Red Maple / Acer - Could I Take Cutting For New Plant?

[Mr FootOfDavros]

Hi folks.

We have a red maple in our front garden, which I'd cut back a bit when we first moved in.

As you can see in the following picture, two new little shoots have sprung up pretty well from a sawn off branch:-

My question is - Could I cut these off to form a new plant which I could pot?

Looking at the join part closer:-

You can see that they're almost independently coming out of the stump, so I'm guessing I would have to treat them separately?

I've never done a cutting before, so don't know too much about it, although I have purchased some rooting power if that would help me along...

Can anyone advise whether taking these off as cuttings would work? And if so, what the best process is:- should I just try to get them both off at the stump together? Or am I better off taking the cutting from further up both stems? Do I have to strip back the outer "bark" before dripping in the rooting powder?

Thanks for reading and any suggestions you may be able to make...

 

[oneeye]

Hi folks.

We have a red maple in our front garden, which I'd cut back a bit when we first moved in.

As you can see in the following picture, two new little shoots have sprung up pretty well from a sawn off branch:-

View attachment 108201

My question is - Could I cut these off to form a new plant which I could pot?

Looking at the join part closer:-
View attachment 108202

You can see that they're almost independently coming out of the stump, so I'm guessing I would have to treat them separately?

I've never done a cutting before, so don't know too much about it, although I have purchased some rooting power if that would help me along...

Can anyone advise whether taking these off as cuttings would work? And if so, what the best process is:- should I just try to get them both off at the stump together? Or am I better off taking the cutting from further up both stems? Do I have to strip back the outer "bark" before dripping in the rooting powder?

Thanks for reading and any suggestions you may be able to make...

Yes cut them and stick them in the ground. If you use the same soil that the mother is in the sucker stem cutting will be some what acclimated. Keep the cuttings watered well until they start to grow. You can also take cuttings off the top of the plant and root them easily. Take your cuttings in Spring when the plant is showing a lot of vigor. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[cpp gardener]

As long as it is new soft growth it doesn’t matter where it comes from on the plant. You will definitely need a rooting hormone and it is better to start them in potting soil than stuck in the ground. If you can make a ‘greenhouse’ from a plastic bag or clear beverage bottle to keep humidity up, they will grow faster.

 

[Mr FootOfDavros]

As long as it is new soft growth it doesn’t matter where it comes from on the plant. You will definitely need a rooting hormone and it is better to start them in potting soil than stuck in the ground. If you can make a ‘greenhouse’ from a plastic bag or clear beverage bottle to keep humidity up, they will grow faster.

Thanks. They're actually quite long so I'm not too sure should cut them a bit higher up than from the point they've sprung, or whether at the bottom would give them a better head start. Not sure if there's any consensus on that?

 

[cpp gardener]

I think either would work, although the tip will wilt a lot until it gets some roots going.