretty simple - 100% perlite covered in sphagnum moss and keep moist. I have a large JM that I plan to chop early spring and will take a bunch of cuttings. Like you said, we only need a few to take.
 

BrightsideB

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I’d replicate what worked for you in the past. 5 years before I ever started bonsai I took cuttings from a small jm I had with scissors just for fun and they rooted I have no idea what season and I didn’t use hormone. I haven’t been that lucky since with jm. But have had some root. I primarily stick with air layers now for jm. They work on small branches.
 

Canada Bonsai

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Is anyone familiar with a resource that summarizes which species and cultivars can (and cannot) be propagated through cuttings (hardwood vs. softwood etc.) and airlayers?

Many bonsai-appropriate species are on the following table. If a species has “cuttings” written on its row it’s proven to work (except in the case of Fagus crenata, with which i have not yet suceeded). If something it not written for a given species, it could be that i just forgot to put it in. This is a table i am constantly tweaking.


Japanese Maples in detail:


While we’re on the topic, here’s a sneak peak at the new propation tables underway. These heated lines (glycol) will run through a 4” cement slab (3 zones)
 

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Shibui

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I took 10 hardwood cuttings from a plain vanilla JM early last spring and 80% took. I was going to do the same next year with a host of species, but learned that hardwood cuttings isn't the best way to go with JMs at least and now I'm just confused. I would have thought that the foliage on the tree later in spring would lead to transpiration and failure, whereas an earlier cut would alleviate the need for misting and give the tree more of an opportunity to form a callous. But I'm clearly wrong as the experts here seem to favor cuttings, at least JMs, taken in later spring/early summer.
Hardwood cuttings with no leaves do not transpire moisture so they don't need special conditions.
Softer cuttings with leaves may have better rooting potential but need high humidity and special conditions to achieve that potential.
If you don't have misting, etc then hardwood winter cuttings are probably most reliable even if success is not as high as quoted for spring/summer.
 

andrewiles

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Apex37

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Might find this publication helpful as well.
 

MaxChavez

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Hello,
I'm curious, after cuttings appear to be taking off, how long do you leave them in the original propagation media/container?
2 Months, then transfer to something that they'll be in for the rest of the year? Leave them alone the whole year?
It's a general question, but for a specific example:
I have some hardwood Japanese maple cuttings that have sprouted new growth. I assume I want to get the successful ones into a larger container before fall?

Part 2, if you were intending a forest planting, would you plant together early on, or grow out individually for a few years?

Thanks!
 

Shibui

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I'm curious, after cuttings appear to be taking off, how long do you leave them in the original propagation media/container?
2 Months, then transfer to something that they'll be in for the rest of the year? Leave them alone the whole year?
It's a general question, but for a specific example:
I have some hardwood Japanese maple cuttings that have sprouted new growth. I assume I want to get the successful ones into a larger container before fall?

Part 2, if you were intending a forest planting, would you plant together early on, or grow out individually for a few years?
I wait for roots to show at the bottom of the propagating container. Cuttings will often leaf out and look successful on stored nutrients and energy in the stem but no roots. They eventually collapse and die obviously so don't count your cuttings until you see roots.
There's no set time because different species take longer or shorter to root. Different conditions change how long roots take too.
If I suspect roots but can't see any I gently tip the cuttings out of the propagating container to check if roots have reached the sides. Azaleas are one that does not grow long roots so they take forever to show at the bottom despite having plenty of good roots. Take real care with very young roots as they are not well attached at first and will drop off with just a touch. As they harden up they become stronger so best not to be in too much of a hurry.

Groups require trunks of different thickness and heights to look really good. Your cuttings are likely to be all similar so growing out can help. Put some into larger containers and let them grow to increase size for focal trees. Plant some close together in containers as you'll also need some trunks close together to make the group look natural. A year or 2 growing should give you much better starter trees for your group however there's lots of ways to do bonsai. If you are in a hurry to have a group go ahead and plant them together and see what happens.
 
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