Acer palmatum, the Japanese maple is a relatively high value landscape tree. This deciduous tree can be found in many landscapes throughout zones 5 to 8. They have an extensive quantity of cultivars and varieties with relatively unique ornamental characteristics. They are native to Korea and Japan. Japanese maples can be found thriving in full sun (in northern climates) to part shade. They have very identifiable foliage even though there is an extensive variety of cultivars with very unique leaf characteristics because of their palmate appearance. Japanese maples are usually high in demand because of their popularity in the Landscape industry as well as The moderately high ornamental value of individual varieties makes them a great candidate for grafting production.

There are many specific cultivated varieties (cultivars) of Japanese maples which are in high demand by homeowners and Landscape contractors. This is because of their colorful foliage which is visible throughout the entire growing season. The straight species of Acer palmatum commonly grows to be about 25-35 feet or more in the wild. Dwarfing root stock varieties, however, provide a much smaller size range. Smaller tree specimens are versatile for use in landscapes relative to their minimal spacing constraints. Essentially, their demand can be based on basic popularity in the marketplace.

Very high demand can make cause for grafting to be a most sensible propagation method. This is because one can take a significant quantity of bud wood from a single or few hard wood plants and graft them onto commercially produced root stocks which could be propagated more easily by other techniques; especially seed propagation. The availability of plant material can play a major factor in how any plant is commercially propagated.

Grafting cultivar specific scions onto commercially grown root-stocks is the most sensible option for Japanese maple production because most Japanese maple cultivars do not grow true from seed i.e. The genotype of the desired parent plant may not be exhibited in its seedlings. Additionally, Maples produce recalcitrant seeds, which are not storable. They can only remain viable for a short period of time. This could be problematic for any grower due to the extensive amount of time that would be required to collect seed and complete the seed planting process on the same day of a busy season. Cutting propagation is not used for Japanese maples either because they have a high failure rate, even under perfect conditions. There are very few statistical outliers (ex. 'Bloodgood'). Those are the central reasons as to why other methods are less desirable.

NOTE: Japanese maples are relatively low maintenance, but they often make sports or growths that display very different growth characteristics compared to the mother plant. Some sports could be considered valuable, although they are most often lacking in desirable ornamental value.

Grafting is essentially the act conjoining two or more plant parts to form a single plant. Japanese maples are hardwood trees, which affects the recommended grafting procedures. The majority of hardwoods have certain requirements for high grafting success rates. The turgidity of the root stock should be very high and the plant should be active in growth. The stock plants should be healthy with no shortage of water, nutrients, or carbohydrates. and active in growth. nursery production. The Scion wood of Japanese maples that is planned to be grafted should be dormant. The scions are generally able to be stored for longer periods of time if stored properly. Scions can be stored in peat moss or other packing media that maintains the surrounding moisture quality. The storage space should be kept cool and free of free moisture, but be kept at a relatively high humidity (Slightly under 100). Some people soak the scion wood in water before storing it. The best time of year to make a graft is in late winter when dormant cuttings can easily be accessed. This applies to hobbyists that are unable to store their harvested scion wood in a mechanical chiller These topics are very important in ensuring that the proper materials are chosen for a grafting project.

NOTE: When storing hardwood cuttings, it is important to keep track of which ends are proximal and which are distal because the polarity of the cambial tissue layer cannot simply change. Improper polarity alignment between the scion and rootstock will cause a graft failure. It is recommended that the scion wood is bundled together and marked with dabs of tree paint on the bark.

• The scion wood - (Selected cutting that will serve as the above ground portion, or distal end of the plant)
• The Root-stock - (Selected cutting that will serve as the below ground portion, or proximal end of the plant)
• Clorox Bleach or Alcohol solution and rag to sterilize pruning tools.
• 3/4" Bypass pruners for cutting the plant material. (Do not use anvil pruners, as they tend to crush the cellular structures at the cutting end of the plant material)
• Sharp and clean Knife such as a pocketknife * Pruners that automatically make grafting union cuts are available in the industry market.
• Grafting Bands (Similar in appearance to gum bands), grafting clips or Graft connectors.
• Netafim polyethylene grafting tape (Not entirely necessary when used with grafting clips or graft connectors)
• Warm environment with higher than average humidity (such as a greenhouse) to house the grafted plants
• Grafting wax is also optional for sealing off the top of a scion in which the apical end has been removed. (This prevents desiccation from water loss after the grafting procedure)

NOTE: One must always ensure that the plant materials chosen for this method of propagation should be disease free. The use of diseased plant material could result in graft union failure or even cause the widespread infection of other susceptible plants in the landscape.

When preparing to graft a Japanese maple, one must make a variety or cultivar selection which would be harvested or purchased for the scion and stock to be used in the graft. The Japanese maple should be grafted onto a selected root stock cultivar for better vigor, dwarfing capability, etc. The cold hardiness as well as heat tolerance of both the scion wood and root stock in any environment should be factored into the decision. Root Stock plants, which will serve as the Proximal end or the below ground portion of the plant, can be ordered (usually in bulk) from various online retailers. It is recommended that the root stock be 18"-24" in height and have a 3/16" to 1/4" caliper. Root stocks could also be grown via Seed-based plant propagation. It is one of the most affordable methods one could use to grow plant material for grafting. This is also true in the industry because seeding does not necessarily require skilled labor. If any person plans on propagating their own seed to use for root-stock plants, they should know that Japanese maples produce recalcitrant seed, meaning they are not storable and must be planted almost directly.

Note: Plant patents protect certain commercialized cultivars from unauthorized propagation and sale. Hobbyists and homeowners are typically exemplified from this law because they would not sell them commercially. Trademarked cultivar names can not be used in the promotion or sale of plant material, unless authorized by the holder of said trademark.

After selecting and harvesting your scion wood (winter) or pulling it out of storage and the rootstock (Controlled and favorable environment for growth), its time to make the grafted Japanese Maple of your dreams.

1. Assure that all of the materials are available and that the pruning tools are sterilized.

2. Inspect your dormant scion wood and rootstock to make sure they are healthy, disease free, and that the turgidity of the stock is high. and assure that they are marked so that you know which end of the scion is up. (Do not make the marking on the cuts at the ends)

2. Make a "Thumb Buddy" : Wrap masking tape around your thumb so you won't accidentally cut yourself during the grafting.

3. Perform a whip and tongue graft (Knife) or Saddle Graft (Automatic cutting pruner) *Make a safety circle when using any knife to prevent injury to your peers. (They should be outside of the imaginary circle which uses your arms length as a radius) *Make an opposite saddle cut on the scion and the saddle cut on the root stock. Keeping track of the direction of the automatic pruners is essential.

4. Perform the same graft in the opposite direction so that the scion and stock may fit together like a puzzle piece. It is absolutely important to ensure that the cambial tissue layers line up.

5. Attach the scion and stock with a stretched piece of polyethylene wrap in hand and wrap it snugly about two times around. Ensure that it will not fall off. Let the wrap overlap the union point with an excess of 1/2".

6. Wrap the rubber grafting band snugly around the saddle to further support the graft and hold the polyethylene in place.

7. Carefully place your grafted plant into an environment with above average humidity, and sunlight. (Greenhouse preferred)

8. Water your plant regularly and monitor for possible attacks from pests and diseases, desiccation, or graft union failure.

• Water should be maintained at near field capacity

9. The graft should heal together properly in a little over a month's time. If the union seems stable enough, one could remove the rubber tree band and polyethylene very carefully as to not damage or even break the graft.

10. The plant should be gradually introduced back into the non controlled environment (outdoors) by dropping the humidity, temperature, etc. When the plant is healthy enough, it will be able to withstand severe wind and or rain. If the graft was made right before the end of the growing season, one could place it in a sheltered environment in the outdoors (such as against a building) to gradually force it back into dormancy to place in a pot in pot storage system for the winter.

NOTE: The alignment of the Vascular cambium or cambial layers of the rootstock and scion wood is absolutely necessary for the graft to be successful because the vascular cambium contains the vascular tissue which provides transport for water and nutrients upward from the roots(The Xylem layer) and downward towards the roots (the Phloem layer (Most important of the two in grafting))