Japenese maple chop

Messages
161
Reaction score
48
Location
Michigan
USDA Zone
5b
Looking for advice on when and where to chop this tree. We've had a good warm spell recently. It looks like the buds are swelling maybe?

How low should I go?
 

Attachments

  • 14878671617581853265023.jpg
    14878671617581853265023.jpg
    244.2 KB · Views: 166
  • 14878672056251350551310.jpg
    14878672056251350551310.jpg
    189.2 KB · Views: 149
You are going to have a problem, because that is a grafted tree. If you look closely, you can see the graft line, and how the bark below the graft is of a completely different nature than the bark above the graft.

If it were my tree, I'd start by air-layering off the top, getting it well established, and then proceed from there.

Most of the time the top part of the tree is the valuable cultivar - while the root stock is generic green Japanese maple. If you chop it, you may find you throw away the good part!
 
Last edited:
That low branch is pretty high and there is no movement, so air layering sounds like a good plan.
 
Dang I kind of wanted to chop it pretty low lol. I don't really mind if it's green I actually kind of like the green ones :/
 
The root stock has nice short internodes (each of those rings you see mark nodes where buds may appear and then shoots - they are close together!). Personally I would chop the cultivar off and start developing the root stock.

But, I've been here before and on all those occasions I layered the cultivar off as @Bonsai Nut and @Cypress187 suggest. Then, at roughly this time in 2018, cut off the residuals of the cultivar from the root stock.
 
My only thing is I don't feel like waiting for the air layer lol. I made an unsuccessful attempt at an air layer last year and have been waiting all winter to chop it haha. If I wasn't worried about losing the top cultivar where should I chop it? And is now a good time or do I wait until leaves appear?
 
Dang I kind of wanted to chop it pretty low lol. I don't really mind if it's green I actually kind of like the green ones :/
I would DO air-layer too. Right above the graft line. Till AL is done you can get some branches from the part below. So I think there is no loosing time, only the tree energy.
 
I'm considering it now. I hate to look at another air layer all year though lol.
 
Buy another cheap tree/material, trunk chop that.

Either way I would suggest getting more trees and stock to work on, whether you air layer it, trunk chop it or just grow it.
Buy more stuff. It is the best BEST way to help impatience!
 
Haha thanks. I plan on going out collecting real soon and probably getting another maple this year. I also started a bunch of seedlings I'm pretty excited about.

About how long does an air layer take?
 
My only thing is I don't feel like waiting for the air layer lol. I made an unsuccessful attempt at an air layer last year and have been waiting all winter to chop it haha. If I wasn't worried about losing the top cultivar where should I chop it? And is now a good time or do I wait until leaves appear?
Then, chop just below the brown-ish bark - remove just a shred of the green root stock. Within 6 weeks you should have buds popping from those node rings.
 
It depends on your climate so my answer could be totally wrong but it would seem to me, done at the right time which should be around early spring, for a tree that size and as long as it's healthy, I don't imagine the AL would take more than 8 weeks really.
 
Back
Top Bottom