in my experience, propagating from cuttings is a LOT harder than we're led to believe. you have to cut the branch (preferably a young, not quite woody one), then convince it to grow roots. you could also try layering, which involves getting the branch to grow roots BEFORE you cut it off. i think it's too late in this season to do either of these though.

the easiest thing to do for a newbie is like you said...go to the store, find a maple with a nice trunk, and chop it.

Of course, you'd be safest to buy it, plant it in the ground, leave it alone for this year, chop it next spring (before it buds), and leave it to heal in the ground for at least a year before potting it.

Why not do both?

Buy a Japanese Maple from the store and start developing the trunk. There's a great article on developing trunks here: http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/trunks.htm

Since your mom has the tree in her front yard and you can get cuttings and air layerings for free whenever you want, try some of those next year. Won't cost you anything and will give you more stuff to work with.

ok, with that being said, I really like the way the small bonsai look, would it be advisable to start a little larger? and how large?
Any good books I can read between now and next year for air layering?

ven

ohh and if I go by a tree, is it too late in the season to really do anything with it? I would really like to dig righting in, I know patience is a big part in this so....

There's a great little introduction to all aspects of bonsai practice called "Cultivating Bonsai" (published by Sterling Publishing, NY). It includes detailed instructions on air layering.

I think most people around here suggest cutting back larger trees, since the smaller ones can take a few years to get to a workable level (not that a trunk chopped tree works a lot faster mind you). Definitely try air layering on your mom's tree next spring (it is too late this season for that). I've had more success with layering than with cuttings.

i've got a great book beside me and it says that if you want to air layer it, you should use the ring bark method in early summer, and it will take about 6-8 weeks to root.

bonsaikid

Your book might be a little misleading. It depends tremendously on what species of tree you're trying to air layer. Deciduous, temperate zone trees like maples, elms and the like can take only a few weeks and should be done in springtime. Coniferous species, like juniper and pine can take up to two years to air layer. Tropical species air layer very easily and can be done most anytime --with the exception of the dead of winter.

Good books--anything by Colin Lewis, John Naka, Harry Tomlinson, Peter Adams, Peter Chan. Do a search on Amazon on authors or bonsai to see what's available.

Go to Ronnies in Smyrna (Rt.13N) in a couple of months, (closing time). You can pick up Japanese Maple leftovers in 1 gallon pots for a dollar. That's where I got my first one.

If you have a big maple to work with, dosen't it have small volunteers? My gardens are always full of volulnteer maples that can work as starter material. Zack

ronnies, I think I know where that is at, I will check that out later in the year. I went ahead and picked up a japanese maple from home depot, I decided to just let it got this year, and start with it next spring. I am also going to try to airlayer my moms on the spring aswell. While I was in michigan this summer I found an oak sapling (trunk is less than 1/2 inch). I dug it up, and have it in a 5 gallon bucket of the soil that it was growing in. I got it back home, and noticed the soil doesnt drain very well. Is next spring too soon to repot in some better soil, or should I wait another year??? I have had the tree here about a month and it seems to be doing pretty good with the rather high heat we have had hear so far.

thanks in advance