@Cajunrider /
@River's Edge - a question here about airlayering JBP/JWP. How do you do it? Do you strip bark/cambium or not? Do you use wire to girdle it? Rooting hormone? What kind of branch? Older/young? Etc... Thank you.
First off, air layering mature pines is not something I consider a reliable approach. It has been done and can be done but in my experience the results are very inconsistent. There are several articles suggesting specific detailed approaches that have been published. I have tried several with very limited success.
The most successful approach I have encountered is explained in an article by Carl Morimoto and was published in Golden Statements, March/April 2004. This article describes in detail (11 pages) the various steps for preparation and execution of air layering JBP.
The actual approach is patterned off an original article in Bonsai Sekai from May of 1984. Technical advisor was Oishi and the accompanying illustrations by Keisuke Gun.
Please note this approach is limited to
propagation of new material from young stock and based on air layering a one year old wood which is very vigorous and healthy. Typically the apical candle for a potted tree.
Due to the ease of growing black pine from seed, I would recommend this approach be used when trying to propagate specific cultivars or selecting parent trees with very desirable characteristics, such as very short needles or excellent bark characteristics.
For my own purposes I am considering this approach to propagate JWP cultivars rather than the traditional approach of grafting on base root stock. It may be useful and result on the cultivar being on its own roots. Draw back will be slower growth for some cultivars I suspect.