So I want to air layer!

Okay guys so I want to air layer something. I'm pretty much in give it a shot mode while I let my trees grow until next year, and I want as much experience as possible.

I know you guys are gonna give me slack on identifying trees and thats cool, I've come to respect the vast knowledge on this site by scouring (the lady would say obsessing) these forums.
I just want to know...

what are good things to look for in air layer prospects?

What types of trees are best for air layering?

Can you air layer bushes?

And what are these trees? I'm not saying I would use these, but for example would they be good candidates?

For the record I guess a cottonwood and an elm. The last 2 pics are just some bushes out front lol they would be hard to air layer but I like the leaves.

Probably want to take a pass on the cottonwood.

The other tree is not an elm. Looks like a callery pear (Pyrus) maybe. Those are troopers in general.

You'd want to look for the same qualities in a trunk that you would a branch. Taper and curves. Appears you might have to do some climbing to find something reasonable with the pear (or whatever it is).

I would resist the urge to air layer something you have to climb to access. You probably won't keep it watered regularly for long enough. Elm would be great if you can find one, but apparently you haven't yet. I agree, skip the cottonwood. Bushes work. Privet, boxwood, crabapple, J maple, ...lots of possibilities. Conifers take much longer so you might want to stick with deciduous trees for your first attempt.

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/radialayer™-a-season-saver.17046/

Have fun!

Sorce

Awesome thanks guys. I will stay on the lookout for some good material. @sorce thanks for that post!

Yes, have fun! I just made my first ever air layering a few days ago. One branch on a Japanese Maple, one four-inch thick trunk of a different Japanese Maple (won't be devastated if it doesn't work but fingers crossed). Also, two branches on Japanese Snowbell and one on a camellia.

Whoa guys.... I may have a candidate. What do yall think of this?

Not sure on the ID, but I believe it may be some kind of flowering tree, which is my only concern. Not really a big fan of some of those

Whoa guys.... I may have a candidate. What do yall think of this?

Not sure on the ID, but I believe it may be some kind of flowering tree, which is my only concern. Not really a big fan of some of those

After further research, possible Hawthorne? My friend told me that it blooms white.

Crabapple. You'll be able to find something in there. Heck, do a dozen or two.

I have to air layer as well. My own crabapple is on borrowed time with a traumatized base:

Here is a picture of the mature Japanese Snowbell trees that I am airlayering. Only attempted one branch each. Will do more soon. Not a great picture of the trees. It's a grey Washington day today.

Looks like the pictures were taken at 5AM! It's 11...

@A. Gorilla What caused that to the base? Just wondering.

I don't know. I bought it quite cheaply.

Sorry to dig up an old post, but really didn't want to start an entirely new thread. Maybe @Bonsai Nut can start a forum specifically for tree ID questions. Then we could thumb through older post for matches lol

Anyway....

What do you guys think this is? I'm thinking elm??? It's in my sister's backyard. Had a bird's nest at one point so she hasn't cut it down. Clearly the dogs enjoy the shade.

Hackberry?

Sorce

I have done a couple dozen air layers with with about 85% success in getting roots. The things that have stood out for me are 1) Use live moss, most of my failed attempts had used the store bought compressed brown and dead moss. I figured this out when I did four coral bark maple air layers off the same tree. I had bought the bagged moss for them. I used it on the first three but ran out for the fourth. I walked over to the woods and gathered some live moss off a fallen tree and used that. All four had roots, the dead moss layers had tiny little roots growing while the live moss layer was so full the bag I used was taut from all the roots. After looking at my other failed air layers, they all had the dead moss used in them.

2) The more leaves above the layer the better. I have not found an Acer/prunus trunk I can't successfully layer if it has enough leaves on it. I am working on getting permission to layer a 10" plum branch that is pretty gnarly.

3)The next growing season is a bitch. I lost a lot of my air layers the next year because I didn't check on them every day to monitor their state. Not enough water, too much sun, not enough sun and too much heat have all killed my previous seasons success'. They can go from looking great to dead in two days with too much sun. Dead in a couple months because I over protected them in the shade and the leaves all turned yellow and fell off (I think the moss held too much water that the tree wasn't able to use fast enough). Ic usually start in full sun in early spring and move to partial sun as it warms up watching the leaves closely as I want it to have the most sun it can handle without making the leaves droopy. I went from 30-40% second year success to about 90%.

4) after you cut the branch off, do not open the bag to look at the roots. I now put the root ball in the bag into the pot of dirt and fill in the bottom 1/4 with dirt then cut the top of the bag and unwrap it down to the dirt and then cut the bag off leaving the bottom 1/4 of the bag attached to the branch. This acts like a tile and forces the roots out sideways and you have not disturbed or broken any of the very delicate roots you just went to a lot of trouble to make. Gently fill in around the moss ball and water heavily. Do not pack the dirt down or you will rip the roots out of the branch.

Good luck and make many new trees.

Saddler said:

. I lost a lot of my air layers the next year

Click to expand...

I am sure bagged sphagnum moss has killed any tree I have left in it over the winter. Black Ass roots.

I now chop it fine so it can be raked and rinsed out at removal.

I guess it's not the layer you're having problems with..
But the moss.

I've never treated a removed layer any different than any other tree...
Just out in full sun.
Of course..

Saddler said:

2) The more leaves above the layer the better

Click to expand...

I do hack them down upon removal too, so there's Not much to support.

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/layer-at-a-friends-house.22627/

Sorce

@sorce I will try chopping up the moss when I can. I often just wander into the woods with a knife, electrical tape and some bags and do a few layers with the moss growing there. Even with it chopped up, I don't know if I would have the time to demoss 10-15 air layers that I am in the process of doing.

I usually have ten plus feet of tree above the layer so I have to cut it back severely. Ideally I cut it back to where there will be a set of buds for next year with little above that.

I dont know what your summers are like, but our summers can have huge swings going from having snow mid march to two weeks of 28-32º C yesterday to 14º C and pouring hard today. Its suppose to get even hotter in a couple days. Its only May and lots of my leaves on my established trees haven't even hardened off yet and have had to be moved to mostly shade to protect them from the heat as most were looking pretty sad. On an air layer this can be deadly. If you have a nice predictable climate without huge temperature swings, I guess my third point won't apply.