electronfusion
Yamadori
My home owners' association has opted to remove a beautiful, healthy flowering cherry tree in front of our condo (scheduled for May 1st). I believe it's a kwanzan from the blooms but I don't think anyone here knows. I am attempting to save any parts of it that I can through vegetative propagation. January was my earliest notice, so I didn't have much time to work with.
I took about 20 cuttings before any leaves or flowers started opening, and most of those started growing roots in water, but all died shortly after transferring to pots with sphagnum, perlite, and potting soil. I think I needed a humidity tent. Is it still possible to take cuttings now that the tree is in leaf?
I attempted to start three large air layers at the same time. Those all healed over, with one of them showing a few white bumps that looked like the start of roots. I re-girdled by removing a half-inch ring of cambium in the same spot, scraping a bit deeper into the wood this time. Two weeks later, none of the branches are wilting or showing any signs of trauma at least. I know it's ambitious to try to layer branches so thick (0.75", 1" and 1.5"), but I figured it was worth a try. With such vigorous leaf growth at the moment, what are the odds they'll have sufficient roots that they can be cut by May 1st and survive?
My third, and probably main question, since it may have a higher chance of survival, and because I have no experience propagating anything via root cuttings: I scored some of the surface roots of the tree, hoping to encourage suckers. One has showed up, but it is on a root that's about a 6" diameter. I have no idea how to excavate and remove this sucker, or whether it is even possible. If I were to saw off the root on either side of the sucker, and dig a 2 foot wide hole around it, would there likely be any feeder roots on the underside of this big root, or just more huge, woody roots branching off? Also, if I could recover it with any feeder roots intact, would there be any chance in future years of developing this flat, horizontal square with a thin trunk in the center into a smoothly tapering tree? Would it be worth trying?
Full tree:
Root with shoot:
Air layer in progress:
I took about 20 cuttings before any leaves or flowers started opening, and most of those started growing roots in water, but all died shortly after transferring to pots with sphagnum, perlite, and potting soil. I think I needed a humidity tent. Is it still possible to take cuttings now that the tree is in leaf?
I attempted to start three large air layers at the same time. Those all healed over, with one of them showing a few white bumps that looked like the start of roots. I re-girdled by removing a half-inch ring of cambium in the same spot, scraping a bit deeper into the wood this time. Two weeks later, none of the branches are wilting or showing any signs of trauma at least. I know it's ambitious to try to layer branches so thick (0.75", 1" and 1.5"), but I figured it was worth a try. With such vigorous leaf growth at the moment, what are the odds they'll have sufficient roots that they can be cut by May 1st and survive?
My third, and probably main question, since it may have a higher chance of survival, and because I have no experience propagating anything via root cuttings: I scored some of the surface roots of the tree, hoping to encourage suckers. One has showed up, but it is on a root that's about a 6" diameter. I have no idea how to excavate and remove this sucker, or whether it is even possible. If I were to saw off the root on either side of the sucker, and dig a 2 foot wide hole around it, would there likely be any feeder roots on the underside of this big root, or just more huge, woody roots branching off? Also, if I could recover it with any feeder roots intact, would there be any chance in future years of developing this flat, horizontal square with a thin trunk in the center into a smoothly tapering tree? Would it be worth trying?
Full tree:
Root with shoot:
Air layer in progress: