It's best to start with fresh JM seeds that haven't been allowed to dry out. Dried out seeds have low or no germination. Also, they like a period of moist/cold storage, like in damp peat moss sealed in a plastic bag and placed in the fridge, for a few months.

As for your seedlings, it sounds as if they are a naturally upright, not weeping, type. You can keep bending them down, but you aren't going to change their basic nature.

Kate

These weeping Japanese Maples are not grown from seed. They are propagated by cuttings. The weaping is a mutation that most often does not pass on to the seed. If you planted seeds from a weaping tree, you will most likely get the standard species shape.

I read your 'My Page' and found that you know a bit about cuttings. So, I'll tell you basically how to do it. The first bit is to get a rootstock. Use those seeds that you collected from the weaping Japanese Maple. You should also find success if you use another Japanese Maple. It should be the same species. The more related it is, the better success you should expect. The green leaved variety supposedly has a more vigorous rootstock. But, those are hard to find. Ok, the rootstock. Prepare the seeds. Collect them from the tree in September-October when they are ripe but not dried out. To get the seeds to germinate, you can do one of two things. First, you can cut the embryo out, soak it in cytokinin, plant it. You should see germination in a week. Or, you can stratify it. Soak the seeds in warm water (about 43 degrees C) for two days. After this, place the seeds in a sealable plastic bag with damp (not wet) peat moss or wrapped in a damp paper towel. Place it in cold storage (4 degrees C) for 60 to 120 days. A refrigerator should be sufficient. I know that is a wide time frame. I think 90 days works well. But, it depends on how much you let warm air into your referigerator. After this time period, sow your seeds in the spring.

Let these seeds grow for one season. Don't mess with them. Just keep them alive and upright. During this growing season, you need to find a stock plant. This is a plant that you will take cuttings from. You choose this plant because of how it looks. It has the weaping to it. It has the color you like. This plant looks exactly like the plant you want. If there is any variation, do not use it. Ok, so you need a stock plant. You could spend a lot of money. Or, you could make friends with someone who has the tree you like. Take cuttings from it. Or, maybe offer to prune it. Save the cuttings.

You are in your spring season right now, right? Start planting those seeds.

By the end of summer, your seedlings should be ready for grafting. Don't wait until Autumn when the bark will not slip. This is where it gets detailed. So, if you want to know how to do it, let me know. Basicly, you place a bud of the desired plant near the base of the seedling about five centimeters above the soil line. Let this alone over winter.

Early spring of the third year, remove the seedling stem just above the bud that you grafted on. Make the cut at a 45 degree angle sloping up on the side of the bud. This year, the bud will grow and become the tree.

Now, depending on how weeping the stock plant was will tell you how far up the seedling you want to place the graft. If the stock is excessively weaping, you may need to place the bud a little higher so the tree is not a ground cover.

Can you see why these trees are so expensive? Let me know if you want to try this out and need me to clarify anything.
Good luck. Eric

Hi Hocky,

Here's a little step-by-step grafting presentation for Japanese Maples. Just an added note: There are certainly many ways to graft but this is an easy to follow "basics".

Here's a little more information I once wrote for "all" deciduous grafting (I'll remind you once again that this isn't the only way it can be done), plus the link.

CONIFER GRAFTING INSTRUCTIONS (and deciduous)

Pot up 1-2 year seedlings in spring. 2-year are typically best to purchase.
At this point you should do a little light root pruning removing any tap root while continuing to lightly prune the rest of the roots as this work will provide for a more fibrous root system. 2-year seedlings are typically best to purchase, however 3-year may be necessary depending on the size of the plant(s) to start.
Bring your potted seedlings into the greenhouse in December or when the ground freezes permanently. (If you live in a climate where it never freezes, some of these instructions may need to be modified. Unfortunately, I havenÂt done the research to provide information for these climates.)
Wait for root growth (white root tips are visible in the bottom of the pot) OR wait till 1/3 of your seedlings (in a block) have pushed growth. Then the entire block is ready to graft.
Take your scions in the morning on a cloudy day. Your ideal scions will be the same thickness as your understock. However a cut into your understock matching your scionÂs diameter is also a ÂgoÂ. Then, if at all possible graft them right away.
Label your scions using a permanent marker on your ziplock freezer bags.
Prepare your under stock by removing the leader and several of the other branches to gain better light ability.

Prepare your scion. Remove 1/3 of the needlesÂmake your cuts. Cut into your understock to prepare for the insertion of the scion. Insert the scion so at least the outer flap on your understock matches up exactly with the length of the cut on your scion.
Use a budding strip and wrap the entire area your just grafted tying it off at the bottom. DonÂt tie it too tight and donÂt tie it too loose. (Think of the plant as a living thingÂjust as yourself)ÂYour graft is done.
Put your new grafts into a tented structure in the greenhouse to increase the humidity around the graft. (Poly is used for the tenting).
40-50 degrees is adequate for your greenhouse temperature and will promote good callusing. (Callusing is the point where your scion and under stock bond and where a good, strong connection takes place)

DECIDUOUS GRAFTING INSTRUCTIONS

Same as for conifers with only a few exceptions:

When 1/3 of a Âblock of seedlings is showing signs of growth up ABOVE the entire block is ready to graft.

Scionwood is taken the same way. Typically use wood having at least 3 sets of buds on it. 2 is quite possibleÂ1 set of buds is pretty much youÂre kidding yourselfÂ

Do your cuts the same way and insert your scions into your understock just as you would do for a conifer graft. Be sure your buds are facing up (very important).

Attach your budding stripÂ

And then this is where itÂs different from conifers: Right after you get your budding strip tiedÂyou need to coat the entire Âarea with paraphin (spelling) aka Âgrafting waxÂÂ110degrees is the desired temp. The wax can be heated in a crock-pot. And if you donÂt have a thermometerÂthe wax should be Âliquidy but not able to burn your own skin if you were to expose it to your skin. Previously I mentioned treating your plants Âlike peopleÂÂthis is another example.

LASTLY, deciduous material does not need to be tented. The Âfresh grafts are simply kept in the heated greenhouse uncovered or (non-tented).

A few more things to know:

*After you bring your potted seedlings into the greenhouse it will take approximately 2-3 weeks for them to show signs of growth at which time theyÂre ready to be grafted.

*When white root tips show at the bottom of any pot (Even if the plant isnÂt Âactively growing above) it can be grafted.

*A graft can be done anywhere on your understock. Typically weeping forms are done higher-up, which of course will provide you with a taller plant to start with. Knowing they can be grafted anywhere will provide you with the necessary information for doing Âless-common graftÂs such as ÂstandardÂs or Âtopiary grafts.

AFTERCARE FOR YOUR CONIFER GRAFTS

TheyÂve already been grafted and placed under poly in the greenhouse. There are numerous ways to Âtent a few examples include: (1) simply Âresting the poly on top of your understock (the grafts are below on the plant and will not get damaged) or (2) you can build some sort of wooden frame that allows you to drape the poly around your plants. A good example of this would be to construct raised beds of sand about 6 inches high and to build a frame above these beds so you can simply raise and lower the poly as needed. Also, IÂll just mention is you have raised bedsÂyou can lean your grafts sideways so the scions are facing upÂtherefore less preparation is needed to Âthin the branches of your understock.

Keep them watered of course so they donÂt ever dry out (The poly tenting will raise the humidity)

When the scions begin growing (if you did proper care out of 1000 grafted plants it is possible for 1000 of them to ÂknitÂ) you need to remove the poly and place them elsewhere in the greenhouse.

After the scions have Âexhibited decent growth you need to go in with a pair of pruners and remove 1/3 of the Ânew-growth on your understocks! This will once again open up the plant so more light can get to the scion.

Then when the weather warms up and is safe for the plants to be taken outdoors, then they can be potted up into 1-gallon containersÂand at this time the budding strips must be removed.

Leave the understocks on for one-yearÂthen remove them and allow for the scion to be the only thing left growing.

*Just a noteÂThe understocks can be removed at the time of potting into 1-gallon containers but overall itÂs best to leave them on for a year so the understock can continue feeding the scion. If you choose however to remove the understock at the time of potting..it does not mean it will kill the plant. Some growers do remove the understock at the time of potting up.

AFTER CARE FOR DECIDUOUS MATERIAL

As soon as the scion begins growing all of the understock must be removed to allow for the scion to grow on itÂs own. This is where a deciduous graft differs from a conifer graft.

The budding strip is removed at the time of potting up.