Hbhaska
Chumono
Is this a good time (late May) to air-layer a healthy Tosho in Southern California?
Air-layering Tosho in Southern California?
- Thread starter Hbhaska
- Start date
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
Are you asking whether you should try? Or are you asking how to do it? Or are you giving a demonstration?
Hbhaska
Chumono
Hbhaska
Chumono
Update: Aug 25th 2021. Plenty of roots on 2/3rds of the sides, kind of obscure in the image below because of brown appearance; but still healthy looking roots. They started off much lighter though. The question is: should I wait a bit longer? I’m tempted to chop and repot now, it’s almost 3 months and the top is somewhat starting to show less vigor.
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Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
I would wait until the heat of the summer is past. If you separate it now and get one of those dry spells with wind off the desert it will be toast. I am impressed that you have such root development since May! Three months for a juniper is pretty fast!
Hbhaska
Chumono
Nov 15, 2021 update: air-layer was taken down and potted in a wooden pot using pine bark, pumice and lava mixture. Sawed off just beneath the air layer and attached the bottom to a square plank using screws. This helped in anchoring the air-layer to the pot using wires. Both the air-layer and the mother tree are doing well
Crazy Diamond
Omono
mmmm thats a lot of foliage for that few roots to feed.. I would reduce the greenery in the juniper. Also to me doesnt look like Juniperus rigida (tosho) it looks to me that its Juniperus chinensis "stricta" a needle cultivar of JC
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Hbhaska
Chumono
It’s Fred Miyahara’s tree. I’m sure he knows a thing or two about Toshos. Look him up - the guy is pretty awesome.
Crazy Diamond
Omono
I dont know who is, but I know pretty well Juniperus stricta and other JC cultivars and how them grow, Juniperus rigida NEVER will have scales its a true needle juniper. Juniperus stricta or foemina juniper for example will develop some scales. Juniperus rigida have a distinctive growth habitus specially if you let them grow free, anyway its not a big deal what species is, its just my botanical nerdiness 
Those are scales?
Those are scales?
Hbhaska
Chumono
@Arnold You are correct, thanks for your keen observation. The top foliage of the air-layered part does show many young shoots with scale foliage. However, none of the mother tree has any scale foliage, all are needles! I wonder if stress causes them to produce scale because above the airlayer it produced scale but none below the airlayer.
By the way, I’m pretty sure it’s Tosho and Fred Miyahara even explains a similar tree in this video -
you can skip to 10:50 where he says it’s a natural tosho.
Regardless, here are some pics. scale foliage in the air-layer
no scale foliage in mother tree -
By the way, I’m pretty sure it’s Tosho and Fred Miyahara even explains a similar tree in this video -
you can skip to 10:50 where he says it’s a natural tosho.
Regardless, here are some pics. scale foliage in the air-layer
no scale foliage in mother tree -
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Crazy Diamond
Omono
He has a pretty cool bonsai garden!
