Paul's Scarlet Air Layering - Callus but no roots

[Mark5Bonsai]

Help please on Callus forming around and even above air layering cut. I began this air layering in fairly early spring as the weather was so mild and started a Hornbeam layering at the same time. The hornbeam has sent out loads of healthy roots filling the bag nicely. However the Paul's Scarlet Hawthorne has just formed loads of callus and no roots yet. It has even sent callus growing up and around where I tied the bag above the layering. I know these are notoriously difficult to layer from other threads and sites that I have consulted but I am wondering:
1) Do I wait to see if roots sprout eventually from the callus areas?
2) Do I score the callus area to try and encourage rooting from the secondary scarring?
3) Any other suggestions?

Both original air layering cuts (on this and the Hornbeam) were just over an inch top to bottom and I am pretty sure I got it down through the critical layers as per the Hornbeam layering. I meticulously prepared both knowing how difficult this latter species tend to prove. I ensured nice clean edges to all of the prepared areas and did apply rooting hormone. As of know I will re-tie the bag up above the callus region in the hope that someone here can provide some additional advice - many thanks in anticipation

 

[Shibui]

Numerous people have tried cuttings and layers of Hawthorn without any success. I've seen one claim of success so it may be possible.
I've resorted to grafting Paul's scarlet onto C. monogyna seedlings after repeated tries at cuttings and layers.

I guess my suggestion is that there's probably nothing you can do or maybe try anything because most of us have given up trying.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I waited a few years to get a cutting from Brent at Evergreen Gardenworks.

I spoke with Ed Clark on the species. He said they are difficult...even grafting the success rate is less with that cultivar.

My own Paul's Scarlett... came as a stick in a pot. But on it's own roots.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Hmm… Dunno about air layers.

Yet I regularly strike cuttings of Paul’s Scarlet.

Here’s an image of one I took 3 years ago, along with one I struck in the same pot this year. Second image of another that was struck this year in a pot with a deceased Eastern Larch


For me the trick is to keep the young cuttings moist in well draining media. Sometimes I just stick them near the fountain, others on the self watering bench.

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Mark5Bonsai]

Thanks for the feedback so far, but if anyone can offer any advice on the specific question it would be much appreciated. I already have a Paul's Scarlet I purchased last year to develop and I have two that I got from garden centres a couple of years back that I have been growing on and establishing ready for air layering. The larger and vigorous of the two is the one I started this spring

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Looks like most folks haven’t air layered this cultivar.

Yet usually if a tree can be grown from cuttings, it can be air layered.

So to answer the questions OP asked:

1. Yes wait - but check for bridging of the air layer. I suspect if the tree top is healthy and has been growing this long it might be bridged…

2. Scoring generally doesn't do much good for me, but others have reported positive results… I usually recut and rub the bare area with alcohol, let it dry and restart. That’s an @Osoyoung trick.

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Paulpash]

I developed mine from small, pole like material that I've tried to air layer multiple times prior to chopping. My advice is to root graft, I know they take to grafting OK because I thread grafted a back branch on this no problem at all.

 

[arbuscula]

@Mark5Bonsai

I'm contemplating getting a Paul's Scarlet bare root specimen, I'm in the UK so the time is about right to plant bare root stock.

Researching about airlayers brought up your post from last year. Having read through I'm just wondering how things played out with yours. Did they develop roots?

The bare root stock I'm considering is between 4'~5' ... can't get to see the actual one as it's from a nursery out of my area. So, at 4~5ft I'm thinking airlayers and cuttings... and, yes. I e read it is notoriously difficult to airlayer.

I airlayered a couple of 'common' hawthorns in 2019. I had to remove from the donating trees because the leaves were turning yellow. I found that both had calloused but no roots formed. Potted up with sphagnum moss and a cuttings compost and placed in the shade. In 2020 they came into leaf and in 2022 & 23 flowered. I'm not saying this would work with the Paul's Scarlet - just putting it forward as something to consider...

Some trees can take 2 years (or more) to airlayer... I'm now wondering if the Paul's Scarlet is one.

 

[Mark5Bonsai]

@Mark5Bonsai

I'm contemplating getting a Paul's Scarlet bare root specimen, I'm in the UK so the time is about right to plant bare root stock.

Researching about airlayers brought up your post from last year. Having read through I'm just wondering how things played out with yours. Did they develop roots?

The bare root stock I'm considering is between 4'~5' ... can't get to see the actual one as it's from a nursery out of my area. So, at 4~5ft I'm thinking airlayers and cuttings... and, yes. I e read it is notoriously difficult to airlayer.

I airlayered a couple of 'common' hawthorns in 2019. I had to remove from the donating trees because the leaves were turning yellow. I found that both had calloused but no roots formed. Potted up with sphagnum moss and a cuttings compost and placed in the shade. In 2020 they came into leaf and in 2022 & 23 flowered. I'm not saying this would work with the Paul's Scarlet - just putting it forward as something to consider...

Some trees can take 2 years (or more) to airlayer... I'm now wondering if the Paul's Scarlet is one.

I left them over winter in the end, with a view to having a second go this summer. It was a year of mixed success . I thought I had learned a lot from two previous successful Hornbeam layerings. Last year's Hornbeam was the best yet, but applying exactly the same technique with the Hawthorne was not successful. Just goes to show that nature plays by is own rules....!

 

[arbuscula]

I left them over winter in the end, with a view to having a second go this summer. It was a year of mixed success . I thought I had learned a lot from two previous successful Hornbeam layerings. Last year's Hornbeam was the best yet, but applying exactly the same technique with the Hawthorne was not successful. Just goes to show that nature plays by is own rules....!

Thanks for responding so soon... very much appreciated.

Further researching through Google results came up with these needing longer - so, fingers crossed for you with yours that this year shows good results. The results from Google went back to mid 2000... like 2006 etc. Cuttings seem to be more reliable when compared with airlayers... but, hopefully, persevering will show successes.

Thanks again

 

[Mark5Bonsai]

This is how it looks this spring. Just wondering what to try next if anyone has any thoughts? There is valid at the site of the top ring but also evidence of some further down. The ring of wire is at the top cut and was a bit of an attempt at a belt and braces approach .
Option 1 Just cut or score the existing callus at the top, remove the lower callusing and try again?
Option 2 - remove all callusing and start over with a completely bare AIR layering ring at the same sight?
What do you think? The remainder of the tree is now leafing up nicely

 

[NaoTK]

When I successfully air-layered a hawthorn most of the roots came out from ABOVE the callous zone, as seen below. I let those roots grow for about a year then severed below the callous.
The next year I just let the tree do its thing and finally roots came out of the callous zone.
So you may try adding more soil above your callous area.

 

[arbuscula]

@Mark5Bonsai
Thanks for the update and your photos. As I'm going to attempt various things to propagate mine, it's interesting to see. Wasn't expecting to see the wire being used! I've not tried to airlayer this way yet.

Only previously removed a ring of bark, approximately the same width as trunk/branch thickness, used rooting hormone and then wrapped with sphagnum moss and wired plastic around - not yet though with the Paul's Scarlet. On Japanese Maples, Field Maple, common Hawthorn and Japanese Hawthorn.

Got mine around early Feb '24. Its approximately 5ft tall with 4ft branches. My intention is to attempt some cuttings from part of the length of the branches. Also airlayers lower down.

When it arrived, there were two branches, lower down, that had snapped part way from the trunk. Having to remove them because of the break, I cut into 4" lengths, dipped in rooting hormone and pushed into a pot of mixed media and three in with the main plant. At that time the buds hadn't begun to open. They where also a couple of bits of the roots that had snapped also. I've put those in pots also - as my Crataegus monogyna sends up suckers I thought "worth a try". 14th February.

At this time, the 'cuttings' are showing buds breaking but nothing yet with the roots. I'm not expecting any of these to either grow roots or to sprout buds from the roots - but...

I'll probably start a new thread for mine later this year. I've attached some photos to show the progress at this time. They don't help in respect of your airlayer... sorry.

 

[Mark5Bonsai]

@Mark5Bonsai
Thanks for the update and your photos. As I'm going to attempt various things to propagate mine, it's interesting to see. Wasn't expecting to see the wire being used! I've not tried to airlayer this way yet.

Only previously removed a ring of bark, approximately the same width as trunk/branch thickness, used rooting hormone and then wrapped with sphagnum moss and wired plastic around - not yet though with the Paul's Scarlet. On Japanese Maples, Field Maple, common Hawthorn and Japanese Hawthorn.

Got mine around early Feb '24. Its approximately 5ft tall with 4ft branches. My intention is to attempt some cuttings from part of the length of the branches. Also airlayers lower down.

When it arrived, there were two branches, lower down, that had snapped part way from the trunk. Having to remove them because of the break, I cut into 4" lengths, dipped in rooting hormone and pushed into a pot of mixed media and three in with the main plant. At that time the buds hadn't begun to open. They where also a couple of bits of the roots that had snapped also. I've put those in pots also - as my Crataegus monogyna sends up suckers I thought "worth a try". 14th February.

At this time, the 'cuttings' are showing buds breaking but nothing yet with the roots. I'm not expecting any of these to either grow roots or to sprout buds from the roots - but...

I'll probably start a new thread for mine later this year. I've attached some photos to show the progress at this time. They don't help in respect of your airlayer... sorry.

This is a ring method air layering that I have done.....I just added a ring of wire add an experiment. It probably doesn't bite into the bark as it should. Good luck with your project though

 

[Mark5Bonsai]

When I successfully air-layered a hawthorn most of the roots came out from ABOVE the callous zone, as seen below. I let those roots grow for about a year then severed below the callous.
The next year I just let the tree do its thing and finally roots came out of the callous zone.
So you may try adding more soil above your callous area.

View attachment 536937

Thanks for the insight. I will give this a go along with removing all the other Callus that seems to have developed in other areas where I did the ring bark method

 

[Shibui]

When it arrived, there were two branches, lower down, that had snapped part way from the trunk. Having to remove them because of the break, I cut into 4" lengths, dipped in rooting hormone and pushed into a pot of mixed media and three in with the main plant. At that time the buds hadn't begun to open. They where also a couple of bits of the roots that had snapped also. I've put those in pots also - as my Crataegus monogyna sends up suckers I thought "worth a try". 14th February.

At this time, the 'cuttings' are showing buds breaking but nothing yet with the roots. I'm not expecting any of these to either grow roots or to sprout buds from the roots - but...

Hawthorn seem to grow readily from root cuttings here but what you get will depend whether your hawthorn is grafted. Most Pauls scarlet are grown by grafting as it is difficult to root from cuttings. Looks like a graft just below the first branch in the first picture. It will probably be grafted onto normal C monogyna so any root cuttings will be C. monogyna too.

Good luck with the cuttings. I frequently get buds and sometimes substantial shoots but no roots so eventually the cuttings collapse and die.

 

[arbuscula]

Hawthorn seem to grow readily from root cuttings here but what you get will depend whether your hawthorn is grafted. Most Pauls scarlet are grown by grafting as it is difficult to root from cuttings. Looks like a graft just below the first branch in the first picture. It will probably be grafted onto normal C monogyna so any root cuttings will be C. monogyna too.

Good luck with the cuttings. I frequently get buds and sometimes substantial shoots but no roots so eventually the cuttings collapse and die.

I did think that it's grafted - but it's a very good graft... Best I've seen. I'll be getting back to the nursery I got it from for confirmation but I'm now sure it is a graft.

The 'cuttings' from those broken branches could also be Crataegus monogyna... they are rather thin compared to the main straight long branches. The longer, thicker branches have no thorns - but a couple of other thin, lower growth do have thorns, like C.monogyna.

 

[Shibui]

The 'cuttings' from those broken branches could also be Crataegus monogyna... they are rather thin compared to the main straight long branches. The longer, thicker branches have no thorns - but a couple of other thin, lower growth do have thorns, like C.monogyna.

I now remember you mentioned the broken branches were low on the trunk. Anything below that graft will certainly be the rootstock. My experience is that C. monogyna is very difficult to root but I've seen some threads where a few growers have succeeded.

Agree that the graft is neat. It should disappear as the trunk thickens and new wood grows around and over the remaining traces of grafting.