Hi I am new to this and this is my entirely new post experience, my experience with bonsai started almost three years ago.My question is in relation to air layering / trunk chop, and timing, it’s probably very obvious to more experienced people but I need to know . Can a trunk chop be preformed at the completion of air layering (considering the timing overlap of the two processes) Any help appreciated . I intend performing the same process on both a liquidambar and a bald cypress
Airlayering followed by Trunk Chop ?
- Thread starter Oldbeeza
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Cajunrider
Imperial Masterpiece
If you started bonsai three years ago, you got 2.5 years more experience than I do.
In about 3-4 weeks when the leaves start to come out, I will harvest an air layer out of my Bald Cypress. Depending on how healthy the leaves and branches below the air layer are, I will decide whether I'll cut it way lower or leave it be for another year.
I did the same thing on two green island ficus a few months ago. I air-layered them and trunk chopped afterward and was successful on both so now I have 4 with roughly the same size trunks that I started out. They are all healthy and growing now. The air layered tops are super healthy and grow like crazy. The trunk chops are just now started to grow. It took them two months before I get new shoots out of the remaining stumps.
In about 3-4 weeks when the leaves start to come out, I will harvest an air layer out of my Bald Cypress. Depending on how healthy the leaves and branches below the air layer are, I will decide whether I'll cut it way lower or leave it be for another year.
I did the same thing on two green island ficus a few months ago. I air-layered them and trunk chopped afterward and was successful on both so now I have 4 with roughly the same size trunks that I started out. They are all healthy and growing now. The air layered tops are super healthy and grow like crazy. The trunk chops are just now started to grow. It took them two months before I get new shoots out of the remaining stumps.
Lou T
Mame
I’d think you’d want to airlayer as low on the donor tree as possible, especially if you plan on training the donor tree as a bonsai. You’re air-layer removal becomes the trunk chop. There may be some discrepancy as you may face irregular taper or want to capture a particularly interesting feature on the donor trunk by air-layering at a specific point on the donor trunk. Even then, I’d remove the layer then make a second chop on the trunk at a lower point I deem fit. My philosophy is it’s always better to chop lower. You can always expand a tree’s size after a low chop but if you don’t chop low enough, you will be making a second chop in the future if you want to go smaller. Start small and build up or stay small.
Thanks to both Cajunrider and Lou T for your replies ,I couldn’t see why it wouldn’t work but just needed some reassurance, the fear of loosing them was to great . The Liquidambar trunk is approximately two inches in dia and a good ten feet high in the ground . The Bald Cypress is in a bonsai pot and about one and half inches dia. nearly six feet tall a prized possession hear I have only seen one other up in the hinterlands near here ,the climate is not ideal for either so all due care is taken . Thanks again , it’s 2:30 am here mid summer and humid hence the early rising .
Cajunrider
Imperial Masterpiece
When you air layer the whole tree like I did, there is a danger that the remaining trunk did not get any sugar from the leaves and is depleted. Once you remove the air layer, the left over trunk may not have enough energy left to form a new branch to sustain itself and die. I've seen that happen before. If you have a living branch below the air layer, your chance of success increases a great deal.
Lou T
Mame
Good point. An air-layer should only be attempted on a healthy and actively growing tree. I would argue the same for a hard prune though some species respond best while at the later stages of dormancy (some species of maple will bleed out for example).
cmeg1
Imperial Masterpiece
I do......depends on quality of air layer,species too.
When fully rooted,I chop.
Some layers can be difficult depending on age of tree and species.
When fully rooted,I chop.
Some layers can be difficult depending on age of tree and species.
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cmeg1
Imperial Masterpiece
Into the pot....two year zelkova whips layer real easy
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leatherback
The Treedeemer
I would be very carefull doing this in one go. As you layer, you put a lot of demand on the stored energy of the plant and it will need to regrow a full rootsystem. If you then take away its way to secure energy you will weaken the tree even more. I would after layering allow the tree a year of unrestricted growth, and do drastric pruning the next year.
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