Thanks Alex. I'm still keeping it fairly basic so that I can keep uploading regularly, but I'm definitely happier with this video. Thanks for the comment and I appreciate the positive feedback.

Thanks Sujit. I will be making a follow up video about this in the next few weeks.

Thanks Sal. Me too. I think they take some beating in the spring! I've just bought a triple trunk garden tree atopurpureum which I'm going to air layer and then turn into a bonsai which should be fun!

@@TonysBonsai good luck I just did my first air layerings on my Phoenix and bloodgood let’s see how they go 🤞🏽love see to an update on your air layerings too

Thanks Harry. Just make sure you wait to do this until the leaves have hardened off in late spring. I was a bit too early with these.

Thanks Jen. Up to nearly 700 views on this now 😲

Thank you. I actually made an error in this. I did it about a month too early before the leaves had properly hardened off. If you are going to try it make sure they are not tender

Thanks Mark. just subbed to your channel and I'll check out some of your videos tomorrow!

Yeah, someone has definitely planted those two trees. I think when I have a good supply of my own, I am going to plant at least one more down there to join them! I was walking to the shop near me yesterday and I noticed that quite a few people have some lovely acers in their gardens. On a nice day when I see someone in their garden, I'm going to ask them if I can take a few cuttings? I can't see anyone minding especially from big well established plants. I might even offer them a sapling next year in return.

Thanks Paula 🙂

Good luck with them James. Just beware that they can appear to be alive for a long time without actually having any roots, but it definitely sounds like you're having more success than me. these in the video are long dead! 🤣

So when you initially took your clippings and began the propigating, what did your clippings look like? Still red or in transition rom red-green-brown? And which season? Thanks 😊 😊

@@marsslugapolis These JM/Acer cuttings I took in spring while they were coming out of dormancy. They seem ok now, some don't look too good but one looks really strong now. They haven't grown so much this year, perhaps growing new roots. These Acer cuttings appear in my latest video around the 3 minute mark.

@@jameswilmot4537 I got to give you shit bc around 13:27 you say that you didn’t have much hope in them making it. I mean, I of course I say these very same things to myself but don’t project it outwards into the universe. Haha. Either way I appreciate the video. I’ll post one of my own here soon about my attempts and I’m hoping not to be jinxing myself as I write you on the matter lol

Hello, and thanks for the comment. I'm going to do a follow up video in the next couple of weeks, but I can tell you that like yours, none of this batch made it. I have however since taken several more batched of cuttings which seem to be doing a lot better. I have made an alteration to my technique, and I am certain that I was collecting too early in the year. The leaves definitely need to be allowed to harden off somewhat to allow them to survive while the cutting roots.

I have had success with A. Palmatum by rooting them in a clear plastic storage container with a lid, in pure perlite and using rooting hormone.

Thanks Orpheus. I've got loads of perlite which I add to my soil mix, so I'm going to have a go in pure perlite next time for sure. Thanks for the tip!

I don't know if you are aware, but Tony's cancer returned with unstoppable force and he died in Autumn of 2023.

oh my! sorry to hear... 🥺😢@@boabysands123

Hi Lily-anne. Thanks for you comment. I've been experimenting, and I have an update video coming out in a few weeks with some new information about how to increase the success rate of acer cuttings.

I have a few Katsurasn and mine are quite a bit more orange in spring as opposed to an even yellow, but I'll return in the summer and autumn to check up on the colours and that should help us to identify it. Thanks for the comments, and I hope you're having a great day!

I don't know if you are aware, but Tony's cancer returned with unstoppable force and he died in Autumn of 2023.

Sorry to hear that @@boabysands123 . My condolences to his family and friends.

Hi Mick. Sounds like your success rate with acers is just as bad as mine. I'm going to have another go next year but a bit later when the new leaves have hardened off. Apparently that ups the success a lot.

Thats a Orange Dream Japanese Maple and she is looking good thats my next one or maybe a Purple Ghost haven’t made up my mind yet

Hi Margaret. To let you in on the progression, these didn't do well. I'm very much experimenting with the timings and I'm sure I was a little early in the year. The leaves were just too tender. I will be updating with information on subsequent cuttings which are doing much better and another useful technique I've added.

I should have! I might use that in a future grafting video, cheers

Hi Stefaan. Unfortunately I made a huge mistake with these cuttings. I didn't realise at the time, but I did them too early. I should have waited for the leaves to harden off first, so they all died pretty quickly. I have better hope next year though in late spring/early summer using the same technique.

I took a short video to show people how can I send it to you? I mean if you’d like to see it….

Hi, that is great news! If you send it to me on anthonyhigginsonphotography@gmail.com I would love to see it! p.s mine all died ha ha

Hi Marko. Thank you for the comment. I'll be honest with you. These cuttings were not successful. I'm currently running a series of experiements with different substrates and watering methods etc so hopefully I'll have a new video coming out later this year which is a bit more scientific!

Thank you for the information. Much appreciated!

Hi Marlee. To be honest when I shot this video, I didn't really know, so they all died. However i now know that the best time is in late spring. You should collect when the fresh leaves have hardened off. The colours vary depending on the variety.

@@TonysBonsai oh ok. Thank you so much for the reply. At this time I’m trying my first time propagating about 30 Japanese magnolia (star shape/magnolia liliflora) as well as 30 cherry blossom. Guess it’s just truly a gamble, wish me luck. I started about 8 maple but they already have gone to the wind within like 2 weeks. But it can only get better from here..right?? Haha I hope, thanks again😀😀

Good luck with your cuttings Marlee. Your attempts can't be any worse than mine! 🤣

@@TonysBonsai thank you for the luck, I’ll have to keep you posted. I’m on about 3 weeks now and I just tonite tossed about 1/3 of my magnolias…but there’s always more to be clipped 😎😎

My advice is to put them in full shade. Some with lids and some without. Better to spread your chances. Also don't give up on them until next June

@@TonysBonsai thanks

Hi Adrian. to be honest these cuttings were a complete disaster. The technique was good, but I took them too early in the year. next year i will be doing them again, but waiting until the spring growth has hardened off. I've also get a couple of different types of root hormone to experiment with.

Cheers Rayhan. You should grow yourself a bonsai. They're great!

They are great videos on how to build a cold frame

All I can say is that you did a lot better than me. Mine were all dead within a couple of weeks! I hope you can find a solution though and get your trees through to the spring ok. Do you have a basement or something like that?

Hi David. To be honest these cuttings were a complete disaster. The technique was good, but I took them too early in the year. next year i will be doing them again, but waiting until the spring growth has hardened off. I've also get a couple of different types of root hormone to experiment with.

Unfortunately I made a huge mistake with these cuttings. I didn't realise at the time, but I did them too early. I should have waited for the leaves to harden off first, so I had the same result. They all died pretty quickly. I have better hope next year though in late spring/early summer using the same technique.

@@TonysBonsai ah what a shame but a lot of it is trial and error and hopefully the next lot you make strike and grown really well 🤞🏽

Fingers crossed mate!

Thank you. No, I had cancer last year and to remove it they had to cut my facial nerve which left me paralysed on the left side of my face.

@@TonysBonsai ohh Sad to here that. Lost my dad to cancer 3 months ago 😔 when did you start with bonsai?

Sorry to hear that about your dad. I was actually first interested as a boy 30 years ago, but life happens and I didn't really have access to any information. I've always kept a couple of trees, then 18 months ago I started watching bonsai content on youtube and I was hooked! How about you?

@@TonysBonsai thanks mate. I bought a 30 year old oak 2 years ago. Kinda garden tree but it was cut down. But not into a bonsai. And I startet to watch KZfaq video. And I found the bonsai zone with nigel saunders. And I was hooked. 80 trees later i starting to get a collection. My favorit is the japanese maple by fare. Love all the types and colors. The other day i picked up a type with purple/green leafs. It was just so beautiful wow. The type is called garnet. And Its a lace type. I got some garden trees last year. A sangu kaku. Coral bark. Its so beautiful.

Sounds like you're as obsessed with bonsai as me! I've got a video tomorrow inspired by Nigel Saunders, and he even said he's going to watch it which is nice! Have a great day!

I had some success and quite a bit of failure last year, so this year I am experimenting with different times of the year. I have already made a second batch of cuttings so that I will be able to compare success rates later this year with several different batches. I'm confident that the technique is good. It's really just the timing that I need to get right. These were a bit too early to be honest, and it's looking like taking them in May as opposed to April is better (here in the UK anyway).

Thanks Dvaid. Some of these were heel cuttings, but in hindsight, I was a bit early with these and the leaves were a bit too tender.

Hi, I'm going to do an update in a few weeks as I've since taken a second set of cuttings. Also, I'm planning on repeating this through the summer/autumn to find out what works best. My technique will be the same but just the time of year will make quite a difference I think. To be honest, these first ones didn't do at all well, but the ones I took a week ago are looking much more healthy and pretty promising. I've discovered that the leaves need to harden off somewhat first. The ones in this video were just too tender and a couple of cold nights and they were toast. I would definitely recommend trying the technique now or even better in a couple of weeks.

Hi Katrina. They did not I'm afraid. It turns out that I was too early in the year. Japanese Maple cuttings have to be taken after they have fully hardened off. I'll be having another go this year with over 15 different varieties to see which ones do best, but not for another six weeks.

Thanks Francisco

Hi Tom. I'm very much experimenting with the technique this year, and I have already discovered a couple of important improvements regarding the cuttings taken and the timings. I will be doing an update when I have a bit more information!

Hi Robert. Unfortunately I made a huge mistake with these cuttings. I didn't realise at the time, but I did them too early. I should have waited for the leaves to harden off first, so I had the same result. They all died pretty quickly. I have better hope next year though in late spring/early summer using the same technique.

@@TonysBonsai How do you know if the leaves have hardened off? I’ve tried about 6 times. Getting them to live is like trying to resuscitate my Nan. And she’s been dead 15 years.

🤣🤣That tickled me Robert. As for when you know. It is when the leaves go from that soft feel to a more hard papery feel. then they are ready. I'm going to have another go next year trying multiple soils and techniques and species until I can hopefully have some success.

Hi Marie. The good news is that what I did in this video was correct. the bad news is that I did it at the wrong time of year 🤣 We need to wait until the leaves have hardened off, so usually late may or early June. I was just too keen, and the leaves were too tender so thay all shriveled up. I will be doing the same thing again this year, but obviously at the right time. Also it is best to do it with green varieties. The red ones are much harder to strike.

@@TonysBonsai Thanks for this update. I'm in the UK too, and I was just getting ready to take some cuttings of my own! I'll give it another few weeks or the end of the month!

Good idea. If you do them now they just won't make it.

Thankyou will wait a while,good luck with yours.👍