i would suggest against startin aproject like that in mid summer. the best time to start anything like that is spring that way your tree has the best possible opportunity to adapt before winter. however if your season change this year is similar to ours here in the states i would say you have a chance. it is your plant though and if you want to try it best of luck to you.

If Pseudomonas (a form of bacterial canker that this cultivar of Japanese maple is extremely prone to) then don't bother. The bacterium is systemic and the disease will eventually kill the tree. It is better to start over with new, disease-free stock. But be aware that certain cultivars of Japanese maple - 'Sango Kaku' and other red barked forms, 'Katsura' and 'Corallinum' in particular - are extremely prone to this pathogen, which is easily stimulated in activity by cold, extended wet weather or other stress.

Hi, I have three air layers (branch calipers between 3/8 and 3/4") started in April on a large Sango Kaku Japanese Maple in my yard. The top sections above the layering point on all three are doing well with lots of new growth. I used the split pot method with bonsai soil, so I can't see the root development but I'm pretty sure it's moving along also. I want to leave the connection as long as possible, but I need to separate the layers before the Winter because I'm moving. Does anyone know whether it would be better to separate in late August before leaf drop or after the leaves fall. I plan on leaving them in the pots they rooted in, in a cold(35o) house until spring, how should I treat the cut end? Wound sealant? Maybe partially bury the whole small pot in a larger pot with fast draining soil and allow the cut end access to moisture? Any help is appreciated Thanks, Steve

Not with pear, but with a Japanese Maple, I've had success wrapping bonsai wire around the branch I want to layer and twisting it tight enough to restrict the flow of sap. You just tighten until you see the wire start to "bite" into the bark - don't crush the bark/branch. If there are enough branches to try layering, this technique might be worth testing.