What to do with an air-layered maple

[Xanthe93]

hi,

i've finally managed to air layer a branch off a japanese maple growing in my yard which I plan to bonsai. It has been in the ground for about 8 months now and the trunk is about 5cm thick and the new tree is about 2.5m high. Do I treat this like a collected tree where I leave it alone for several years to recover or can I begin working on it?

it is starting to come out of dormancy with little pink flower buds forming on some of the branches. Would a trunk chop be the best method of starting and if so, how high do I chop it. The lowest set of branches are little less than 1m high - should i gradually prune it so the tree doesn't go into shock or just lop it off under the first branches?

Btw I was planning on making it an informal upright style - shall post pictures soon

thanks in advance,
Xanthe

[Xanthe93]

here are pictures of the parent tree and the tree itself - its in a bad spot for taking photos
http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag5 ... d034f6.jpg - parent tree
http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag5 ... c4f070.jpg - middle/bottom
http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag5 ... 6f28d8.jpg - lower trunk
http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag5 ... 1470ce.jpg - upper tree

[Paulneill]

An air layer can be potted up and should start growing well straight away With no special treatment .I would only worry about heat from the sun damaging the bark on certain Species in summer. After a year In a pot the layer can be repotted / bare rooted removing the excess stub below the roots and the moss. The roots can be arranged at this time also .

[Paulneill]

I just checked out those pictures . That's a good maple . I would concider air layering the whole Thing at the base. Or some larger branches with movement and taper remember try to picture a good trunk line in there by visualising different branches removed. It should be ok to chop anything that is not required off when removing the layer .

[Neli]

I think he has big tree that he can airlayer any time...so this one can be just chopped. Looking at the lower trunk picture, and the length of the internodes, I would have chopped it real low, like 10cm max , but here you need to consider where it will bud, so you dont leave the lower section of the trunk too low. I would have chopped it just above that second visible internode.

[Xanthe93]

thanks for the info btw Neli, I'm female

early spring was the optimum time for air-layering wasn't it? Has anyone had success with adding branches to the trunk with a grafting technique (can't remember what its called) as I could take cuttings from the parent tree and add them to the smaller one after doing a trunk chop

[Neli]

thanks for the info btw Neli, I'm female

early spring was the optimum time for air-layering wasn't it? Has anyone had success with adding branches to the trunk with a layering technique (can't remember what its called) as I could take cuttings from the parent tree and add them to the smaller one after doing a trunk chop

Darling sorry, did not know you are a girl.
The time for airlayer depends on your climate. If you are to the north where it is warm most of the time like me...I do airlayers all year round, and they are OK. Remember roots stop growing bellow 10*C. So as long as your temperatures are above that, any time spring or summer will be fine. You will have enough time in autumn for the tree to develop roots, and you can separate it in spring or a bit later if not ready.
Adding branches to the trunk by chopping them from the tree is called grafting. There are other techniques you can use for bonsai...that is if you need to. Ones you chop the trunk you will get lots of shoots, so dont think about this now, unless later you dont get branches where you want them. You will need to grow a new leader for taper and movement.
If you get suitable branches after you chop it, try to give them some direction...like keeping them horizontal...and dont allow them to grow too thick. You might like to leave also some sacrifice branches to help thicken the trunk some more.

[Xanthe93]

ha thats okay lol - has anyone bought maples from http://www.maplesxmail.com.au/default.asp

i like the look of the crimson queen or really just any kind of cut leaf maples