Ground layering hawthorn?

[brewmeister83]

Hi all,
So I collected a nice little hawthorn this spring (to the best of my ID ability I believe it's a thicket hawthorn - C. pruinosa) It has wonderful mature fissured bark, leaves that are already smaller than normal, and sent out new buds after the trunk chop in exactly the right places! (how often does that happen?). The only real problem with the tree is its roots - they come out of the trunk base like steps on a spiral staircase.

I've read through Lens and he makes no mention of dealing with hawthorn roots other than they grow slowly. I've already scarred, hormoned, and spagnumed the trunk in the growing box to try to induce new root growth to begin to build a better nebari, but if that doesn't work is layering with a tourniquet a viable option for hawthorns given their slow root growth? Anyone have any experience doing this to these trees?

 

[JudyB]

I wouldn't do anything to it at all for a couple years unless it takes off for you right away. My collected hawthorns tend to sulk for a few years after collection. Better to make sure it's ready to go before you try to layer. But this year (finally) after 4 years in a box, my slowpoke is going nuts. Maybe I'll layer next year if I don't have any good nebari starting.

 

[Martin Sweeney]

Brewmeister83,

I airlayered a Washington Hawthorn once. It rooted here the same year I layered it, but had just a few roots coming off the new base. If I remember correctly, I used the wire-crush-the-bark method with sphagnum wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, but no rooting hormone.

Judy makes a good point about waiting until the tree is firmly established and recovered from collecting. I do not think you would really want to do anything else layer-technique-wise this year. Let it grow, if anything happens with roots at the layer site, great, if not, rework the layer site whenever you finally get strong, vigorous new growth (ie late next spring or 2 springs from now).

Regards,
Martin

 

[brewmeister83]

Thanks for the advice, I wasn't going to attempt the layer this year - just talking hypothetically. I've got enough experience with plants before coming to bonsai to realize I have to let the tree recoup for a long while before I "insult" it again, was just wondering if a tourniquet was a viable technique for haws, and from what you guys said it seems possible. Thanks

 

[Brendan]

Did anyone come back about this?

I bought what I thought was a shohin hawthorn, but when I got it home I disciovered that it has a massive tap root!

I want to layer it, but I am trying to decide the best technique. I am tempted just to ring bark the root, dust it with root hormone and plant it deeper.

 

[M. Frary]

Did anyone come back about this?

I bought what I thought was a shohin hawthorn, but when I got it home I disciovered that it has a massive tap root!

I want to layer it, but I am trying to decide the best technique. I am tempted just to ring bark the root, dust it with root hormone and plant it deeper.

In the spring cut the taproot off.