New JM air layers

[Eric Group]

So, I tried a new way of air layering Japanese Maples this year- I had success previously with the sphagnum moss method... But over the past year or two I had a couple fail using that method. This year I am trying to do them basically the same way I do cuttings- a pot with perlite. I have seen others use a pot for air layers before, so it isn't like I am starting something new, but usually they use about the same rooting medium as the bonsai soil they use in the articles I had seen. I have had such success with perlite for cuttings, I figured it was worth a shot for air layers. I tried two almost identical JM Air Layers, started them around the first week of February I think. They are both around an inch at the base, both have similar movement... Started the same weekend.

I checked one today and I could not BELIEVE the roots! They were literally pushing out of the pot already! I have never been able to seperate an air layer so fast before, and I am STOKED about the new tree! Should be a nice little shohin one day... Additionally, the parent plant has a nice honker of a trunk at the base and I was able to saw it off at a good low spot to start another tree with nice movement! Two better trees from one that was completely unsuitable for bonsai the way it was! Another bonus- I took a branch off this tree last Spring, just a regular pruning... And just stuck it right down in the dirt on the edge of the pot. It rooted too! So, THREE tree from one today!

I don't usually repot this time of year, after leaves have broken, but since I was separating the layer, working on the parent tree and wanted to get the rooted cutting out, I went ahead and worked the larger tree's roots down and planted it in the ground on a tile so it will heal the new chop site and get some good flat roots going! We are having a cool Spring so far, and I removed a comparable amount of roots to branches so I am confident it will be fine. I will take some pics and try to get them up soon.

This one is especially impressive root growth because I checked it's twin layer- the one I started at the same time, and there were just little root NUBS starting! Nowhere near the roots the one I separated had at this point...

 

[Eric Group]

The layer after separation:
The layer on the other tree that is not yet separated.

 

[Eric Group]

Almost forgot the parent tree, now in the ground. The nebari is pretty much buried, but I really went hard on some of the larger roots and I think it should be looking pretty good in about 2 years! If not, I will have dozens of cutting by then to graft onto it...

 

[brewmeister83]

How moist did you keep the perlite during the rooting process? Did you water every couple days or just once and done? Have a few maples myself I might try this on this year...

 

[cmeg1]

Wow,pure perlite.It would be easier to sort out the roots in that.I may have to air layer some Zelkova and am leaning towards the container method as you have chosen. Thanks

 

[MACH5]

Good job Eric! It is so encouraging when things work out so well. I do like also what's left of the parent tree. Do you have shot of the entire separated air layer?

 

[drew33998]

Great idea. Putting this on my list of "to-do's"

 

[Eric Group]

How moist did you keep the perlite during the rooting process? Did you water every couple days or just once and done? Have a few maples myself I might try this on this year...

It is an open plastic pot on top, so I just treated it like a seperate plant and watered each time I watered all my plants. The perlite will dry out quickly in hot weather, even without a bunch of roots soaking up the water... So you want to water often. It is a substrate I like because it is pretty much physically impossible to OVER water! I keep my cuttings wet- watering 2-3+ times a day usually with some in a humidity tray also. It seems to work well on most species. I am trying Japanese Black Pine now as well... We will see how that works.

Checked the air layer I separated when I got back from the movies, not a bit of wilting- I am confident it is fine. I probably could have left it a little longer, but the longest roots were being exposed to air because they were busting out the pot and I didn't want them to die off. I was especially excited when I saw roots around the entire base of the cutting! The other good part of using perlite- it is so easy to remove from the roots when repotting! Most fell off as I was sawing it off of the parent tree- when using sphagnum moss it is always so intertwined with the roots, you have to leave it in there... I liked this process much better and felt like it produced healthierp, stronger looking roots.

 

[Eric Group]

Good job Eric! It is so encouraging when things work out so well. I do like also what's left of the parent tree. Do you have shot of the entire separated air layer?

I can take a shot, but I have found it difficult to see much with all the leaves. I did a little pruning to reduce the stress on the new roots, but it is still a mass of leaves- hard to see the structure. The trunk is about an inch thick and has some great movement! I had been planning to layer this one for a couple years. Same with the other one, but this one has the best movement and it is a little thicker!

 

[akhater]

I've used an "regular pot" and pure perlite for layer for years, i started with peat moss but always end up breaking the roots when separating the layers, since I've moved to perlite as advised by a friend who owns a garden center. never looked back since

 

[sikadelic]

Great news!! I'm glad to hear things are going well for you. I started an air layer on an Arakawa this year on 18 March. I used 100% vermiculite for the first time so I am anxious/nervous to see my results.

 

[Eric Group]

here are a few full images of the layer
This one is in front of the Grand parent! thee first JM I ever owned- currently a participant in Smoke's Maple challenge.. The "parent" for this layer was an old layer off of this tree from years ago..
Just for comparison a JM seedling from last growing season... it is fun to grow from seed, but comparing this one after a year and a half to the layer after a DAY and a half... Yeah... prolly going to focus more on hardwood cuttings and layers!

Got out of order when I was posting them, just another angle showing the movement a little better.

 

[Eric Group]

And a pleasant update today- I checked the second layer again because I just couldn't believe it would be that far behind the other one, and... ROOTS EVERYWHERE! Just as many as the first tree! More maybe... So, off it came today! Two new Maples in one weekend...

I had planted the parent tree about... Two years ago and when I did so, I forgot I had tried to ground layer it! Oops... Didn't work! Damn tree healed right over the wired I tied around it. Didn't that stupid Maple know I wanted roots!?... Guess not.

So, I attacked for not listening to me! Not only did I saw off an air layer today- I dug the damn thing up, ripped the old wire off, and carved a ring of bark off below that point, sawed off some major roots below that point, chopped it further down to the lowest branch and stuck it back in the ground with some plastic around the trunk laid flat below where the roots WILL come out this time to encourage radial root growth and no downward growth.

Too hot, too late in the year, out of season, two, three, maybe four insults all at the same time!! Probably killed it right? I doubt it. These guys are almost bullet proof in my experience- as long as you remove comparable top to bottom, they do fine with an out of season repot... And I certainly did that today. Don't have pics yet, by I might take some today.

 

[Eric Group]

Second layer: What is left of the parent tree:



Both are looking incredibly healthy post surgery, despite 90+ degree temps and the parent being set right back out into full sun after major root work and two chops!

 

[Vin]

I have been using a split pot but with sphagnum. Tried two, failed two. I'll try it again with Perlite on my Seiryu and see what happens. Thanks!

 

[Eric Group]

I was really blown away by how much root grew in such a short time! Also, in my experience the Sphagnum gets all twisted up in the roots, causing them to grow at twisted/ odd angles some times.. In a loose substrate like the perlite the roots just grew radially and perfectly straight off the trunk! Nothing to cause them to change angle or grow down until they hit the sides of the pot... Which again, happened fast! One was literally pushing roots out into the air at the crack in the edge of the pot!

 

[Eric Group]

Just an update, it has only been a few weeks, but there has been no top growth since I removed them.. Not a concern really as the newly separated layers seem to take a season to get happy and really take off normally. I was moving one from a shady spot to a little more sun today though and noticed roots were firing across the SURFACE of the soil... There were a couple of little nubs of roots forming up above where the tree rooted when I planted it. I figured they would just dry up and fall off... But they have extended like 3 inches across the soil's surface!? WTH? This Maple thinks it is a Ficus!

Regardless, I was happy to see the tree doing what it should be doing right now- producing roots at a fast pace! It is obviously vigorous and happy... Should have the roots completely hardened off (and filling the pot apparently at this rate) by winter and should be producing massive new growth next Spring!

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

I'm a big fan of air layering. Keep it healthy, thanks for the update.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Nice work, Eric. I just found this thread today. Seeing other people's excellent success is exciting. I started some air layers last week. This time I did a few with perlite. I used some moss to keep the perlite in place and from falling out the drain holes. The ones I used perlite on were ones that had failed last year. It was an Acer shirawasanum 'Palmatifolium'. I also started an air layer of a large JB pine last month using perlite. Looking forward to good roots!

 

[Eric Group]

Nice work, Eric. I just found this thread today. Seeing other people's excellent success is exciting. I started some air layers last week. This time I did a few with perlite. I used some moss to keep the perlite in place and from falling out the drain holes. The ones I used perlite on were ones that had failed last year. It was an Acer shirawasanum 'Palmatifolium'. I also started an air layer of a large JB pine last month using perlite. Looking forward to good roots!

At your encouragement over PM when we were talking a few weeks ago about our tree swap, I started one on a JBP as well! Hoping for some good roots by Spetember/ October or so... If not, then I will probably leave it over winter and check again in the Spring... I did a few cuttings of various age from the same plant as well. It is one I am growing out I. The ground, so I only cut a tiny bit off of areas to balance the strength every year... Tried some from this year's growth right at the base where it starts to harden off, and a few from slightly older growth... We will see if I get any roots on ANY of it!

Oh, and an update on the trees you sent me- all seem fine, but none are blowing up with growth. The little Red Pine has pushed it's main candle a bit and the Amur Maple might be growing some... The Quince are kind of just chilling. No real new growth to speak of, but no signs of stress either. Moved them into a little more sun this weekend!