Question
I live in Gauteng, South Africa (coldish winters with clear blue skies, warm summers with summer rain). I have a collection of Acer Palmatums in my garden, some of which I would like to propogate. I am a novice at propogation! I had thought that I would root new trees with rooting powder - but have read that this route is not very successful. Also, the seeds have already dropped and so that route is not an option right now. If I go the grafting route, what stock branch would you recommend?

Answer
Hi Debbie,
Thanx for your question. To be honest with you, I'm not experienced with grafting other than having read about it.  On this website, we have an expert, Jim Hyland, who was with the US Forestry Services.  I found a similar article such as your which Jim answered that I think you will find helpful.

Rootstock is the rooted part of the graft to which the scion is grafted. The scion and the rootstock must be compatible. Acer palmatum rootstock is best used with Acer palamtum scions. Acer palmatum is also compatible with Acer japonicum but not with Acer Buergerianum.

The botanical name for a Japanese Maple tree is Acer Palmatum. There are different varieties that have the variety name attached(Japanese Red Maple tree is Acer Palmatum Autropurpeum, Laceleaf Weeping Japanese Maple tree is Acer Palmatum Dissectum etc.)

From Japanese Red Maple Trees, Acer Palmatum
by Michael J. McGroarty

"Most Japanese Maple trees produce seeds that ripen in the fall, but I am also told that some ripen in the spring.  Watch the tree you intend to harvest from closely.  Japanese Maple seeds are ready to be picked when they turn brown and start falling from the tree. Collect the seeds and clean them by breaking off the wing attached to the seeds."

"Like a lot of ornamental plants, Japanese Maple seeds have a very hard outer coating, and you have to pretreat the seeds before you plant them.  Place the cleaned seeds in a cup, and fill the cup with warm, to hot, tap water and let them soak for 24 hours. This will soften the outer coating of the seed so moisture can penetrate and germination can begin."

"After soaking the seeds place them in a plastic bag in a mixture peat moss and sand.  Use a 50/50 mixture, keeping in mind that the little details can vary so much that they really don't make a lot of difference.  The secret is to soften the outer coating of the seeds so they can germinate.  This peat mixture should be moist, but not soaking wet!  You don't want them to rot before they have a chance to grow."

"Store them at room temperature for a period of 90 days, and then move them to the refrigerator for a period of 70 days.  Don't put them to far back in the fridg or they might freeze, and that will slow down or stop the stratification process.  This pretreatment thing we're doing here is called stratification."

"Time this process so the seeds are ready to be planted outside in the spring, after the danger of frost has passed. To do this pick the date on your calendar when you think the danger of frost should be past, and count backwards the total number of days the seeds will be in both cold, and warm storage. Start stratifying the seeds on that day. The seeds can be stored dry in the fall until you are ready to use them. Make sure they are dry and place them in a paper bag and keep the bag in a cool dry place until it is time to start stratifying them."

"When the seeds are in the bag of peat and sand you should check them every now and then to see if any of them have started to sprout.  If more than 10% of your seeds are sprouting, they should be planted right away.  Even if you have to plant them in a flat indoors.  Just make sure they receive an ample amount of light."

"To plant the seeds, just spread the mixture of peat, sand, and seeds on top of the soil, then sprinkle some good potting soil over top of them.  The rule of thumb for planting depth is "twice the length of the seed".  If the seed is 1/8" long, don't plant them any more than 1/4" deep."

"Once planted, water them thoroughly, but allow the soil to dry out before you water again.  Keep in mind that the warmth of the sun will play a crucial role in the germination process, so you should allow the soil to dry and warm up between watering."

"Once the seedlings begin to sprout provide some shade for them.  They should have about 50% shade for at least the first few months, if not the first year."


credit to this answer goes to Jim Hyland, Allexperts, Tree Expert.
I hope this helps.
Tom