Japanese Maple Air Layer Help

[mwar15]

I air layered this Japanese Maple and cut it off the mother tree in April. It was 1 out of the 3 I tried on the Mother tree. It is on a single trunk I just buried it lower to keep it from moving and disrupting the soil.

My Question is what to do as far as the next step? My thought is to leave it alone for a couple years and just let it grow and establish roots? There are some large scars from where I cut branches off right before I separated it from the mother tree.
Or do I select branches and wire them down/parallel. My thought is I can kind of start doing both. I am also stuck on whether to keep the tree tall twin trunk? my problem with that is there isn't much taper.

To give some perspective it is in a 3 gal. pot and that is 1/4 irrigation hose in the picture.

Thanks for the Help

 

[Dav4]

At the least, I'd freshen the edges of the callus on those cuts and cover with paste to hasten healing. If the tree is growing well, you could certainly do some light wiring now, too. I'd be reluctant to remove more branches until next year, though.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I would have potted it up in a flatter container. However at this point, and this time of year, I wouldn't do anything major. Two months from now and this tree will be showing fall color and preparing for winter. If you want to reduce some of those running branches, do it after the leaves have fallen off.

I wire deciduous trees in the early spring before they bud. It is much easier when there are no leaves.

 

[mwar15]

Ok, Will trim up some of the more vertical runner branches. Would you repot this coming spring into an Anderson flat to get the radial roots going? or wait another year and just let it keep growing?

At the least, I'd freshen the edges of the callus on those cuts and cover with paste to hasten healing. If the tree is growing well, you could certainly do some light wiring now, too. I'd be reluctant to remove more branches until next year, though.

what do you mean by "freshen up"? like cut more out near the new growth to help with healing over?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Would you repot this coming spring into an Anderson flat to get the radial roots going?

Yes I would... if it were my tree.

 

[Dav4]

Ok, Will trim up some of the more vertical runner branches. Would you repot this coming spring into an Anderson flat to get the radial roots going? or wait another year and just let it keep growing?

what do you mean by "freshen up"? like cut more out near the new growth to help with healing over?

Yes... remove the inner edge of the rolling callus then cover with paste.

 

[leatherback]

Yup. You wil probably find in spring that the roots will have populated a large part of the pot already. Once rooted, I find maples to explode with rootgrowth. So repot in ear;y spring in a decent sized trainer/flat.

July 5, 2017 (a few days too early, as the next pic will show)

22 July 2017

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hi Mwar15,
I am surprised no- one is suggesting a trunk chop here to improve taper.
Unsure if I am out-of-line with this comment but all your growth is up top.
I am wondering though how well this red maple will back bud??
Anyone got thoughts? Chop at 6-10 inches etc?

 

[leatherback]

I am surprised no- one is suggesting a trunk chop here to improve taper.

It was layered this spring. It is running towards the end of the growing season. Doing any major work now will reduce the establishment of this plant, and reduce the way it comes back in spring.
Cutting back can always be considered. For now, good root development should be the focus, in my view.

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Yep agree, just thinking forward of the tree's development. I forgot you guys season is slowing up now and good root growing season from now on til spring.
Spring soon here ( next month)

 

[mwar15]

Thanks for the idea, I'll try and pull the tree out next week and work on it. I'll get some pictures up and look at it and think about taking some branches off.

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hey no hurry tho lol. ( my 5 cents worth)
Others may disagree but I would be more tempted to do careful root prune and/ or trunk chop in spring and plant in ground on a block or plant in massive pot for development etc.

Seems to me that there are too many in a hurry to get this size of tree into flat or small root run where you get not much growth and real slow taper.
Of course in my naivety this variety may not taper that well so you not achieving much by growing in ground ??
Charles

 

[RobertB]

Yup. You wil probably find in spring that the roots will have populated a large part of the pot already. Once rooted, I find maples to explode with rootgrowth. So repot in ear;y spring in a decent sized trainer/flat.

July 5, 2017 (a few days too early, as the next pic will show)
View attachment 156080
22 July 2017
View attachment 156081

Was that maple started from a cutting?

 

[Eric Group]

Yup. You wil probably find in spring that the roots will have populated a large part of the pot already. Once rooted, I find maples to explode with rootgrowth. So repot in ear;y spring in a decent sized trainer/flat.

July 5, 2017 (a few days too early, as the next pic will show)
View attachment 156080
22 July 2017
View attachment 156081

Man, people always tell me I remove layers too early, you took it to a whole new level! If done right, they never drops leaves... This is cuttingnit close...

 

[leatherback]

! If done right, they never drops leaves... This is cuttingnit close..

The only real problem was that Mr fall weather, wet and cool, switched placed with Mrs summer weather hot & dry. I was away for a few days so could not move the plant under the bench. Normally, I have no problems. Once rooted, the will make it through easily, assuming right aftercare. It has started flushing again, so no worries

 

[leatherback]

Was that maple started from a cutting?

Nope, a small airlayer.

 

[mwar15]

I trimmed up a few runners and worked on some of the scars. I was able to get a better picture to look at for branch selection.

 

[leatherback]

I trimmed up a few runners and worked on some of the scars.

Now why would you do that? The tree needs to build up energy?

 

[mwar15]

My thinking was to open a few areas where the leaves were dense and runners were crossing and rubbing on each other. I understand it needs the energy, I could be wrong but, I don't feel like I over did it.

 

[mwar15]

I cut back some of the branches with no taper and defoliated some of the branches. After reading the Peter Tea blog post that was recently posted It inspired me to pull the ol air layer out.