Why you don't want to throw out the bottom of an air-layer

Bonsai Nut

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I assume there was some “nose twitching” in between those two pictures.

LOL I'm not sure what you meant, so I Googled "nose twitching" and got the following:

Nose twitching may be caused by muscle cramps, dehydration or stress, or it may be an early sign of a medical condition.

...which isn't particularly helpful :) I originally tried to make this a broom style but couldn't get enough buds to break on the margins of the scar, so eventually I just took the strongest leader and started growing it in a spiral. I find myself letting it run to thicken the upper trunk, and then cutting back hard to replace the apex. It is getting pretty close to being finished tho...
 

HorseloverFat

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LOL I'm not sure what you meant, so I Googled "nose twitching" and got the following:

Nose twitching may be caused by muscle cramps, dehydration or stress, or it may be an early sign of a medical condition.

...which isn't particularly helpful :) I originally tried to make this a broom style but couldn't get enough buds to break on the margins of the scar, so eventually I just took the strongest leader and started growing it in a spiral. I find myself letting it run to thicken the upper trunk, and then cutting back hard to replace the apex. It is getting pretty close to being finished tho...

Hahaha!! It was in reference to Samantha from Bewitched.
1601054919204.gif
 

Bonsai Nut

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Very nice! How much time it took to get to the second picture?

It was twelve years. However that time is a little misleading, because I wasn't really trying to grow it out as fast as possible. I never, for example, had a sacrifice branch running more than 18". I just kept it around on my bench and worked it when it got overly bushy. I also lost a year trying to grow it as a broom before I gave up and went with a single leader.

FWIW @JoeR this is a run-of-the-mill corticosa, and not a seiju.
 
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ConorDash

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That seems like the best little outcomes.. the trees you care less about or are not overly trying so hard with. You still don't want them to die and do want them to develop in to something good one day but there's no pressure. Then one day, boom, 12 years older and tree looks great. Easy peasy!

Looks great, honestly, love it.
Would people have genuinely gotta ridden of that bottom half of the air layer anyway? Shoot them!
 

Driftwood

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Okay now that's impressive, you've convinced me

Although seiju elms are an exceptional species to work with, so do that with a maple and then im REALLY impressed
So it won't work with maples?
This year I air layered my root over rock red maple, at the beginning of September cutted the top which is becoming a raft style maple but the bottom (without a branch or leaves) still alive and will go to the greenhouse this winter in the hope it will bud next year 🤞
 

Driftwood

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I made a late failed branch graft.
 

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Driftwood

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Point taken. And how is the top section looking these days?
Oh the top is doing OK, I haven't touched since and at some point this winter will be in the green house. Hopefully next year I will exposed a bit more and work it.
 

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