Hackberry airlayer project

[PaulH]

I started this Hacberry ( Celtis australus) from a seed about 20 years ago and grew it in the ground for several years. I put it in a bonsai pot a couple of years ago. The inverse taper bothered me more every time I looked at it so I decided to get drastic and airlayer.
I've done a lot of airlayers but this is the first of this type on a bonsai I don't want to kill.
Here goes.

The tree before the project

Bark removal

The plastic basket

filled with soil

And now we wait

The soil I used is Turface mixed with about 10% shredded sphagnum moss.
I brushed Rootone onto the edge where I want roots and covered to soil surface with moss to hold moisture.
Wish me luck!

Paul

 

[milehigh_7]

Good luck indeed!

I can't wait to find out what happens. It is my understanding that these don't do especially well from cuttings or layering. Please let us know your results!

 

[PaulH]

Success! I separated the layer Saturday and it looks great. Lots of roots.

The roots are evenly around the trunk.

Ready to pot.

In the new pot.

Paul

 

[ml_work]

Paul, that is Awesome! To grow a tree 20 years to what looked great to me and then chance killing it to make it better. Hopefully in time I will gain the knowledge and confidence to do such a thing.

"Keep LOOkin Up!"
Michael

 

[Bill S]

Hopefully you can find a way to use that stump.

 

[bougie nights]

Most impressive - I tried the same thing with my C. occidentalis, but I was not aggressive enough with the girdling ring (probably not wide enough) and the cambium regrew. I was disappointed when I removed the basket and saw no roots.

 

[PaulH]

The stump will go in the ground next spring to regrow.
Paul

 

[rockm]

Why next spring?

 

[PaulH]

Here is my Hackberry in the Sacramento Bonsai Club show today.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Nice! Air layer to show in 3 years, most impressive! Who made the pot?

 

[PaulH]

The pot is by a local Northern California potter named Pate.

 

[Gene Deci]

I have a hackberry that I collected in NW Arkansas about ten years ago. It has done very well and I like it a lot but it has a similar problem - bad reverse taper right above the soil level. My first idea was a root graft but hackberry are not found naturally quite this far north so I could not get any seedlings. I have been afraid to try a layer. Your project is just what I needed to see. Thank you, Paul, for posting. One question though. Did you do the layer in June?

 

[JudyB]

Nice! Air layer to show in 3 years, most impressive!

Yeah, but what a great long term project, 23 years in the making. You should be rightfully proud of this tree Paul, and the courageous move to better it!

 

[PaulH]

I have a hackberry that I collected in NW Arkansas about ten years ago. It has done very well and I like it a lot but it has a similar problem - bad reverse taper right above the soil level. My first idea was a root graft but hackberry are not found naturally quite this far north so I could not get any seedlings. I have been afraid to try a layer. Your project is just what I needed to see. Thank you, Paul, for posting. One question though. Did you do the layer in June?

I started the layer in the last week of May and it had enough roots to separate it in the fall.