Anyone in US grafting?

I have a delightful seed-grown Japanese maple that seems to have excellent cold hardiness It is probably 6 or 7 years old now. I had many seed sources and did not keep things separated so this might be palmatum or shirasawanum or japonicum.

It survived a late transplant to Iowa City from southern IA (Mid November 2013). The 13/14 winter was bitterly cold with a low temperature of -19F. The tree had no die-back.

It seems to be a vigorous upright 4 feet of growth last year. The leaves are lovely (remind me of Acer shirasawanum 'Sensu').

I will add pictures to thread when the leaves emerge this spring.

If anyone is interested in getting scion please let me know,

Keith

 

Keith, do you have pictures of the tree and leaves? Others more knowledgeable on here might be able to help narrow down if it's palmatum, etc. As for grafting, many on here do (I'd like to, but haven't yet), hopefully they will chime in and offer their advice and experience.

 

Unfortunately no representative pictures at this time. I will photograph & post whenever spring leaves arrive here in IA.
I think I will have a better idea of species when it starts flowering.

 

A few spring photos of this fine tree

 

The cold hardiness and lack of die back along with how those spring leaves hang, with narrow lobes, growth habit being mostly upright, color and texture of the maturing trunk; reminds me of palmatum x shirasawanum like Trompenburg. Key word "like" Trompenburg. Seems like a great find and a tree worth owning.

 

One more from today. I am going to try a layer this year. If takes would be happy to send the layer to maple lover in zone 4 or 5 in US to see how it does in other locales

 

Nice fall color this year. Unfortunately my layer did not take. Plenty of scion available if anyone interested.

 

I've done a lot of air-layers and they take almost each time: what method did you use?

 

Alain,

I made a poor attempt with a touniquet method and inadequate securing of the moss/soild medium. I am certain this was user error...
I will try again.
Suggestions?
Keith

 

Hi Keith,

If by "a tourniquet method" you mean just securing a ring tightly around the bark, this is usually not enough for maples, you'd better try the "ring method", which has a very high rate of success:

- Remove a ring of bark 1.5 times the width of the branch.
- Scrape off the cambium (yellowish-green very thin layer under the bark)

An example on an A. p. 'Phoenix' with a very thin trunk - but I've done it on branches as thick as my wrist on various A. palm. cultivars and on A. buregerianum:

Originally, a summer cutting.

November 2013:



July 2014:
Since I took a cutting to make a bonsai, the trunk was much too thin to achieve something interesting in the few years I've left, so I air-layered it:

(of course the "feathers" were removed, they're here to show that you must carve a bit deeper, not only remove the bark)









March 2015 (could have been severed in sept. 2014 if done earlier, May-15 June)





April 2015:

 

Another example with a tree that had suffered bark damage.

1/ let the branches grow freely, the new roots will need the energy from the sun.



I had tied a wire around the trunk to make it swell: not sure there are more cells that can develop into roots, but for bonsai, the wider the "nebari", the root flare, the more natural it will look.

2/ Remove a ring of bark. Best period: mid-May-mid-June. Scrape out the cambium!
I spray the cut (never let it dry!) and add hormone powder with a brush.



I add a little sphagnum moss:



... complete with soil mix:



And by september 17th, I can see new roots shooting out:



since I don't have a greenhouse, I'll wait for next spring to severe the air-layer. I'll put the whole thing in a crate with leavesup to the rim of the pot so that the new roots don't freeze, and repot it in March or April, depending on the weather.

 

Alain,

Thanks for the wonderful examples. Yes, I just secured a ring around the bark. I will use your method next spring.

Beautiful trees you have
Keith

 

Alain,

Thanks again for advice. I successfully layered the tree and separated about a week ago. Layer doing great in shaded area

 

Well done! ;°)

 

First seeds . What an unexpected, wonderful autumn surprise for me.

I am presuming some shirasawanum in the genetics with the upright seeds.

 

I got three seedlings from A. shir. 'Autumn Moon'.

Too young to see if they're close to the mother tree, but they're thriving.

 

Repotted in the spring.

Today (it was in the shade all summer, like most of the fragile ones):

 

Thanks for the update.
I had 3 successful layers on the tree this year.
Two I transplanted into a shaded area in my yard already and they are doing well. I have not always done well with over-winter care of my potted maples so I thought that having a couple in the ground would be a good idea.

It was so easy and fun I plan to repeat next spring.

Thanks again for your encouragement.

Keith

 

Can't wait to try this! Thanks @AlainK for all the detailed information with pictures. I appreciate you taking the time to document your technique! I was searching the forum for this post and was glad to find it! By replying it brings this back to the top for anyone else who may want to try this technique out for this growing season.

 

I really think these two posts deserve a place in the maple resource section or at the very least a dedicated thread. Great photos and details do a great job of documenting the method. It's so well done and deserves a more prominent place in the maple forum in my humble request and opinion.

 

Very cool. I need to try this on some of my trees that I’m concerned about losing.

 

Mind you: not all cultivars thrive on their own roots, they need a different, stronger rootstock.

 

Some trees that I’ve got that are large and healthy enough to air layer include Seiryu, Oregon Sunset, Villa Taranto, Shishishagira, Orange Dream, Autumn Moon and Shindeshojo (which lost a bunch of branches last winter).

 

Don't have time, or experience to check which can be succesfully air-layered, but I trust you :)