Air Layering a Short Needle Pine, Southern Louisiana

[Borg]

Alright folks,

I've been eye-balling these short needle pines for a while, out at my grandparents house. They have some on an adjacent property that I plan on digging up this coming winter, that are a good height, but then there are a couple that would make better air layer candidates.
Does anyone have any good experience with air layering pines? specifically, US species of pines? I'm trying to figure out which technique would work best on these things, as I want to make sure I can get a great tree out of them.
That said, as far as soil goes if I do a pot method, should I just use damp sphagnum and surround that with some bonsai soil? Or should I go get some pumice to add to the outer layer? I want to make sure that when it's time to pot the thing, I have some better quality soil than just dirt, that's already covered in the beneficial fungus that aids conifer roots...

Thanks

 

[Pachycaul]

Borg- trying to air layer a pinus edulis in NM, a short needled two-to-a fascicle native commonly referred to as piñon. Tried a tourniquet several years ago but poor methodology and failure to follow through led to its failure. Earlier this month I did a girdle with packed sphagnum and so far so good. The major thing I have noticed is that tip growth seems to have accelerated, while older needles are browning and dropping. The branch I'm working on is a vertical primary off a horizontal trunk. Diameter is 1.25-1.50 in. I estimate the age of parent tree at 30-50 years, based on I'm guessing that's when parent tree was pushed over during lot development. Have read about various additives being used in the pouch, but I just soaked the moss in rainwater and wrung it out before packing it tightly. The only thing I am doing besides watching and waiting is feeding and watering the parent tree. FWIW, probably didn't answer any of your questions, but I've found that to discover what works is to educate yourself, consult with those with experience, and DO something. Analysis paralysis is a terrible waste to mind.

"Too much agreement kills a chat." -Eldridge Cleaver

 

[PiñonJ]

Borg- trying to air layer a pinus edulis in NM, a short needled two-to-a fascicle native commonly referred to as piñon. Tried a tourniquet several years ago but poor methodology and failure to follow through led to its failure. Earlier this month I did a girdle with packed sphagnum and so far so good. The major thing I have noticed is that tip growth seems to have accelerated, while older needles are browning and dropping. The branch I'm working on is a vertical primary off a horizontal trunk. Diameter is 1.25-1.50 in. I estimate the age of parent tree at 30-50 years, based on I'm guessing that's when parent tree was pushed over during lot development. Have read about various additives being used in the pouch, but I just soaked the moss in rainwater and wrung it out before packing it tightly. The only thing I am doing besides watching and waiting is feeding and watering the parent tree. FWIW, probably didn't answer any of your questions, but I've found that to discover what works is to educate yourself, consult with those with experience, and DO something. Analysis paralysis is a terrible waste to mind.

"Too much agreement kills a chat." -Eldridge Cleaver

@Pachycaul, as @sorce would say, welcome to crazy! Please create a thread about this tree, whether the air layer is successful, or not. I haven't been successful yet with collected piñon. I have one now almost three months in collection. It hasn't lost ground, but isn't pushing growth, either. Pines are supposed to be very difficult to air layer, because the roots take a long time to grow - more than the three months that you have when the tree's roots will support the foliage above the air layer. You need foliage below the layer to support the roots beyond the three month window. Do you have that and are you planning to leave the layer on the tree over the winter?

 

[sorce]

"Too much agreement kills a chat." -Eldridge Cleaver

Oh yeah!

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Pachycaul]

PiñonJ- yeah, plan to leave it on as long as necessary. Have also read about difficulty of getting pines to root, years in some cases. This particular branch is the same one I tried the failed tourniquet on about 5 yrs. ago. Don't know how to answer the ? about needles below the strip. There is a larger vertical primary coming off the trunk between my branch and base of parent tree. There is no foliage on my branch below the strip and where it comes off the parent trunk. I think that is what you were asking, so, no is probably the answer. Attached pics may answer some ??. The entire tree grows in thick overstory, and has snaked out into the light. Branches closer to the "top" of parent are more robust than the object of my obscure desire, which is weaker and more shaded/etiolated. Have had dark thoughts of eliminating all other competing branches, forcing all growth to my layering, but recovering from that drastic an approach could prove a death sentence. Oops! Did NOT want to post previous. What the problem seems to be is that there is a Luddite attempting to operate a button machine. Can't include pics from my phone, only 'puter. Apologies. Will try later (sheesh)

 

[Pachycaul]

@Pachycaul, as @sorce would say, welcome to crazy! Please create a thread about this tree, whether the air layer is successful, or not. I haven't been successful yet with collected piñon. I have one now almost three months in collection. It hasn't lost ground, but isn't pushing growth, either. Pines are supposed to be very difficult to air layer, because the roots take a long time to grow - more than the three months that you have when the tree's roots will support the foliage above the air layer. You need foliage below the layer to support the roots beyond the three month window. Do you have that and are you planning to leave the layer on the tree over the winter?

 

[Andrew Robson]

\
Does anyone have any good experience with air layering pines? specifically, US species of pines? I'm trying to figure out which technique would work best on these things, as I want to make sure I can get a great tree out of them.\

Shortleaf pine has good potential for bonsai, however pines don't airlayer easily. I'd recommend growing them from seed, and here's a great link to help you do that! https://bonsaitonight.com/2016/08/17/grow-japanese-black-pine-seed/

 

[Anthony]

You can also do soft wood cuttings.
Good Day
Anthony