North American indigenous red maple (Acer rubrum) is also an easy-growing tree which thrives in just about any dirt in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9. The “red” in its name is easy to understand since the tree produces red flower clusters in springtime, followed by red-toned fresh growth, crimson buds and red samara fruit. Perhaps most appealing is that the red-orange hue of the leaves in autumn, even though the quality of the fall foliage color varies between individual parts. Since many cultivars offer more brilliant and dependable autumn colors than the indigenous tree, both growers and gardeners have been tempted to graft that the cultivars on hardier red maple rootstock.
Prepare a reddish maple rootstock. Select a youthful red maple whip having a trunk diameter of approximately 1/2-inch. If recently bought, plant in a container or in the garden in which you want the tree to develop.
Clean and disinfect a sharp knife or pruning shears with denatured alcohol. Clip off a 6-inch shoot in the maple to utilize for the scion, the part of the tree which produces the trunk and branches. Act while the tree is dormant and select healthy new growth about 1/2-inch in diameter.
Clip off the top half of the rootstock whip with the pruning shears. With a sharp knife, slice the surface of the rootstock in a deep diagonal about 2 1/2 inches long. Make a 2nd brief cut close to the upper end of the diagonal parallel to the first cut to function as the “tongue” in a “tongue-and-groove” link between the two maple stems.
Slice the base of the cultivar scion in an identical diagonal. Make a shorter cut on the low end of the scion’s diagonal. This will function as the groove from the “tongue-and-groove” link.
Join the two pieces of maple so that the taller end of the scion’s diagonal is connected with the lower end of the rootstock’s diagonal cut. The “tongue” on the rootstock fits to the “groove” cut on the scion. This locks the bits together.
Cut a piece of grafting tape or twine a few feet long. Wrap this around the whole graft area repeatedly as if you have been bandaging a wound. Apply grafting paint above the twine or tape to seal the region.