air layer of zelcova with ugly roots

[lordy]

I got this tree at an auction probably 5+ years ago. I have reason to believe it was from Stanley Chinn. The roots always bothered me, and after two major repottings I could never get it deep enough to cover them. See if you agree by reviewing the photos.
Anyway after Mother's day brunch at my place, I decided to do the air layer. There happens to be a good sized knot at the place I wanted to cut, and the bark was difficult to remove from that spot, but the rest of the ring came off very easily, basically in one piece.
Anyway, I split a 4" pot and put some sphagnum in the bottom and then some bonsai soil, after dusting with rooting hormone powder. Using wire I hung the pot from some branches above, and one beer later, all done. I hope to remove the pot in about 3 months, and have my fingers crossed that some good roots sprout.

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

when layering this low it's often better / easyer to take the botom off a bigger flower pot and using this. Set it on the mixture and fill it with the sphagnum and soil mix. This way it's easy to keep the moisture and temperature more even. Check late fall.

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?14959-Zelcova-Nire
the links in post 29 explane the procedure

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Appears to be a fairly old bonsai. I hope it works out well, but the area removed is pretty narrow and if the calluses connect, it won't root; and it will be even worse. I'd be half tempted to take off the pot and rooting medium and widen it again by about triple (see photo) while it's still fresh.

One of these two zelkova layers bridged on me last year and didn't miss a beat: http://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2013/10/12/zelkova-layer/

 

[lordy]

Considering the provenance of this tree I followed both recommendations today. I probably could have used an even larger temporary container, but none were to be had.
Done and done. Thanks for the tips. I dont do many layers, but this one needed to be done.

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

in a container this small the roots wil go fast downward in the bigger pot. It might be difficult next repot...

 

[Adair M]

When I air layer, I use plastic bags, that plastic shipping wrap.

I use a plastic bag to hold moist spaghnum moss against the trunk, Nd wrap it REAL tight using the shipping wrap. The tighter the better.

The problem with using a pot is wind and rain can move the pot breaking the new roots.

Graham Potter had a good video on YouTube on doing airlayers.

 

[GrimLore]

Good to see you opened those cuts a lot. Also looks to me like you have the pot taped and secured well enough. I am guessing you will be pleased.

Grimmy

 

[lordy]

because of the bulbous roots not letting that pot sit very solidly, I think I will get an even larger one that hopefully covers all roots, and as dirk said, allow for a flatter rootgrowth.

 

[Poink88]

Looks like you did not scrape the cambium layer as thoroughly also. It need to be done else the bark will just re-grow. You need a bigger pot.

 

[lordy]

Actually I did scrape the entire trunk twice. But I did put on a larger pot. This is where it will remain for most of the summer.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Now you got it. Nice work, good luck!

 

[GrimLore]

Excellent! That looks PRO! I am so NOT looking forward to doing an air layer on a hefty branch off of our landscape JM this week but it must go in order to install the new taller fence. On the bright side if it goes well I will have a decent 3 - 4 inch base limb to torture Either way good luck!

Grimmy

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

Ok, looks good...

 

[lordy]

Update after 3-1/2 months

I opened the new growth container on my layer of this zelcova with some butt-ugly surface roots. After my experience with the trident branch and having it callus over, I was anxious to open it up. I peeled off the upper pot and it was packed with roots. It was even a bit difficult to lift all them above the original roots to make the cut. Definitely a two-person job. I lifted the entire tree and roots from the big pot and raked the soil from the new and old roots to find the trunk to make the cut. After wrestling with it for about 5 minutes with help from my wife, the two were cut apart. I screwed a piece of wood to the bottom of the trunk and wired it into my new container, and replaced the soil. I also repotted the original roots and stump to see what might become of that. I gave them both a big drink of 0-10-10.
Now I wait and see, but I'm confident that the new very thick roots will support the canopy very well. But time will tell.
My thanks to all of you who helped with the technical details.

 

[cmeg1]

Very cool,that should live.Lots of dark mature roots.
Cool tree by the way.I've taken 18 cuttings of zelkova this season.Some are approaching 3' long since first of Summer.They are in 7" colanders.It is funny,I never had to stake them or anything.They just eventually straightened up on there own.
I am planning on doing small clumps,but your tree makes me want to do an informal upright of larger size.

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

Good job, nice tree in the making...

 

[Adair M]

Good job! Next spring see if you can get the roots spread out radially. (You may have already done this.)

 

[barrosinc]

I liked the idea of screwing the wood to the trunk!
Will do so in an airlayer next year.

 

[lordy]

Has anyone here grown anything from an ugly zecova stump? I put it back in it's original soil and it rests under my bench in the shade. Curious if I'm wasting my time.

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

Let is grow, select a few stems and airlayer them when they get a good shape.