Styrax Airlayer?

Mike Hennigan

Chumono
Messages
955
Reaction score
1,580
Location
Ithaca, NY
USDA Zone
5b
Hey all I’m wondering if anyone has experience with airlayering Japanese Snowbell, Styrax japonica, it has any second hand info in the subject. Do they air layer well or are they notoriously difficult? I struck a few cuttings from spring trimmings on a small one I have and they seem to have rooted pretty easily and are putting on new growth. I’m considering buying a taller one from a nursery and thinking I could layer a number of trees out of it over time. If they don’t layer well it may not be worth it to buy the tree though.
 

atlarsenal

Omono
Messages
1,294
Reaction score
4,812
Location
Kennesaw, GA
USDA Zone
7b
I would think if they root that easy, they would airlayer but that’s just a guess. They have a really nice one at the garden where our study group meets. I’ll get a pic and ask Rodney Clemons about air layering this weekend.
 

Mike Hennigan

Chumono
Messages
955
Reaction score
1,580
Location
Ithaca, NY
USDA Zone
5b
@Mike Hennigan here is the styrax at Smith Gilbert Gardens. I spoke with Rodney, he said he has not airlayered one but if they root from cuttings it’s pretty much a given that they airlayer.
View attachment 246680
Dope tree! Thanks man, I snagged the tree. Gonna give it a go, will report back.
 

Mike Hennigan

Chumono
Messages
955
Reaction score
1,580
Location
Ithaca, NY
USDA Zone
5b
Put an air layer on shortly after my previous post. Probably not ideal timing, and combined with the fact that I let the layer flower and fruit... no visible roots in the bag. But the layer seems really healthy still, I’m going to open it up in spring and redo it probably.
 

Mike Hennigan

Chumono
Messages
955
Reaction score
1,580
Location
Ithaca, NY
USDA Zone
5b
Did the layer ever finish?
Yes. I left it on over winter, opened it up in the spring, lots of callous but very little root. Rewounded some of the callous tissue and put new sphagnum, it grew roots well over last summer and separated the air layer at the end of summer. Last summer I made sure to remove the flowers before they could turn to fruit. I think this is the main reason why I didn’t get roots the first year. Layer overwintered well and is doing great.
 

Tums

Shohin
Messages
388
Reaction score
376
Location
Woburn, MA, USA
USDA Zone
6a
Great to hear, I have a cultivar that has an obvious graft and a lousy lower trunk so I was thinking of layering it. Just a bit nervous because it was pretty expensive, but I have until next spring to work up the nerve anyway.
 
Top Bottom