First, can you start cuttings from Japanese red maples or white dogwoods in the fall? Or is it a spring only deal.

About the JRM..
My Maple has a branch Im dying to bonsai. It has way too much character to stay hidden on a tree that doesn't need it. No biggie waiting till spring. But winters have been so cold and boring here in NJ in the last couple years, I'd like something special to do indoors in case this brings more of the same.
This tree was purchased half dead as a left over 3 winters ago. It was on the concrete lying flat at my mean and tree-abusive (lol) home depot. It looked dead and Im a sucker for plants that look dead. So, I grabbed my Japanese "Charlie Brown" tree for $20 down from $75 and was told, save the receipt...you'll need it!
Long story short, with love and care it has returned to me 3 springs in a row and has grown a respectable 4 feet. BUT, its two main branches are compressed. I've started trying to widen them while the branches are still thin enough to do so. I also allowed a new long shoot to remain from last year. My hope is to thicken it to create more symmetry. Long shot? If I break off new growth and keep it short, with it get thicker? Or should I just let it go?

My Dogwood...
This poor tree borders my property. I have a full lot between me an my neighbors house (250ish ft) and most of the neighborhood boys use this space to play...roughhouse, football etc. In the past the boys beat, climbed, shook, tore and hung from the branches of this poor little tree. The entire back side was torn away giving the tree an awkward shape. Similar to goal post missing one side. Hubby wants to take a saw to it every spring, but its survived so much trauma! Since we've landscaped that entire area its been very respected. Its grown tons of shoots from the bottom, I actually considered removing the top half and just making it a bush. But again, it has character and particularly nice bark. I'd rather remove the shoots. I was thinking I could graft a tree into the dead side. I hear dogwoods are forgiving of the process? Is it worth a shot? Or should I turn it into a weird outdoor bonsai? lol. I am sure I can do something interesting with it. Even ifs its some funky artsy oddball-me thing. But I want to get the basics down from the pros here before I attempt anything. This tree clearly wants to live and has fought well for itself. How do I honor that?

Thanks so much in advance for any help at all!!
~M

The dogwood seems like a pruning project albeit I am an experienced grafter, it doesn't seem logical to graft to improve the aesthetics.

Dax

My mistake on the cutting vs graft. I was going to write graft, but thought cutting was more universal. So I applied it to both processes thinking I couldn't do the same with the word "Graft." I should have been more specific.
To Graft the maple it would have to be partially cut treated & bound, but stay attached to the mother tree until it began to root correct? I looked into it earlier this year but got intimidated by the process.

i dont think there are very high odds.. on anything of any great size ... you seem to suggest that the branch is over 3 years old.. which means large to me .. most rootings are done on this or last seasons growth ....

a pic would surely help us understand what you are contemplating .. check the link

ken