Has an anyone ever successfully layered an Oak?

Tiberious

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I was searching the web and could not find one single successful air layer of an oak anywhere. Not one picture of a layer so I am thinking it cannot be done. Even the forest service said on their web page that they are very difficult to layer.

So I was attempting to repot my gambel oak last night and the root mass was a nightmare, probably the ugliest formed roots I have ever seen! The tap root was never removed and so the trunk line extended deep into the soil, way below an ugly section of inverse taper. I really want to toss it but the tree ramifies well and has nice foliage. It is a huge eye soar to me but I hate throwing out live trees. What do you do in this situation; just toss em or try and salvage a mediocre at best-tree.
 

TheSteve

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You could try approach grafting some roots on. The selling from the grafts might help eith the inverse taper as well. Depending on how much inverse taper...
 

jquast

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I was able to airlayer a Valley Oak last year. It took about six months to get roots that were strong enough to support the layer. One thing to note is that they really like to try to bridge the gap between the top and bottom portions so you may have to check it from time to time. I also noticed that the side that got more sun rooted faster and had stronger roots.

If I can find the photos at home I'll post them later.
 

mapleman77

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what I would do is make some cuts where you want your nebari and dust them with strong rooting hormone (say 3% IBA). Cover with a loose soil. It might work, and if it does let those roots develop and gradually cut off the lower ones. Then you'd have a nice flat root system to work with. Of course, it might not work.....

David
 

Tiberious

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Wow, congrats on layering your valley oak, I really didn't think it was possible, and in only six months-now you gave me hope! I have read so much about the spaghnum moss not working that I was thinking of putting a pot around the cut and burying it in some turface fines, I don't know if this would work tho; but since oak likes the soil a bit drier, I don't see why it wouldn't be worth a try. The steve, I was leaning in this direction and I think that is now a good idea, although I am not sure when the grafted roots will be fully supporting the trunk and when to cut it off.
So....

I was thinking of ringing the bark and trying the air layer WITH about 4 baby gambel seedlings threadgrafted through the trunk, sitting in the same pot. It would be an airlayer-root threadgraft. Do you think this would work? If one fails, I have the other one-is my logic. OR I should not waste time, money, and emotional distress and I just toss this one in the heap! I dunno:confused:
 
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