My maple cuttings are dying!

i tried and it's a waste of time honestly. cuttings from maples never work.

junipers can work.
 
amazingzacmac said:
Okay! I made air layerings easily thought a simple cutting would work lol
Click to expand...
you will probably have better luck with seeds. harvest the seeds in october/nov. I had lots of seedlings pop up a few years back from seeds.

this year i had baggies full of seeds that i kept all year in the fridge thinking i would grow tons of seedlings this year... but not a single one came up when i planted them in spring. lol.
 
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potatofarmer said:
you will probably have better luck with seeds. harvest the seeds in october/nov. I had lots of seedlings pop up a few years back from seeds.

this year i had baggies full of seeds that i kept all year in the fridge thinking i would grow tons of seedlings this year... but not a single one came up when i planted them in spring. lol.
Click to expand...
Okay, I’ll start them in October/november. I have 2 huge Japanese maples in my front yard that always shed so many seed.
 
1. Did you plant them deep enough to have an intenode for roots to form?
2. where are they kept?

My initial assessment: these are new softwood cuttings. Soil looks heavy. Probably needs a more cutting-favorable mix of soil such as perlite/vermiculite heavy. No humidity dome/entrapment. They need high humidity until they can take up water. I plant mine in a pot and cover the pot with an opaque plastic bucket and place in shade.
 
potatofarmer said:
you will probably have better luck with seeds. harvest the seeds in october/nov. I had lots of seedlings pop up a few years back from seeds.

this year i had baggies full of seeds that i kept all year in the fridge thinking i would grow tons of seedlings this year... but not a single one came up when i planted them in spring. lol.
Click to expand...
Okay. I did have them covered. Would peat sphagnum moss work instead of perlite/vermiculite? I did heel cuttings right below the node.
Orion_metalhead said:
1. Did you plant them deep enough to have an intenode for roots to form?
2. where are they kept?

My initial assessment: these are new softwood cuttings. Soil looks heavy. Probably needs a more cutting-favorable mix of soil such as perlite/vermiculite heavy. No humidity dome/entrapment. They need high humidity until they can take up water. I plant mine in a pot and cover the pot with an opaque plastic bucket and place in shade.
Click to expand...
Okay. I did have them covered. Would peat sphagnum moss work instead of perlite/vermiculite? I did heel cuttings right below the node. Somehow the leaves are drying up and dying.
 
What were they covered with?

I mean, you want a soil mixture wjth a lot of air and water movement. Peat is usually not good. chopped sphagnum is good but it cant dry out at all.

Looks like they got sunburnt. dont give up on them yet.
 
Orion_metalhead said:
What were they covered with?

I mean, you want a soil mixture wjth a lot of air and water movement. Peat is usually not good. chopped sphagnum is good but it cant dry out at all.
Click to expand...
I covered them with a plastic tray cover. Here’s a picture:image.jpg
I will try chopped sphagnum or ver/per for my next cuttings
 
Orion_metalhead said:
Cuttings from maples done properly have perfectly acceptable success.
Click to expand...
so you're saying it's easy?

Maple cuttings

I've been bitten by the propagation bug. I realize that Maples are easier to propagate via air layering or grafting. However, after my complete and utter failure last year, I am compelled to solve this riddle. There are some good resources on this site, youtube, and other bonsai educational...
www.bonsainut.com www.bonsainut.com

here's a thread about it. apparently some cultivars wont grow from cuttings period. there's a reason most people just air layer for maples.
 
Orion_metalhead said:
What were they covered with?

I mean, you want a soil mixture wjth a lot of air and water movement. Peat is usually not good. chopped sphagnum is good but it cant dry out at all.

Looks like they got sunburnt. dont give up on them yet.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your help! I will apply this to my second wave of cuttings
 
Shade and either misting multiple times a day (every hour or two) verses some kind of cover to maintain high humidity would be my suggestion to up your game. I've had ok results using a clear plastic bag/tent over my cuttings. With that being said, seeds are much easier.
 
potatofarmer said:
so you're saying it's easy?

Maple cuttings

I've been bitten by the propagation bug. I realize that Maples are easier to propagate via air layering or grafting. However, after my complete and utter failure last year, I am compelled to solve this riddle. There are some good resources on this site, youtube, and other bonsai educational...
www.bonsainut.com www.bonsainut.com

here's a thread about it. apparently some cultivars wont grow from cuttings period. there's a reason most people just air layer for maples.
Click to expand...
Most air layer for specific retention of growth thickness or interesting movement, not because of "ease" per se.

And yes, it is easy when done right. Sure, some cultivars are not ideal but the methods need to be right either way.

I have tridents and alder going at moment:

20240626_194451.jpg
20240626_194414.jpg
20240626_194245.jpg
 
I'd make airlayers if they're in your yard.

And take cuttings every week until you find a good timing. Fall could work.
Not big leaves. Just enough for some life.

Sorce
 
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