Just Air Layered my first tree - Planatus racemosa - California Sycamore

[yamadorian]

I'm new to Bonsai this year, and I recently air layered my first tree. woohoo!

I started with potting soil in a water jug slit open and wrapped around a vertical branch on California Sycamore.
So far so good, but it's only been a few days since potting.

I checked it at 6 weeks and it had roots popping out, but I left it for 2 more weeks to get more root growth due to the thickness of the branch. In hindsight i would have chosen a thinner branch with tighter leaf buds, but it might be ok still.

What should I know about caring for the newly potted air layered tree?

I have it in a bonsai soil mix of akadama, pumice and turface. It gets about 5 hours of sunlight in the AM and is watered 3 times a day, morning, noon and evening - since it's so hot right now in Southern California.

 

[yamadorian]

Only has 2 branches on it. One has one leaf and the other has a leaf bud that is opening more every day. You can see it at the top left of the image.

This was an experiment, to see how air layering works. I think next time I will use sphagnum moss, and really visualize the final tree before I choose which branch to air layer.

 

[BrianBay9]

Congratulations on your first air layer success. As you say, you should try to select the final trunk line in your next air layer. Something with some taper and movement will get you closer to a successful bonsai much faster.

 

[CWTurner]

Sycamore might be one of the easiest trees to root. Years ago, my dad cut branches about 1" thick to use as tomato states, and the sycamore out-grew the tomatoes!
CW

 

[Bonsai Nut]

In the future, consider cutting your girdle at an angle, which will allow you to have movement low on the trunk (ie the trunk will be angled as it comes out of the soil).