Content
Maple belongs to the genus of tree and shrub plants of the Sapindaceae family. The culture is widespread in Europe, North America and Asia. North American Indians have long known about the beneficial properties of this plant. They still make syrup with maple sap to this day. Americans use it as a spice for culinary dishes. Maple sap contains many beneficial substances. The drink is useful for people with diabetes or obesity. Maple propagation is carried out by seeds, cuttings and grafting. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is worth familiarizing yourself with how maple reproduces and what to pay attention to.
There are about 150 species of maple in nature
How does maple reproduce in nature?
Under natural conditions, maple trees reproduce by seeds. They fall into the soil layer due to the impact of wind gusts, tearing them off the parent trees. The form itself allows seedlings to quickly spread to the nearest area. When the seed lands on the ground, it is covered with fallen leaf plates, and then with snow. Due to these features, during a cold snap, a selection stage automatically occurs. Specimens that are more productive begin to hatch as the weather gets warmer, when the snow melts.
In nature, maple trees reproduce using lionfish.
Maple propagation methods
The maple tree is propagated in three ways. Among them:
- seeds;
- vaccination;
- cuttings.
The generative method is considered the most complex and requires a long time. Home maple propagation is carried out only by seed. Grafting and cuttings are often used to grow ornamental varieties of maple trees.
Each maple variety is propagated in the most appropriate way.
Propagation of maple by seeds
The method of propagating a maple tree by seeds requires a lot of time and effort. This is a very labor-intensive, lengthy undertaking. First you need to choose which particular variety you want to grow in the garden. Obtaining a completely new species is not always possible. There is a specific list of acceptable variations. Some ornamental varieties can only be obtained by grafting or planting cuttings. For example, if the propagation of the Flamingo variety is carried out from seedlings or cuttings, then the Tatar, Greenbark or Ginnala maple can be successfully grown only from seeds.
Seeds for propagation should be collected in August or early autumn. Fallen grains are considered mature. They are easy to find on the ground among the leaves. The seeds are “helicopters” containing large embryos. Maple can be grown in spring or fall. When planting in spring, raw materials are harvested from September, placed for storage in a refrigerator in a container with wet sand. Before sowing, the material is soaked in a low concentration manganese solution for 1-2 days.
When propagating a crop by seeds, already harvested specimens are planted in 2 cm furrows, with their wings facing up. If the plant is not planned to be replanted in the next two years, a distance of 1.5 meters must be maintained between them.In case of group planting, you should choose a large container. If you don't have one, you can use a simple bucket. Experienced gardeners recommend growing maples next to each other. Then it will be possible to select strong specimens and transplant them into open ground. The grains should be watered. At first, you will have to add moisture regularly. The ground should always be wet. The first shoots will appear in 2-3 weeks. At first, the maple tree grows slowly. By autumn, the shoot reaches a height of 30 cm. There is no need to accelerate its development, this should happen naturally.
Graft
The grafting method allows propagation of decorative hybrid maple species. To do this, you need to prepare planting material. In the spring, cuttings are prepared; in the summer, the grafting process is carried out using buds. It is necessary to make a cut on a mature young branch at an angle. A symmetrical cut is made at the graft and placed in the resulting hole. The area is carefully bandaged with a special film or tape. If shoots appear on the grafted branch or bud, the process is successful. The securing tape does not need to be removed until next year. It will show the final result of propagation by grafting based on the buds and leaves that appear. It is advisable to do several graftings on one maple in different ways.
You can graft whole branches and individual buds into the split of the shoot, to its cut or to a cut in the bark
How to propagate maple from cuttings
Reproduction of maple by cuttings should be carried out in the autumn. The idea is to cut the stems from a mature tree and use it for propagation. The length of each copy should be 25 cm. All should have two leaves shortened by half. Before planting the cuttings, they should be placed in the root system growth stimulator Epin, Zircon.The optimal planting depth is considered to be 5 cm. The hole should be loosened, a drainage system should be prepared, and then mineral supplements should be added. The soil should be light and moderately moist. It is better if the fertilizer ingredients include river sand mixed with peat and leaf soil in a ratio of 1:2:3.
In the spring, the cuttings are placed in a new soil mixture. Fertilizers with potassium, superphosphate and urea should be added. Young plants should be watered regularly. One maple tree needs 30 liters of settled water. Moisture must be added every two weeks, especially at first. Later, 15 liters per tree once a month is enough. You will also need to loosen the soil, and closer to winter, cover the young trees from frost, mulch them with peat and fallen leaves.
Home maple is usually propagated by cuttings.
Conclusion
Maple is a beautiful tree that has beneficial properties. It is widely planted to decorate public gardens, summer cottages, and other areas. Maple propagates in three ways - seeds, cuttings and grafting. The first method is the most labor-intensive and time-consuming. In nature, trees reproduce by seeds. Cutting and grafting methods are more preferable. Also, when choosing a propagation method, the variety of the maple plant is taken into account.
