Air layered my mallsai

ConorDash

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Hi,

This is more so a topic for record and progression but comments are always welcomed, of course.
Although bare in mind any comments on something I did wrong will simply torment me as the deed is done now, so try to go easy :p. I did read a lot and prepare a lot before hand, so here's hoping it's not terrible.

My plan. Red lines where the ring will be, and barked stripped. The green circle is the S bend scar that will, after air layering, be removed from both remaining trees.
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Close up of the area.
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Mmm.. Stripping...
Actually really happy with this, as it went very cleanly, straight edges. It's a small tree with a lot of foliage everywhere so it wasn't easy to get in under there (insert dirty joke here, giggety).
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And done.. I brushed root hormone around the ring that was stripped, it has damp sphagnum moss in a cling film enclosure. Then just some black tap round the top and bottom to keep a bit more secure. Left holes for drainage and watering.
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And that's that. This was done today, so if there is anything really terrible which you think I could correct, feel free to tell me and I'll do it to the best of my capabilities.

I've also got a big pyracantha at the bottom of my garden which I did an air layer on too, just cos.. Why not.. Used a water bottom of the enclosure, hoping that goes well but it's no loss if it doesn't, plenty more tree to do it on..
 

ConorDash

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Many of the people whom I was afraid would have something negative to say, have liked and not commented.. Which either means they are being nice and not saying or anything or that I passed, and there is nothing TOO negative for them to say... I'm gonna try to stay positive!

Thanks @Adair M , my first time so quite nervous about it. But I'm aware it's not a trophy specimen so if I'm to make a mistake and it fail, I'd rather it happen on this rather than anything else. And maybe in the future I can make something good out of this little mallsai, low expectations yield high results :).
Thanks everyone.
 

CWTurner

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Conor
Air layering is the coolest. I have loads of them going on maple, crabaple, piracantha, vibirnums.

What do you mean when you say "used a water bottom of the enclosure"?
CW
 

ConorDash

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Air layering is the coolest. I have loads of them going on maple, crabaple, piracantha, vibirnums.

What do you mean when you say "used a water bottom of the enclosure"?
CW

Sorry that was a typo that it didn't let me go back to correct. I used a water bottle for the enclosure. Cut the bottle correctly and used it to put around the branch, filled with moss, closed both ends. Saw it in a video, not my own idea :).
 

ConorDash

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Or me...

Cuz...



Pretty sure that applies here too!

Well done feller.

If I had a critique it would be more sphag.
But it shouldn't matter.

Sorce

That was exactly my one thing I thought might be a problem, it's a very small area for the growing.. I think it needs more room and more moss but there's such little room to work with. Worse comes to the worse, I could increase the size of the cling film bag, once I start seeing some growth. Thanks :)
 
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Better not disturb when growth has started. You might see a different growth rate of the roots since it is almost a horizontal section (as i see it). Tilting the pot a bit might help in that a bit. Looks like a good job to me, i have no vision yet over the intended trunkline. Will you keep the big low branch? Good first job, should be fine, don't keep the sphagnum to wet, that's the mayor cause of failure with sphagnum in a bag.
 

ConorDash

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Better not disturb when growth has started. You might see a different growth rate of the roots since it is almost a horizontal section (as i see it). Tilting the pot a bit might help in that a bit. Looks like a good job to me, i have no vision yet over the intended trunkline. Will you keep the big low branch? Good first job, should be fine, don't keep the sphagnum to wet, that's the mayor cause of failure with sphagnum in a bag.

Tilting it so that it is more upright? That's a good tip, I can certainly do that! Thank you.
I'll try not to keep it too wet, hence the drainage holes. Thanks :) I'll definitely keep it in mind as I look at it every day till it's ready lol.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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well. done. You passed!
Yes, don't disturb the air layer trying to add more sphanum. Just keep checking up on moisture.
Elm should show roots quickly, this summer, before autumn.

If for any reason it does not. then you can open the bag & check. Usually the cambium will have grown back. Just re-scrape the cambium off, and re-wrap. Check again following spring. Winter tree as you normally would.
 

ConorDash

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well. done. You passed!
Yes, don't disturb the air layer trying to add more sphanum. Just keep checking up on moisture.
Elm should show roots quickly, this summer, before autumn.

If for any reason it does not. then you can open the bag & check. Usually the cambium will have grown back. Just re-scrape the cambium off, and re-wrap. Check again following spring. Winter tree as you normally would.

Thanks, great info :). It's nice to know that if this has to go over winter that it can wintered normally. I would have assumed it'd need extra protection as its in a weakened state. But hopefully I'll be finished before winter, it should do anyway.
When I was trying to dry the moss out to store it, I couldn't get rid of the bloody moisture after trying a lot! So that should work in my favour this time. I check everyday, or twice a day and water if needed. Thanks.
 

Eric Group

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Looks good! I think you have a high likelihood of success. I would say maybe you want to use a little more rooting medium- a bigger wad of sphagnum IOW

It oughta take though! Good luck.
 

ConorDash

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Hello again.

This will be ready to chop within the week, I would think. Also spoke to Sorce about it a little.

Just a little question that I think many will have different opinions on.. How do you tell when an air layer is ready?
I would say the "fullness" of the "bag" or whatever container you use, or you can feel its more solid or see it full of roots.
I can certainly see roots in there, it definitely has them, but how do you know when its got enough to keep the tree alive after chopping?
 

Vin

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Not even a month has gone by. If you have a large number of roots in there, you may want to remove your current enclosure and fabricate a plastic pot around the area. Fill it with pumice and some more chopped spag and give it a little more time before you make the cut. You've done well to get it this far and there's no real reason to hurry the separation. In your other thread you said you've gained quite a bit of knowledge. Now is the time practice patience.
 

ConorDash

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Not even a month has gone by. If you have a large number of roots in there, you may want to remove your current enclosure and fabricate a plastic pot around the area. Fill it with pumice and some more chopped spag and give it a little more time before you make the cut. You've done well to get it this far and there's no real reason to hurry the separation. In your other thread you said you've gained quite a bit of knowledge. Now is the time practice patience.

Ah that damn patience! Can't I just buy some patience, it'd be easier! :).

I thought it would be ready sometime soon, given how small it is.
The area it is in, due to that real big S curve, its really difficult to get any kinda container in there, so Im not sure I could do that.
A lesson to be learnt was certainly to give it more room next time, as some posts here mentioned, I should have given it more moss and a bigger bag. But hey ho, live and learn.
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Ill give it more time, I can learn patience... the hard way..! :) Thanks for your advice, as always.
 

ConorDash

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This is what I was looking at, which gave me the feeling that it is ready. I do say again though, one lesson learnt early, was to give it more room (bigger bag) to allow more roots before chopping. Something I'll make sure to do next time.


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ConorDash

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So that's that. I think it was ok. Good experience. I think neither tree look good at all to be honest, I'm really looking forward to being able to cut it back harsh and begin a long journey of hopefully developing some good looking branches because at the moment, it just looks pretty crap and not like it's worth time and effort.

The bottom half, looks no better. I kinda like the movement it has, in the sense of all one sided. Could kinda see developing something, looking like it was extremely windswept, leaning more and curved against strong winds.. All just ideas.

Anyways, tell me what you think please :). I hope the top half survives, but I understand it still may not. It will go untouched for the next year now, to establish itself.

Finally one question, in addition to any opinions. Should I prune any branches on the top half, as they continue to grow? Or let it grow without touching whatsoever.

If this was all done correctly, then I hope this topic can serve some purpose to people who buy this type of tree (S curve, Chinese elm, mallsai) and be referenced as something that can be done.
 
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