When life is pulsating right up to the shoot tips in early summer, this is the best time for propagating maple with cuttings. This guide will guide you step-by-step through the simple process. Benefit from useful tips for quick rooting.
How to propagate maple?
To propagate maple, cut young, semi-woody shoots 12-15 cm long in early summer, remove the lower leaves and put them in potting soil. Cover the pots with plastic bags or use an indoor greenhouse and plant the young plants in spring.
Cut cuttings professionally – this is how it works
In the transition from spring to summer, the time window for cutting cuttings opens. Since all maple species are susceptible to fungal attack, please clean the scissors carefully. How to do it professionally:
- Young, semi-woody, non-flowering shoots cut with a length of 12-15 cm
- Remove leaves in the lower half
- Cut the shoot ends about 2 cm long and dip them in rooting powder (€8.00 on Amazon)
No more than 2 pairs of leaves should remain in the upper half of a cutting. Very large leaves are cut in half to reduce the degree of evaporation.
Skillfully plugging, caring for and planting out – this is what you should pay attention to
For each cutting, please fill a medium-sized plastic pot with potting soil. Place two thirds of a prepared shoot into the substrate, press the soil firmly and water with room temperature water. This is how it continues:
- Put a transparent plastic bag over each growing pot and tie it together at the bottom
- Alternatively, place the cutting pots in an indoor greenhouse (recommended)
- Water regularly and do not fertilize in a partially shaded, warm window seat
- Repot a cutting when the pot is completely rooted
In the rarest of cases, a sufficiently strong root system has formed for successful planting by the time of planting in autumn. Therefore, continue to care for your pupils with room temperature water in winter. Regular ventilation prevents mold formation. Specimens with more than 3 pairs of leaves receive diluted liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks. In spring, plant the maple trees you have propagated yourself in a sunny to semi-shady location, as long as there is no longer any risk of frost.
Tip
Sowing seeds comes into focus if you want to grow a whole flock of young maple trees. The generative form of propagation, of course, tortures the gardener considerably longer than vegetative propagation from cuttings. In order to overcome the germination inhibition of maple seeds, a cold stimulus of 8 to 12 weeks is required beforehand.
