Hello, I have bought an Acer Buergerianum from a nursery mainly to get some cuttings. Anyway I would like to have your advices to know if there is anything else I could get from this plant and what I should do ( air layering, pruning... or just let it grow).

 

As it is today it is not suitable for bonsai. Air layering and hard cutback is needed to get a starter material. If still flexible enough it could be wired before air layering. Think several airlayers and design it like several bonsai on top of each others. Then put it in ground for a few years of thickening.

Thank you for your answer, I have some more questions about the several air layers you suggest :

1. should I do them at the same time?
2. What distance in between them, considering now the plant is about 1 meter?
3. I live in north Italy, is now too late to do the air layers? 

Air layering is best done late winter early spring, it is too late this year. Three years in the ground would transform this plant. I did that some years ago with a similar tree the difference was huge. It also produces a much thicker trunk. I think you would have difficulty doing air layers on such thin branches and you would still have the same problem of thin trunks.

@m5eaygeoff , I don't think that @Tropfrog wanted to say to do multiple air layers on the branches, but on the trunk of the plant.

1: no, absolutely not. 

2: Bear in mind that a bonsai of 3 cm is concidered a Keshitsubo tree and a one meter bonsai is called omono. And normal trunk to height ratio is in the range of 1/6 to 1/12. I just cannot tell you how long inbetween the airlayers if I dont know how long you plan to grow it in ground and what final design you are aiming at. However, I guess right now it is 2 cm thick. For a final tree in short time the leangth between the grafts should be in the range of 12-24 cm. Althou it is not fixed rules but guidelines.

3: absolutely yes. Too late.

Hello there!

That species is one of the best for building it on the ground (if not the best), accepts grafting, airlayering, heal wounds very well, it's a great choice!
I started with one, now I have 3 thickening on the ground, and they're FAST... I fell in love with it.

I see you already got great advice here, and I don't have much to add, for now you should just wait for next season so you can plant it on the ground properly, and until the next season after that (at least) you won't do any air layering, I think you should let it establish on the ground for a year before you can air layer it... Even because you would want some caliber before you do it, I don't think it's interesting to air layer thin branches, being a Trident Maple, a few years on the ground and you'll have much thicker ones...

If you want, like Tropfrog said, you can add movement on some branches for future air layerings...

About multiple air layerings at the same trunk, it works, however I don't think it's a good idea, because in my experience, the lower ones roots quite strong, the other ones on top of it, not so well, or not at all... Also, it conditions the removal of one air layering to another.

However in multiple branches, it's ok if it has enough sap flowing (and not cascading), just have in mind the stronger the branch, more sap will flow, and those are the most likely to strike root well.

Good luck with that Maple!