Red Japanese maple in particular is considered very difficult to propagate vegetatively. For this reason - as well as the fact that propagating Japanese maple cuttings takes a lot of time - the exotic species is mainly propagated in tree nurseries through grafting. However, with a few tricks you can also propagate from cuttings at home - just know how!
How do I successfully propagate Japanese maple with cuttings?
To propagate Japanese maple via cuttings, you need suitable shoots, rooting powder or willow water, Jiffy pots with lava granules, an indoor greenhouse and patience. Cut off shoots, prepare them and plant them in moist lava granules. Patience is important as root growth can take weeks or months.
Propagate fan maple via cuttings
As is the case with plants, not every variety of Japanese maple can be propagated equally well via cuttings. The technique works very well with some varieties (for example 'Bloodgood' and various 'Dissectum' variants such as 'Garnet' or 'Ornatum'), but not at all with others. And this is how you do it:
- Cut off some suitable shoots between the end of May and the end of June.
- These should no longer be completely soft, but not yet woody either.
- You should also have several pairs of leaves.
- The cutting surface at the point to be rooted should be kept as slanted as possible.
- Remove the bottom pair of leaves, leaving the stem end as a stub.
- Halve or third larger leaves to minimize evaporation.
- Dip the end of the cutting into a rooting powder (€13.00 on Amazon).
- Alternatively, you can also use willow water.
- Now plant the cuttings in prepared plant pots.
- Jiffy pots filled with fine, washed lava granules are ideal.
- This lava granulate must be s alt-free!
- The granules are always kept nice and moist.
- The plant pots are placed in an indoor greenhouse
- in a bright and warm place.
- High humidity is an advantage.
- Don’t forget to ventilate daily!
- However, direct sun should be avoided.
Now it's time to be patient - it can take a few weeks or months until the first fine roots appear. The young Japanese maples should initially be frost-free and never overwintered outdoors.
How to make willow water
Homemade willow water has turned out to be a great rooting agent and helps especially difficult candidates to develop the desired roots. The cuttings are placed in a container with the cooled brew for a few hours before planting and can also be watered with it once planted.
- Take young willow branches and cut them into as small pieces as possible.
- Pour hot, but no longer boiling, water over them.
- The ideal mixing ratio is around 150 grams of willow per 500 milliliters of water.
- Let the pasture grow for at least a day
- and then pour off the brew.
- The willow water lasts – stored in a cool and dark place – for up to two weeks.
Tip
Bonsai artists have also used the practice of removing moss, although it requires a lot of sensitivity.
