Japanese Maple Air Layer

[Cmanz]

In regards to air layering dissectum Japanese maples, I have found the Red Dragon cultivar to layer quite well. My experience is limited to 3/8ths inch branches but they produce good rootage.

 

[erb.75]

I am a little surprised by what i've read that your tree hasn't put out any roots at all. If the leaves on top are still looking good I'd say just give it longer...some species are known to be ultra slow at throwing out roots.

 

[Eric Group]

I feel your pain Colin. I checked my Arakawa layer about a week ago. It was not looking good....I had a black ring around my cut about an 1/2 inch above the wound.

I decided to make lemons from lemonade and take a few cuttings from the top since it was still growing very well. As they were a bit larger, I am using bottom heat to see if it helps the process along. Best of luck to you!!

Dang... Black= bad for JM. Hope yours is ok... Maybe it was just discoloration from the rooting medium or from being... Blocked from the light? Too tightly wrapped? IDK...

 

[sikadelic]

Dang... Black= bad for JM. Hope yours is ok... Maybe it was just discoloration from the rooting medium or from being... Blocked from the light? Too tightly wrapped? IDK...

I noticed that when I took my layer off, it was very damp (good) but caked in there (bad). I was trying vermiculite and it was just way too thick and not letting any air in there and staying much too wet. That is my uneducated guess at least.

 

[0soyoung]

I noticed that when I took my layer off, it was very damp (good) but caked in there (bad). I was trying vermiculite and it was just way too thick and not letting any air in there and staying much too wet. That is my uneducated guess at least.

If this were the reason/cause, wouldn't both sides of the girdle have the same problem?

 

[sikadelic]

If this were the reason/cause, wouldn't both sides of the girdle have the same problem?

To be honest Oso, I really don't know. I am very confident in the things that I do know and very aware of the things I don't. Botany is one of the things I am lacking in and this was only my 2nd air layer.

In my brain, I am seeing the bottom half of the tree still receiving support from the roots so it may not be in the same poor shape as the top...all cut off from what it has known and loved all its life. Hell, its probably all lonely and sad, feeling like nobody loves it. The bottom portion, its still good. Hanging out with all its friends doing belly shots off a stripper named Candice. Again, I really don't know.

DId I mention, its Friday and Im drunk?

 

[Smoke]

.... same poor shape as the top...all cut off from what it has known and loved all its life. Hell, its probably all lonely and sad, feeling like nobody loves it. The bottom portion, its still good. Hanging out with all its friends doing belly shots off a stripper named Candice. Again, I really don't know.

DId I mention, its Friday and Im drunk?

Are the nominations still open?

 

[sikadelic]

Are the nominations still open?

IF you mean member of the year: yes. If not, I am not sure what youre referencing.

Here they are...loud and proud with an ugly mug at midnight burning the midnight oil with my pursuit of something decent.

 

[0soyoung]

To be honest Oso, I really don't know. I am very confident in the things that I do know and very aware of the things I don't. Botany is one of the things I am lacking in and this was only my 2nd air layer.

DId I mention, its Friday and Im drunk?

You didn't mention that before, but keep enjoying Friday. Enjoy the rest of the weekend too.

I didn't ask the question because of some a priori knowledge of botany. I asked because you said failure at the top of the girdle was because of 'too wet'/anoxic conditions that were, of course, identical (or possibly worse, since free water would puddle) at the bottom. Drunk or not, I am happy that you can reason that

I am seeing the bottom half of the tree still receiving support from the roots so it may not be in the same poor shape as the top...all cut off from what it has known and loved all its life.

I've air layered many species for several years now. I was lucky in having a long string of successes before ever encountering problems. This year, for the first time ever, I encountered exactly the same thing you describe on three branches of a red maple (acer rubrum). I made these layers well before buds cracked. I subsequently air layered it again after it (the rest of the tree) had leafed out. So far there is no indication of a repeat of the problem.

So, am wondering just what has been cut off from that it has known and loved all its life. But, I am as certain as you must honestly be, that it isn't because sphagnum/vermiculite/whatever was too wet/compacted/anoxic.

 

[Smoke]

IF you mean member of the year: yes. If not, I am not sure what youre referencing.

Here they are...loud and proud with an ugly mug at midnight burning the midnight oil with my pursuit of something decent.

I was referencing exactly what was in your quote. I would like to nominate that as the best reply so far this year. Keep it up and you will get your own quotes page!

 

[ColinFraser]

Switch out the sphagnum for some perlite in a little plastic pot and see if it kicks in. You add any root hormone? The top is not dead and growing Ok?

Yeah, the top looks great, and a scratch of the bark just above the cut reveals a vibrant green cambium, so I'm not too stressed about it.

The purple plum layer in my other thread went so well, that I had high hopes for fast progress here too. One big difference is that I used the pot method (with turface and a little sphagnum) on that one since it's at home and I could water it regularly. This one needs to be neglectable for up to a week at a time, which is why I opted for the Sphag-n-Bag™ method. I suppose maybe I could do the pot, and then wrap that in plastic to keep it from drying out . . . If I mess with it again, I may recut the cambium edge and reapply hormone too . . .

Another possible factor contributing to its slowness could be the very reason this branch is coming off in the first place - i.e. that it is up in the eaves of the house and gets shaded. Less sun could mean that it takes a while to muster the energy for roots.

 

[ColinFraser]

Hah; A hint of success . . . finally!
Today, when I removed the aluminum foil cover to check up on this, I spotted the first root. Clearly it will take a while longer to grow enough to ensure survival upon separation, but it's nice to know I'm on the way

 

[discusmike]

Might have to leave it alone till next season,you will know by Sept.I've been to a small nursery years ago and the owner had over a dozen large zuisho air layers pushing roots everywhere,the medium was just top soil.

 

[Eric Group]

That is a big, healthy looking root! I hope they have popped like that all the way around for you!

 

[JohnnyFive]

I have an airlayer going. A bit further along than the authors. The top is a rookie buy from lowes (terrible
graft I am attempting to get rid of). a laceleaf red crimson. The bottom appears to be a standard mountain maple (it produced a few small leaves before I accidently killed them with the tin foil as i checked for roots. Can i separate it whenever? it will essentially leave just a 10 inch tall stump. I am honestly more concerned about the trunks survival than the lace leaf.

temperatures have been reaching high 90s lately.

Do I separate when the roots are strong or wait until late winter/ early spring when one would normally do a trunk chop?

Thanks for your help!

 

[RichKid]

 

[RichKid]

A pic of the layer I opened earlier. Only saw those few small roots and it's been on since the end of May at least. Not sure if it's gonna be ready before winter or if it will ever shoot enough roots to make it. On the other hand my regular palmatum put out tons of roots. Yours will be fine. Give it a month.

 

[PierreR]

Might have to leave it alone till next season,you will know by Sept.I've been to a small nursery years ago and the owner had over a dozen large zuisho air layers pushing roots everywhere,the medium was just top soil.

If an air layer isn't ready by mid-end September, and a decision is made to leave it till winter, does it need protection from cold? I'm not talking a mere freezing 32F/0C, what to do with an air/ground layer when winters hang out at 0F/-30C or lower?

Curious...

 

[Eric Group]

A pic of the layer I opened earlier. Only saw those few small roots and it's been on since the end of May at least. Not sure if it's gonna be ready before winter or if it will ever shoot enough roots to make it. On the other hand my regular palmatum put out tons of roots. Yours will be fine. Give it a month.

Not looking so good there Rich... Might I make a suggestion? Spend the energy and time layering something with better movement. That is a telephone pole in the making... Unless you are layering it to grow it out, chop it, grow it some more... Which is tedious. Find a spot with a little wiggle to it and layer just below it.

Also- perlite. I am a broken record on this BECAUSE IT WORKS. Better than sphagnum.

Finally.. If you just put this on the end of May, you are only a little over 6 weeks into the layer- probably just needs more time. I had a few removed after about two moths this Spring, but that was the fastest I have ever had them take and the roots were a little young at the time of removal...

 

[Eric Group]

If an air layer isn't ready by mid-end September, and a decision is made to leave it till winter, does it need protection from cold? I'm not talking a mere freezing 32F/0C, what to do with an air/ground layer when winters hang out at 0F/-30C or lower?

Curious...

Is there anything that does NOT need protection from that kind of cold? I just don't know how people live that far North man... God bless you all! I will suffer through hot Summers to avoid that kind of cold and 10 feet of snow!