Selection and Propagation of Bigtooth Maple for Low-Water

Landscaping

Larry A. RuppUtah State University Extension

Water Conservation in Utah

Center for Water Efficient Landscaping Research on irrigation techniques, low-water use

landscaping, and plant water needs. Outreach education through USU Extension to Blue and

Green industries, and the public in water-efficient landscaping.

Extensive collaboration with water agencies and others.

Masters of Professional Studies in Horticulture

Ideal water conserving plants? Attractive color

Ideal water conserving plants?

Attractive color

Marketable form

Ideal water conserving plants?

Attractive color

Marketable form

Adapted to nursery production

Ideal water conserving plants?

Attractive color

Marketable form

Adapted to nursery production

Tolerances Soil Pests Cold Drought

Natural History of Bigtooth Maple

Shrub-form

Tree-form

Dry

Wet

Taxonomically related to sugar maple (complete with maple syrup).

September 10

September 29

October 23

Six weeks from first color to last color

Genetic diversity creates the potential for selection of superior clones.

Bigtooth maple has potentialas a water conserving, small landscape tree.

‘Native’ is not a panacea and does not mean pest free

Commercial Release

USU-ACGR-1001

The Plan1. Select superior wild maples for potential

introduction to the landscape industry

2. Propagate the maples1. Effectiveness

2. Efficiency

3. Evaluate maples in a landscape environment

4. Release selections for nursery production

5. Introduce to the landscape industry

How do you pick the best maples?

Plant Collectors & Growers

• Jerry Morris• Phil Barker• Tom Laub• Ron Zollinger• Chad Reid

Satellite images from Google Earth™ (USU-ACGR-1009)

Aerial digital color photography

Digital Camera (time of picture)GPS (tracking time)GeoSetter Software (synchronizes )

Map function shows track and picturelocation on track.

Track and pictures can be exported to Google Earth™

Close-up Google Earth™ image of the vicinity where photograph was taken.

Comparison of Google Earth™ image and original photograph.

Location of tree with latitude and longitude as found on Google Earth™ image.

Finding the tree on the ground

•Handheld GPS mapping navigator•Photographic and Google Earth™ images of search area

What couldn’t we have done 20 years ago?

• Digital camera• Multiple pictures• Instant review• Extensive data on image file• (Now geotagged photographs)

• GPS

• Google Earth™• Find coordinates

• GeoSetter Software• Combine GPS track and pictures

Current Collection

• Columnar, oval, and round forms

• Single-trunk tree forms

• Various sources (Wellsville and Bear River Ranges, Parowan Canyon, Price Canyon, Fillmore)

• Currently some 40 selections

Bigtooth maple propagation

Seed Propagation

Seed Propagation

Seeds must be fully ripened (late October)

Keep collected seed cool and dry

Stratify seed in a plastic bag with moist vermiculite at 36°F until seed starts to germinate

Transplant germinated seed as radicle emerges

Grow in shaded environment

Vegetative Propagation of Bigtooth Maple

Part 1. Establishing wild clones in the nursery

Part 1. Establishing wild clones in the nursery

• Collect budwood from wild trees• Remove leaf blades and store cool and

moist• Chip bud on to vigorously growing

rootstocks (either A. grandidentatum or A. saccharum)

Successful (left) and failed bud-take (right). The bud shield successfully took in the graft on the right, but the bud itself failed.

Optimum Budding Period

11-Jun 25-Jun 9-Jul 23-Jul 6-Aug 20-Aug 3-Sep0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Effect of Budding date on Budding Success for 2006, 2007, & 2009

2006

2007

2009

Date

Per

cent

age

of s

ucce

ssfu

l bud

s

Vegetative Propagation of Bigtooth Maple

Part 2. Commercial propagation for Utah growers

Vegetative Propagation of Bigtooth Maple

Commercial propagation by budding (J. Frank Schmidt Nursery)

Cutting Propagation

Etiolation of softwood cuttings

Diagram of technique using velour bag to etiolate new shoots.

Pruning cut

Harvest cut

Velour bag

Buds of shootsto be etiolated

Shoot stub to support bag

Etiolated shootsNormal light-grown shoots

Mist bench

Cutting propagation with rooting hormone, mist bench, bottomheat and reverse osmosis water

Etiolated Cuttings Non-etiolated Cuttings

USU-ACGR-1001

USU-ACGR-1002

USU-ACGR-1003

USU-ACGR-1004

USU-ACGR-1005

USU-ACGR-1009

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Effect of Etiolation on Percentage of Rooted Cuttings

Tree selection

Per

cent

age

of r

oote

d cu

ttin

gs

USU-ACGR-1001

USU-ACGR-1002

USU-ACGR-1003

USU-ACGR-1004

USU-ACGR-1005

USU-ACGR-1009

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Effect of Etiolation on Average Number of Roots per Cutting

Tree selection

Ave

rage

num

ber

of r

oots

per

cut

ting

Natural layering propagation

Mound Layering

Vegetative Propagation of Bigtooth Maple

Commercial propagation by layering

Development of a mound-layer bed using own-rooted maple cuttings.

Control Auxin Girdle Auxin & Girdle

0

20

40

60

80

100

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

cb

b

a

The effect of auxin and girdling treatments on rooting of bigtooth

maple layers (2011)

Percent Rooting

Treatments

Ro

oti

ng

Su

cc

es

s (

pe

rce

nt)

Mo

de

led

Pro

ba

bil

ity

of

Ro

oti

ng

Control Auxin Girdle Auxin & Girdle

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

c bc b

a

Effect of auxin and girdling on number of roots per shoot with bigtooth maple

layers (2011)Actual Root ...

Treatments

Me

an

Ro

ots

pe

r S

ho

ot

Es

tim

ate

d R

oo

ts p

er

Sh

oo

t b

y

Mo

de

l

Control Auxin Girdle Auxin & Girdle0

20

40

60

80

100

The effect of auxin and girdling treatments on rooting of big-

tooth maple layers (2013)

Treatments

Ro

oti

ng

Su

cce

ss (

pe

rce

nt)

Landscape Evaluation

J.Frank Schmidt NurseryUSU-ACGR-1004

Summary

Superior bigtooth maple selections have been identified

Propagation can be done by budding, cuttings, and layering

Continued research is needed to improve efficiency of cutting and layering propagation

Of the Utah maples, USU-ACGR-1005 appears to be the best selection

Melody ReedBill VargaGraham HunterChristopher NealePhil Rasmussen

Melody ReedBill VargaGraham HunterChristopher NealePhil Rasmussen

Richard AndersonHang DuongXiuyuan LiLina WangGarrett Davis

J. Frank Schmidt Family FoundationUSU Extension Applied Research GrantsUtah Botanical CenterUSDA – Utah Dept of Ag and Food Specialty Crop Block Grants

Acknowledgments

Year 1. Select and locate tree in autumn

Year 2. Summer bud selection onto rootstock

Year 3. If bud takes, then grow on

Year 4. Root softwood cuttings and overwinter

Year 5. Plant rooted cuttings to layering bed

Year 6. Grow to size for layering

Year 7. Root layers and overwintering

Year 8. Distribution rooted layers to growers

Bud failure? If so, repeat

Cutting failure? If so, repeat

Layer failure? If so, repeat

Simultaneous long term landscape evaluation