Black Pine Air Layering

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#1 Can you air layer black pine?


#2 Can you explain the process or is it the same process as any other air layer?


Thanks for your help


Backstory: I purchased a large black pine for cost at a local nursery that had some great trunk movement. I will need to do a truck chop on it early spring to try to get the most advantages budding, but If I have a chance to air layer some of the upper portions of the tree then I could take this time to do so and get some more material to work with.
 

0soyoung

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#1 = yes
#2 = same as any other layer --> girdle a stem, pack damp rooting media around it.
One can apply a wire tourniquet for a season before girdling the branch. This will induce some nice basal flare.

It works more efficiently (time-wise) on last year's candle than older stems. George Muranaka showed the world how he does it. If your growing season is cooler than George's (as mine is), it will take longer (about 3 years in my case).
 

ianb

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#1 = yes
#2 = same as any other layer --> girdle a stem, pack damp rooting media around it.
One can apply a wire tourniquet for a season before girdling the branch. This will induce some nice basal flare.

It works more efficiently (time-wise) on last year's candle than older stems. George Muranaka showed the world how he does it. If your growing season is cooler than George's (as mine is), it will take longer (about 3 years in my case).

I second the wire tourniquet it will also improve success in layering black pine...mine took 2 years but can also give unequal rooting.

Honestly unless the part you are layering is particularly nice I probably wouldn't bother, time and effort is better spent in cultivating JBP seedlings.
 

River's Edge

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I agree!

Plus, I think growing the seedings is a lot more fun.:cool:

One other point or item that is rarely discussed. The longevity of the trunk after airlayering. The susceptibility to rot even after (sealing). So unless the airlayer is a spectacular opportunity then one may be disappointed by rot setting in fairly early in the Bonsai,s life.
 

hemmy

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May 27
Air-layering of Japanese black pines
Posted by George - May 27th, 2009
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I have learned a method to take air-layers from Japanese black pines. The main method is a two year method. In the spring of the current year you take the needles of the strongest candle(usually the strongest candle is the main candle on the apex), and strip the needles off all the needles below about one third down from the top of the candle. Then in the fall of the same year, you cut the top of the candle down. If you want the lowest branch to start at 4 inches above the soil then you would cut the tip four inches above where you stripped the needles. If you want the lowest branch to start 8 inches above the soil, then you would cut the tip off at 8 inches above where you took the needles off. In the spring of the following year, you would take an air-layer about 2cm from the lowest needle. I use a 4 inch pot and cut it in half and wrap it around the air layer and wire the cup back together. Then I fill the pot with wet green moss. If you use this method, you will need to check the moisture of the air layer every few days. Do not let the moss get completely dry. The other method is to take a 1 gallon freezer bag and slit it along one side and the bottom. Wrap the freezer bag around the air-layer. Tape the bottom of the bag back together just below the air-layer and fill the bag with damp green moss. Then close up the bag just above the cut on the air – layer. In the fall of the same year, you will be able to cut off the air layer and place the air layer into a growing pot. You will have a trunk size of about 12 – 1 inch in size with many candles popping out of the top.

I have developed a new method which I have developed in which I take the air- layer in the same year that I stripped the needles. Today I have taken about 100 air-layers. My method is to take the strongest candle, cut the top off and strip all the needles about 6 inches from the top. Then I take an air-layer in a 4 inch cup. I hope to take the air-layers off this fall. My success rate last year was about 50 per cent. I do not use any rooting hormone and I also learned not to keep the moss too wet. If the moss is kept too wet, the air – layer will rot and not callous over. I will let you know what my success rate is later in the year. If anyone has any questions, I will be happy to answer them for you. I also took mulitiple air-layers off of San Jose junipers and had about a 99 percent success rate. George
 

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NamesakE

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May 27
Air-layering of Japanese black pines
Posted by George - May 27th, 2009
No Comments

I have learned a method to take air-layers from Japanese black pines. The main method is a two year method. In the spring of the current year you take the needles of the strongest candle(usually the strongest candle is the main candle on the apex), and strip the needles off all the needles below about one third down from the top of the candle. Then in the fall of the same year, you cut the top of the candle down. If you want the lowest branch to start at 4 inches above the soil then you would cut the tip four inches above where you stripped the needles. If you want the lowest branch to start 8 inches above the soil, then you would cut the tip off at 8 inches above where you took the needles off. In the spring of the following year, you would take an air-layer about 2cm from the lowest needle. I use a 4 inch pot and cut it in half and wrap it around the air layer and wire the cup back together. Then I fill the pot with wet green moss. If you use this method, you will need to check the moisture of the air layer every few days. Do not let the moss get completely dry. The other method is to take a 1 gallon freezer bag and slit it along one side and the bottom. Wrap the freezer bag around the air-layer. Tape the bottom of the bag back together just below the air-layer and fill the bag with damp green moss. Then close up the bag just above the cut on the air – layer. In the fall of the same year, you will be able to cut off the air layer and place the air layer into a growing pot. You will have a trunk size of about 12 – 1 inch in size with many candles popping out of the top.

I have developed a new method which I have developed in which I take the air- layer in the same year that I stripped the needles. Today I have taken about 100 air-layers. My method is to take the strongest candle, cut the top off and strip all the needles about 6 inches from the top. Then I take an air-layer in a 4 inch cup. I hope to take the air-layers off this fall. My success rate last year was about 50 per cent. I do not use any rooting hormone and I also learned not to keep the moss too wet. If the moss is kept too wet, the air – layer will rot and not callous over. I will let you know what my success rate is later in the year. If anyone has any questions, I will be happy to answer them for you. I also took mulitiple air-layers off of San Jose junipers and had about a 99 percent success rate. George
Very cool! I'm air layering a juniper for the first time and it's been a 2 or three months and still nothing. The branch is maybe half an inch thick. How long does it take yours?
 

Shibui

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How long is a piece of string?
Local conditions, time of year, health of the tree, layer method and many other factors will influence how long juniper takes to produce roots.
I usually get good roots on younger wood in 2-3 months over summer.
Assuming you are in northern hemisphere I would cross fingers and leave it be for another couple of months.
 

NamesakE

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How long is a piece of string?
Local conditions, time of year, health of the tree, layer method and many other factors will influence how long juniper takes to produce roots.
I usually get good roots on younger wood in 2-3 months over summer.
Assuming you are in northern hemisphere I would cross fingers and leave it be for another couple of months.
Ok, thanks for the reply! I'm thinking they (I have a couple different air layers going on, mostly beech) might be too wet. I'll give it more time.
 

0soyoung

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Ok, thanks for the reply! I'm thinking they (I have a couple different air layers going on, mostly beech) might be too wet. I'll give it more time.
I am of the opinion that the medium for a layer cannot be too wet. It can only be too dry.

May it is a bit of an overstatement, but ...
 
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