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Most commercially available maples are propagated by grafting or rooted cutting methods. Both of these methods "clone" the parent tree, giving us a genetic duplicate. The advantage of asexual propagation (cloning) lies in our ability to predict, with great accuracy, the color, size, and shape of the mature trees produced. The Japanese have been selecting and breeding outstanding individual maples to name and propagate asexually for centuries, and more recently European, American and New Zealand nurseries have also made significant contributions. These individual maples are selected for outstanding traits like bright spring color, red summer color, brilliant fall color, small size, and/or habit, and can be re-produced exactly for our gardens using these methods.
Trees propagated by seed have two parents, and, just like our children, are individuals. They share some traits with their parents, but they are not their parents. This means predicting their adult size, the shape and color of their leaves, and their habits is not dependable. When we sow a handful of seed from our nursery, where there is a wide variety of color, habit and size in a relatively small area, the results are instructive and exciting. We will get some green, some red, some deeply divided leaves some palmate. The variety of shapes and colors goes across the maple spectrum. Some maples, like the green small-seeded, small-leafed palmate maples, come very true from seed. It is for this characteristic that they are chosen for rootstock for grafted maples.
Maples can be easily propagated from seed, and it is really fun! The seed should be gathered in late August or September when the tips of the wings are brown, but the seed itself is still green. I remove the petioles, but leave the wings, and soak overnight in warm, not hot, water. In the morning discard the "floaters" and mix the seed half and half with damp, not wet, Canadian peat moss. Sand may be used, but it is then necessary to add a fungicide. Put them into zip-lock bags and store in the refrigerator at about 40 degrees for 3 months, or until they start germinating. You will see little white 'tails' poking out of some of the cracked seeds. Gently plant them all, those that have tails should have the tail planted downwards, about a half inch deep in a light soil, either in a garden bed or in a flat. Remember, maple seeds are mouse candy, so you will lose many of the seeds if you plant in open ground. Seedlings may be transplanted from the seedbed or flat when they have 3 sets of true leaves. Some of the seeds may not germinate for 3 years, so flats or garden beds you have planted should be watched for a long time.
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