How do you clone a Japanese Maple?
 

We're moving back to our Georgia house over the summer. The house we're selling has a stunning deep red Japanese Maple in the front yard. Don't know much about breeds, but this one is low, full with fine richly colored leaves. Probably the prettiest JM I've ever seen. The trunk is about 6" in diameter and it's about 7' tall and probably 8 or 10 feet in diameter.

We don't want to simply dig it up and move it (it's obviously been here a long time), but would love to somehow grow a new one from a clipping or such.

Is this possible? Any idea how to go about it?

Thanks!

Is it a Japanese graft onto a regular red maple?

You are probably better off determining which variety of tree and what the root stock is (i.e., they are usually patented) and buy a new one to plant at the new location. But yes, grafting at home is possible.

I have some home grafted Japanese maple trees (a friend did the grafting) that look like cannabis but cannot tolerate strong sunlight, snow load, drought, mice, the wrong pH, wind...you get the idea.

basics put root growth hormones on a small branch
wrap with proper stuff to protect the new growth roots
wait for roots to grow, cut and plant

or buy the root stock and splice on the cutting from your tree