Large palmatum cuttings

Hi all,

How large a cutting can be taken from Acer palmatum ? ? ?

I have a large one I collected last winter & it has really powered over the growing season. It was in a 50cm nursery pot until early autumn then slipped into the ground undisturbed. I had planned to layer the upper trunk over the coming year but with the rot thru the centre of both trunks I would really like to get it sorted out now instead of let it getting any worse.

The section to be removed is approx 60cm long & 10cm dia with nice mature bark. It has a number of 20-40cm long 3-5cm thick branches extending from one side and it could make a nice raft or be split into several smaller pieces. Would these strike as hardwood cuttings, the tree is finally losing the last of its leaves & bud swell is not long, a couple of trees in protected spots have already started growing.

Thanks in advance
Matt

Doubtful, but since it is coming off anyway, worth a try. It may require a rooting hormone of higher-than-normal strength. Or not. I'm no expert.

Matt,

Back a couple of months ago there was a question about "willow water". Do a search for it, there is some useful info there. My comment was about the exact same thing you're asking about...

Russell Coker wrote:In the early 1980's, back when I was in high school I tried this as an experiment. I cut up weeping willow branches into pieces and boiled them in a big pot of water. Stank up the whole house, mom was furious. Anyway, I poured the stinky "tea" into a wash tub and filled it the rest of the way with water. I cut some big branches off a Japanese maple, cut them into pieces about 1 foot long and let them soak overnight. This was in December or January, and the biggest maple branches were over one inch thick. Next, I dug a trench and stood the pieces upright planting them about 6 inches deep. About 90% of them rooted and the next year I dug them up, potted them and gave a bunch away. One is still growing in my parents' yard and is now a huge tree. I also gave one to friends down the street and it is still growing in their front yard.

R

"Willow water" will help, no doubt about it, but not better than hormones (whether they are chemical or organic) bought at your local garden center.

I've had a fairly good rate of success with cuttings up to 0.5 cm taken in late winter, but I've never tried bigger ones taken in autumn.

One thing gardeners around here used to do before garden centers were popular (in my town, about 250 000 inhabitants, there are at least 6 garden centres, not to mention smaller buisinesses !) was to take cuttings after the trees had lost their leaves, tie them in bunches and store them upside down in sharp sand during the winter.

Then, when new buds (on the trees outside) were beginning to swell, they would plant them under a cold frame. By that time, the bottom part (which was upside, remember ?) would have begun to form a "callus" (not sure this is the term for plants, but you know what I mean I hope) These cells would have grown because this end of the cutting was nearer to the soil and benefited from warm, sunny days while the bottom part (the top, remember?) was still dormant.

Then when planted in a protected area, the cells that would form the roots would develop faster than the cells producing leaves. And that's what we want when doing cuttings, don't we?

I don't know what species they were reproducing that way, but if old-timers did it, it must have been a good method

Russell,

I have read a fair bit about willow water think its about time I try it. I usually get enough hardwood cuttings to strike without hormones or treatments. Most of the feedback I got on Ausbonsai for this same question was that they had not had success.

Alain,

I know of the method from old books I have read, thanks for reminding me of it. It is midwinter here but its not cold (17 deg C today & 8 overnight) many deciduous species have very short dormancies so going upsidedown might just help.

I will update when I have some results either way, might try a few methods & see if any work.

Matt

MattA wrote: It is midwinter here but its not cold (17 deg C today & 8 overnight)

For fahfahfahfahlah's sake matt - that's ruddy summer temperatures for me right now!!!! If that's what it takes, I'm gonna go upsidedown to see if it helps.

Dunno how I'll manage to keep my balaclava on though.

I'd always recommend air layering for larger diameter Maples, it is almost foolproof.

I agree...if it´s coming off, why not try out an air layer for a couple of months.