Ume air layer failure?

[Captkingdom]

I performed several air layers this year successfully. But I tried to air layer my kobai Ume. Been working on it since spring. I just checked it to separate, and it literally has no roots, but grew a massive lumpy callusy flair. Do you have any ideas for making it survive? I've cut it way back and my plan was to keep it damp and give it a month of dormancy in the refrigerator in a bag and then put it in my humid warm propagation chamber and probably use some stronger rooting hormone. What do you think? Should I have given it another year? Elk Ridge, Utah. Zone 6b

 

[caffeinated]

Sometimes they just take a couple years, or more. I layer a lot of Japanese maples typically within a few month time frame, but for some reason my 2 nishiki gawa layers went looong. One I separated this year after 2 years and the other one is on it's 2nd year and still only has callous. It's odd. I've read others on here layering them in a normal 3 month period. Your ume looks like it's well on it's way and could have produced roots, but I had a hawthorn that had similar callousing, that eventually, into it's 2nd year, just petered out and died. So who knows...

 

[Shibui]

Callus is the first stage of rooting. That callus means the hardest bit is already done. I would now follow your plan - dormancy then into the propagation chamber as a cutting, cross fingers and whatever else helps you and wait for Spring growth.
Not sure that hormone will help at this stage but you are welcome to try.
Also not sure if short dormancy is better than full Winter dormancy. I often have hardwood cuttings go right through Winter before they shoot in Spring. If you are comfortable with your propagating chamber through Winter, no problem but, sometimes, trying to maintain growth artificially through Winter can have adverse side effects so full dormancy may be easier and better.

 

[MMJNICE]

Put it soil i would expect you will get roots by late spring. I took two airlayers from my plum tree this year and got impatient so i severed the two layers because they are at an airb&b property i own and couldn't water them properly while I had guests coming and going during the spring and summer months. Both rooted about three weeks after i put them in soil then started pushing good growth. I would use something with a lot of air flow to the roots like 40%perlite and whatever potting soil you work with.

 

[minkes]

I saw this calussing without roots on my airlaeyers that had very wet moss inside not allowed to dry a bit. Maybe this could be the problem with excessive wet conditions without air.