emk
Mame
I've been digging through my pile of bonsai books to learn what I can about air-layering before spring hits, but I still have a few questions that people with more experience could help me answer:
1. Using a "toriki scraper" or wood rasp. This idea comes from Kawasumi's The Secret Techniques of Bonsai. He suggests using a specialized tool (which many have pointed out is about the same as a wood rasp) to scrape off the bark rather than the cut-and-peel or wired ring-barking techniques usually used. This is to produce a jagged edge for a more natural-looking nebari to develope along. I'm wondering if anyone has used this technique and could tell if it made as much of a difference as he suggests. Also, couldn't you achieve the same thing (or maybe ever better) by cutting a zig-zag upper edge with a normal cut-and-peel approach?
2. Winter protection for air-layers in progress. Several books mention that the time it takes a tree to grow layered roots varies from species to species. If you were air-layering a tree that took longer to root than your local growing season, how do you protect the root bundle over the winter? Or do these simply fall in the "impossible" category (assuming they are planted in the ground, or course)?
3. Liquid or powder rooting hormone? I've seen both suggested, so I'm wondering if there is any difference in performance, or do they each work better in specific situations?
4. How does an air-layer affect the overall vigor of the tree? So, you remove the cambium, but leave the xylem intact. How does that affect the health, vigor, and hardiness of the tree above and below the layering area? How are the existing roots, branches, buds, foliage, etc. affected?
5. Multiple air-layers. Is it good or bad practice to do more that one air-layer on the same tree at the same time?
6. Air-layer + trunk-chop combo. I've seen this idea now and then and really like the concept. If you're going to do a trunk-chop anyhow, why not air-layer the tree above that point and get two perfectly good trees out of it? This is realted to question #4 and why I'm curious about how the layer will affect what goes on below it.
Okay, that's it. Hope some of you experts out there can help me put aside some of my misgivings and concerns, or help me avoid newbie blunders.
1. Using a "toriki scraper" or wood rasp. This idea comes from Kawasumi's The Secret Techniques of Bonsai. He suggests using a specialized tool (which many have pointed out is about the same as a wood rasp) to scrape off the bark rather than the cut-and-peel or wired ring-barking techniques usually used. This is to produce a jagged edge for a more natural-looking nebari to develope along. I'm wondering if anyone has used this technique and could tell if it made as much of a difference as he suggests. Also, couldn't you achieve the same thing (or maybe ever better) by cutting a zig-zag upper edge with a normal cut-and-peel approach?
2. Winter protection for air-layers in progress. Several books mention that the time it takes a tree to grow layered roots varies from species to species. If you were air-layering a tree that took longer to root than your local growing season, how do you protect the root bundle over the winter? Or do these simply fall in the "impossible" category (assuming they are planted in the ground, or course)?
3. Liquid or powder rooting hormone? I've seen both suggested, so I'm wondering if there is any difference in performance, or do they each work better in specific situations?
4. How does an air-layer affect the overall vigor of the tree? So, you remove the cambium, but leave the xylem intact. How does that affect the health, vigor, and hardiness of the tree above and below the layering area? How are the existing roots, branches, buds, foliage, etc. affected?
5. Multiple air-layers. Is it good or bad practice to do more that one air-layer on the same tree at the same time?
6. Air-layer + trunk-chop combo. I've seen this idea now and then and really like the concept. If you're going to do a trunk-chop anyhow, why not air-layer the tree above that point and get two perfectly good trees out of it? This is realted to question #4 and why I'm curious about how the layer will affect what goes on below it.
Okay, that's it. Hope some of you experts out there can help me put aside some of my misgivings and concerns, or help me avoid newbie blunders.