The argent maple , also know as the silverleaf maple , is a intermediate - sized tree that is most common to the Eastern United States , found develop near stream and river banks , in flood field and around lake shores . The silver maple enjoys speedy growth and a long lifespan – many live 130 days or longer .
Although the silver maple ’s seeds are abundant , planting silver gray maples from seeded player may be a long and difficult process because the seeds are more temperamental in germinating than cuttings . Cuttings of softwood source speedily and easy , making cuttings the propagation method acting of choice .
Step 1
Take softwood cuttings from the facile maple in July or October , preferably in the former morning , using pruning shear or a sharp knife . Select new - growth shoot that you’re able to snap easy when bend . check that your slip are 4 - 6 inches long .
Step 2
Remove the leaves from the lower one - third to one - one-half of the cuttings . Treat the cuttings with rooting internal secretion .
Step 3
pose the cuttings ' " new " end in a planter pot in a high - quality potting grease . Make indisputable that the cutting ’s abject one - third to one - half is stick in into the dirt . water supply the grime thoroughly .
Step 4
Cover the pot with a plastic travelling bag to keep in moisture . Place the clipping in indirect sunlight and obscure them , observe the soil moist at all times until they root .
Step 5
Keep the cuttings in their root potentiometer ( if it ’s large enough ) or transplant them into a larger pot after they ’ve rooted . If you ’re embed multiple cutting , be sure to space them at least 5 - 6 inches apart so that all the leaves have unobstructed access to the light .
Step 6
Allow the cutting to originate in the grass until the following spring . check that there is solid rooting and goodish , novel development before transfer the silver maples outdoors .
Tip
For best rooting success , take cuttings from young trees that are around five twelvemonth old . Cuttings from sometime , mature trees do not root as well as from young trees . Instead of deal , you’re able to also take hardwood cuttings in early winter , but you must store them in a nerveless place for two calendar month before planting . You do n’t take to fertilise your silver maple . If you want to give your newly - rooted cuttings a little boost after you plant them , however , use a 10 - 10 - 10 fertiliser around the tree diagram ’s drip line once per year in the spring .
Warning
Do n’t duck the cuttings into the original container for the rooting hormone because this can pollute the internal secretion supply . alternatively , pour a small amount of the internal secretion into a separate container and throw off any idle dowery .
