Thinking of trying air layering

[Breeze46]

I am thinking of try ing to air layer a couple of trees this year. I have a couple of Japanese Maples, some in the ground and some in nursery pots, and a couple of cryptomeria in large nursery pots. When would be a good time to layer them here in north Florida (Pensacola). Are they both good material to air layer? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Adair M]

The question is why?

Are the bases poor, but the tops good? Or do you want to shorten a tall tree and want to make use of the top? Or are they rare species?

Late winter to early spring is the best time to start one.

Most Japanese maples will airlayer. I don't know about Crytomeria.

 

[Breeze46]

Mostly shorten tall trees and make use of the tops. None of them are rare (I don't think) a couple of coral bark maples that I have been relocating with me as I move. They are about 6 feet tall and have some nice looking branches that I think would be nice trees if I can do it right. Late winter to early spring is right around the corner here in north Florida.

 

[Adair M]

Mostly shorten tall trees and make use of the tops. None of them are rare (I don't think) a couple of coral bark maples that I have been relocating with me as I move. They are about 6 feet tall and have some nice looking branches that I think would be nice trees if I can do it right. Late winter to early spring is right around the corner here in north Florida.

Go for it!

 

[JoeR]

You can use sphagnum moss, but I would personally use something else if possible. Irritating trying to untangle the sphag without damaging the roots.


What I would do is cut a plastic pot to fit around the branch/trunk and fill it with normal bonsai soil or maybe perlite. Water it everyday like a normal tree. That way you can cut it off no hassle and I think you get better roots anyway.


Good luck, its not as hard as you think!

 

[sorce]

I cut my sphag thin....
And it washes out easy.....

Leaves a bit still, but not so bad to clump and rot.

Hey I just thought of something. A weed grinder would work great!
I USED to use scissors!

Sorce

 

[Eric Group]

You can use sphagnum moss, but I would personally use something else if possible. Irritating trying to untangle the sphag without damaging the roots.


What I would do is cut a plastic pot to fit around the branch/trunk and fill it with normal bonsai soil or maybe perlite. Water it everyday like a normal tree. That way you can cut it off no hassle and I think you get better roots anyway.


Good luck, its not as hard as you think!

This is what I do, using perlite, had insane success... Super fast, perfectly radial roots, very high percentage of success... Just have to water it a LOT.

 

[ColinFraser]

I layered a branch from a large Japanese maple last year here in California and it worked out pretty well. I made the cuts before buds started moving in spring and separated it 6 months later. It did pretty much nothing until leaves were out and hardened off for a while, so I suspect that if I had made the cuts after it had leafed out (i.e. a month or two later) it would still have been ready at about the same time.

Good luck with your layers - post some pictures and document your attempts

 

[Cypress187]

Hey I just thought of something. A weed grinder would work great!
I USED to use scissors!
Sorce

Naa it doesnt work, maybe if you have a big one from iron.

 

[sorce]

This is what I do, using perlite, had insane success... Super fast, perfectly radial roots, very high percentage of success... Just have to water it a LOT.

Eric....how secure do you have to keep that perlite pot?

I am really interested in trying your method....But fear it moving too much how I imagine MY situation.

Pics?

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

A weed grinder would work great!

Bet a blender would work better.

 

[ColinFraser]

Bet a blender would work better.

I've used an old food processor to pretty good effect.

 

[Starfox]

I'm going to drop a potentially obvious question in regards to air-layers but if you don't ask you don't know.

If you take a layer from a branch that is say, 3ft long from where the layer is to the tip when you pot it up are you better off leaving the whole 3ft in tact for a year before chopping it back or can you do it at potting.
My guess is option 1.

 

[ColinFraser]

I'm going to drop a potentially obvious question in regards to air-layers but if you don't ask you don't know.

If you take a layer from a branch that is say, 3ft long from where the layer is to the tip when you pot it up are you better off leaving the whole 3ft in tact for a year before chopping it back or can you do it at potting.
My guess is option 1.

I'd think it would depend a lot on how much root you've got - balance is key. When I layered a plum last year, I separated early with very little rootage, but the whips on the layer had grown at least six feet. I decided to cut it way back in order to reduce water loss through all that foliage.

My (admittedly amateur) advice would be to keep as much foliage as the new roots can support. How much is that? That's the hard part . . .

 

[Starfox]

That's a fair point, try and build up as much roots as possible and then see and use my best judgement.

I had two email notifications for replies but only one shows up in the thread, the other advice was sound too. Trim the branches back a while before applying the layer, makes sense but requires more forethought than I'm used too.