Air layering fail

[Nickuk74]

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone can advise. I have been trying to air layer my Blaause Juniper with no luck. My European Larch has rooted and my maples are getting that way, but all three juniper air layers seem to have failed (one has gone yellow, the other is going that way and the last, although still green, has not changed since I layered it 2 months ago). I ring barked it down to the "wood" making sure all the cambium layer was scraped away - did I take too much? All in sphagnum moss in black plastic air layering spheres). Youtube makes it look so easy and I thoight I had followed to the letter. Any advice would be most welcome.
Thanks,
Nick
(UK)

 

[Lorax7]

I haven’t air layered junipers specifically myself, but I recall seeing a YouTube video from Eric Schrader recently in which he stated that cutting a ring tends to result in the layer dying on junipers. He said he gets better results using the tourniquet method with junipers.

Other general causes of failure for layers:

• Forgetting to use rooting hormone (plants can layer without it but take much longer to do so)
• Keeping the layer too dry
• Keeping the layer too wet
• Not packing the growing media tightly enough
• Bridge regrows across the wound, restoring fluid transport down to the roots
• Insufficient quantity of foliage above the layer to provide auxin and carbohydrates to drive the formation of the adventitious roots

 

[Rivian]

I am guessing you mean Juniperus chinensis "Blaauw". I blame Peter-chan for this.

Junipers can take a lot longer to root than deciduous, sometimes even a year or two. If the moisture level of the rooting medium is fine, just leave it like that and dont check again before September.

 

[Nickuk74]

I am guessing you mean Juniperus chinensis "Blaauw". I blame Peter-chan for this.

Junipers can take a lot longer to root than deciduous, sometimes even a year or two. If the moisture level of the rooting medium is fine, just leave it like that and dont check again before September.

Thanks. I blame Peter Chan too!

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Blaauw is notoriously hard to root and to take cuttings from. Itoigawa and sabina make it look easy.
Tourniquet seems to be the way for blaauw, but maybe just exposing the bark to damp medium would even be better. Branches that touch the soil seem to root in a year and a half.

I took a tourniqueted cutting, that had a piece of alu wire on it for 2 years. It was about twice as thick above the tourniquet compared to below. That one rooted in three weeks.

The variety originates from the Netherlands and 'blauw' is literally 'blue' in English. The variety name refers to the foliage color.

 

[Rivian]

The variety name refers to the foliage color.

Are you sure? Its also a surname, and I had heard it was named after a person. Might be Frans Ernst Blaauw, I would guess from reading his wiki page. Or maybe another one.
There are other plants with Blaauw in the name, heres one that is not blue as far as I can tell

blaauws pink – Qwant Search

The 1st European search engine that respects your privacy.

www.qwant.com

 

[Nickuk74]

Blaauw is notoriously hard to root and to take cuttings from. Itoigawa and sabina make it look easy.
Tourniquet seems to be the way for blaauw, but maybe just exposing the bark to damp medium would even be better. Branches that touch the soil seem to root in a year and a half.

I took a tourniqueted cutting, that had a piece of alu wire on it for 2 years. It was about twice as thick above the tourniquet compared to below. That one rooted in three weeks.

The variety originates from the Netherlands and 'blauw' is literally 'blue' in English. The variety name refers to the foliage color.

Thanks, that makes me feel a bit better. I couldn't see where I had gone wrong!

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Are you sure? Its also a surname, and I had heard it was named after a person. Might be Frans Ernst Blaauw, I would guess from reading his wiki page. Or maybe another one.
There are other plants with Blaauw in the name, heres one that is not blue as far as I can tell

blaauws pink – Qwant Search

The 1st European search engine that respects your privacy.

www.qwant.com

You could be absolutely right! I totally forgot about that surname.
I just connected the blaauw-blauw and glaucous color dots, but it being a surname is very well possible.

 

[giventofly]

I haven’t air layered junipers specifically myself, but I recall seeing a YouTube video from Eric Schrader recently in which he stated that cutting a ring tends to result in the layer dying on junipers. He said he gets better results using the tourniquet method with junipers.

Other general causes of failure for layers:

• Forgetting to use rooting hormone (plants can layer without it but take much longer to do so)
• Keeping the layer too dry
• Keeping the layer too wet
• Not packing the growing media tightly enough
• Bridge regrows across the wound, restoring fluid transport down to the roots
• Insufficient quantity of foliage above the layer to provide auxin and carbohydrates to drive the formation of the adventitious roots

Can you explain what is the tourniquet method ?

 

[Lorax7]

Can you explain what is the tourniquet method ?

Instead of cutting away a ring of bark, you instead wrap a piece of wire around the branch and tighten it enough that it disrupts the downward flow of auxin and carbohydrates to the roots. As with the ring method, the upper boundary where the flow is disrupted is wrapped tightly in sphagnum moss or another suitable growing medium to keep it moist so that adventitious roots can form.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Rather than try to air layer a juniper, I think I'd rather use the tourniquet on my neck.