Help cloning a Japanese maple.

I have a Japanese Maple that is 29 years old this spring. My beautiful late Aunt gave me the tree as a two-inch seedling that grew under her tree. After the last couple winter storms and a couple weeks in single digits the tree suffered and has most of it has died. There is some new growth coming from around the base and out of shallow roots. I did read that you could take cuttings and clone similar to a cannabis plant which I do regularly. I only have a couple of new growths on the tree and two more coming from a root that are 7-8 inches tall so I have to get this right or loose the tree forever.

Anyone have any experience cloning trees or other non-cannabis type plants? Should I just cut at a 45 degree angle and use some rooting gel? Transplant into dirt or a rooting plug. Or even take the entire root and plant? I feel kinda silly asking considering Ive cloned many cannabis plants but the tree is very important to me and I only have a couple chances to get this right. I have the root dug out and exposed in the photos.

ANY advice very welcome. Thanks.

Graft it?

Wish i could help with that, but we do have a ton of Japanese Maple seeds if you need them.

I understand your wanting to clone Grandma's old tree but if you need new stock, holler. Its just maple seed no biggie.


Pics of the "mother" we planted her 15 yrs ago and she gets BLOOD RED in the fall.

Best of luck!

Hi. I feel your pain. You have some good material to propagate. I would cut a nice piece of lateral root with a shoot in the middle and put it in a decent sized pot with something like Promix. Maybe a little osmocote in the bottom. Keep moist and keep faith. It's Spring, everything wants to grow.

If it has some root mass already it'll be fine.
We used to clone them and just stick the cut the dirt and it would root.
I'd take it with the root and plant it in a container. Mix native soil with some promix like 70/30.

Curious what strain of jap maple is that. Doesn't look like lace leaf, green bloodgood?

Thanks guys Im going to do the cuts tomorrow!

Check out air layering, it's a great technique for cloning trees and stuff!

But if theyre that small I would think just give it love and it will come back