Separating air layer

[theta]

When seperating air layers, is it best to not disturb the new roots at all and just plant the sphagnum miss root ball in a new pot without touching them?

Can you spread them out a little?

I've only done this once before and I really overworked the new roots, spreading them too much and it didn't make it.

This has been going for about 5 weeks now and am looking to separate it soon.

 

[cbroad]

Looks like some good thick roots!

Did you chop the sphagnum up first?

It's usually recommend not to disturb the root ball and just plant as is in a container, but I chop my sphagnum up first which makes it pretty easy to tweeze out the moss and untangle the roots.

Securing the layer in its new container so it doesn't wiggle around is the most important part of aftercare.

If you like that kind of delicate work (I do), I say go ahead and try to untangle it. I personally don't like having a straight sphagnum core surrounded by better soil in a container, it could lead to other issues...

I started using 50/50 perlite and sphagnum for my layer medium, and it is a whole lot easier to clean up before potting.

 

[theta]

The sphagnum was cut already into pretty small pieces, so yeah hopefully it'll be easy to separate out when the time comes. I'm just nervous to even touch them at all.

Are you liking the 50/50 perlite/shagnum mix? I might try that.

 

[sorce]

Looks small.

I'd use every bit of space you have available to get a bigger container in there.

At least a yogurt container.

But the bottom of a milk gallon is the size I'd try to get in there.
Maybe the first inch or 2 of a big butter round.

Fill it with soil soil and leave it till next full moon, or even 2 after. The longer the better.

Sorce

 

[sorce]

Radialayer™ a season saver.

Nutters, You may have noticed I almost always jump to recommending airlayers. I don't think I will ever lose my fascination with the process. In attempts to perfect it, I have worked out some tweaks so it is time to share my method. I don't understand haphazardly throwing long...

www.bonsainut.com

Sorce

 

[Mikecheck123]

Radialayer™ a season saver.

Nutters, You may have noticed I almost always jump to recommending airlayers. I don't think I will ever lose my fascination with the process. In attempts to perfect it, I have worked out some tweaks so it is time to share my method. I don't understand haphazardly throwing long...

www.bonsainut.com

Sorce

Sadly, all of my RadiaLayers failed. I think my main issue was keeping the soil inside moist enough and keeping the moss tight enough against the trunk. In addition, the containers became literal earwig hotels, and I have a feeling they'd been eating anything that emerged. I'll try again next year.

 

[Shibui]

I would pot up without moving those roots. They are very brittle when really young like this and break very easy. Just pot up, secure and leave it alone for the summer. Roots should be resilient enough to arrange and remove the sphagnum next spring at the appropriate time.

 

[leatherback]

I would pot up without moving those roots. They are very brittle when really young like this and break very easy. J

Yes.

This is why I am an early separator. I remove the layer as soon as I see the first root appear. Then the roots do not tangle. It does require a humid cool spot for the first weeks afterwards though.

 

[mattspinniken]

Ive done it both ways. It usually will be fine if you flatten out the roots some. I have even tested a Jap Maple air layer by wrapping the roots around a rock directly after cutting it away from the mother plant. The tree is still alive but took awhile to strengthen up the next spring.

 

[cbroad]

Are you liking the 50/50 perlite/shagnum mix? I might try that.

Yeah I am liking it, and it seems to stay moist pretty well without frequent checking.

 

[theta]

@cbroad what would you suggest I do to secure the new air layer in the new container? I was thinking of wrapping a heavy gauge wire around the trunk and just trying to drive it down in the soil?

 

[Soup Dragon]

This is why I am an early separator. I remove the layer as soon as I see the first root appear. Then the roots do not tangle. It does require a humid cool spot for the first weeks afterwards though.

For maples specifically, or does this approach work for you in general?

 

[leatherback]

For maples specifically, or does this approach work for you in general?

I mostly have experience with carpinus, maple and juniper for layers. There it worked fine.

 

[kale]

To piggyback on this topic, what’s the consensus on pruning down the tree after removal? I’ve heard it’s controversial.

 

[cbroad]

what would you suggest I do to secure the new air layer in the new container?

I guess it depends on the container you're going to plant it in. I always use nursery pots, so I just pop a few holes in the side of the pot and use guy wires (usually 3) and wrap them around the trunk or a few main branches and secure them to the pot.

If you're going to use a container you don't want to drill holes in, than you'll have to get creative. A thick and sturdy stake driven down into the container's soil should give you something to secure the trunk or branches to. Or I've heard of people running a wire through the soil, one end coming out of the drain hole and the other coming up through the soil, and securing the branches to that wire.

I have a few other ideas, but I'm running late for something, so I'll have to add later if you're interested.

 

[bwaynef]

I'd unwrap this layer and add more sphagnum to the rootball and wrap it up again. At least softball-sized. When that's FULL of roots, take it off. Remove the sphagnum that's easily removed, but the main order of business at that point is to immobilize the tree. Plant it in a good mix in a pot that's shallow but with room for the roots to spread laterally, and leave it until spring of '22.

 

[cbroad]

what’s the consensus on pruning down the tree after removal? I’ve heard it’s controversial.

In my opinion, if there is a huge amount of foliage relative to a small root system, pruning some foliage back is a must, even though that foliage is going to drive new root growth.

I've killed a couple layers by not going with my gut and not pruning any excess foliage. Really, it's a balancing act. Don't leave too much foliage to where the plant kills itself from transpiration loss, but leave enough foliage for a quicker recovery and good root growth.

Unfortunately there is no straight forward answer for your question.

 

[cbroad]

I'd unwrap this layer and add more sphagnum to the rootball and wrap it up again

This is probably a good idea @theta, your sphagnum ball does seem a little small.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

To piggyback on this topic, what’s the consensus on pruning down the tree after removal

I think if you have a nice mass of roots and can provide good aftercare it's not necessary. Aftercare being no wind, no extreme sun plenty of water including on foliage.

 

[cdefoe]

In my opinion, if there is a huge amount of foliage relative to a small root system, pruning some foliage back is a must, even though that foliage is going to drive new root growth.

I've killed a couple layers by not going with my gut and not pruning any excess foliage. Really, it's a balancing act. Don't leave too much foliage to where the plant kills itself from transpiration loss, but leave enough foliage for a quicker recovery and good root growth.

Unfortunately there is no straight forward answer for your question.

what are the limits you can push a reasonably health tree/air layer to for this? i have an air layer brewing right now on a maybe 20' red maple at my parents place in zone 4 that's getting absorbed by an oak. the branch being layered has a couple branches coming off it that extend maybe 8' each (with a handful of secondary branches that could be cut back to) with the base of the layer being a diameter around 3.5" to 4". obviously i'll want/need to cut that back when i transfer it to a grow box. if i'm careful to leave leaves on the smaller branches, how hard can i cut back the trunk on the layer in order to get it down to a more manageable size?