airlayering/trunk chopping/ collecting musings

[Shibui]

Callus can be the initial stages of rooting. Leave it alone for a bit longer.

 

[Mara of dragon clan]

I just collected a root sucker of honey locust today from a backyard that had an amazing natural formation. It was growing from a taproot distant from the tree near a fence so I collected a portion of the main root instead of cutting at the base of the sprout.

Coated the whole root with hormon and transplanted and covered with a bag for humidity. Will post pics if it begins to grow shoots as I know my whole process was purely experimental with no certainty of success. I just wanted to study if a taproot sappling would take root, and if it does.... well my parents yard will become my new nursery for stock lol.

 

[Trenthany]

I bet if everyone here typed out their layer collection/removal operation, each would be different.
So many variables have a bearing on this conversation.

I certainly don't believe..

Because it certainly isn't true.

I was talking with @Trenthany In my radiallayer thread, about how layers in my proposed containers
Don't even need repotting. You just cut the branch, and set it down on the bench.

This is the best way. One less Repot. Duh!

Keep Fuddling with your uncut sphagnum in plastic baggies, that is working 10 steps back on our first mission which is good rootage.

I will keep laughing and poking fun.

Sorce

Their system works but I think yours has a lot going for it. You can set it and forget it until first repotting after cutting. It isn’t expensive either. Even buying brand new tupperware type containers they’d be affordable for almost anyone. Soil in the tub is almost as much as the tub probably, and who doesn’t have plastic bottles to make the root spreader. The other reply with the plastic bottle based one looks cool too! Especially if done in a place you can water daily because it is something most people have plenty of access to. You could even carry water bottles with partial water and add media then cut them before adding to branch. Quick wrap with tape/stretch wrap and air layering is ready.

 

[Trenthany]

How different is seperating an air layer from the mother tree mid summer than collecting a tree from the wild? In late spring/early summer here, I airlayered a one year old collected honey locust that had really been vigorous. Last year, it had grown from a stump to a pretty decent tree considering the limited growing time. A little over 2 weeks ago, I seperated the airlayer and planted it in about 85% pine bark and 15% Napa 8822. At the time, I removed all foliage but a few tiny leaves. Fast forward to today and the tree is fully leafed out and thriving. Now the stump I removed it from was just a literal stump.......a little over 2" in diameter and 4" high and completely bare. Today it has one 25" long shoot coming out of the perfect place right at the cut line .

Now, if a seperated airlayer with precious few roots can happily survive and the stump can stand the trunk chop and happily survive, doensn't it seem like collecting and trunk chopping in mid-summer is a viable option? To be sure, honey locust is considered a "weed tree" here and is VERY hardy.

Just thinking.

Honey locust, is that the one with thorns like sai? Nasty buggers that spread like wildfire and always get a little infected when you step on a full size thorn?

 

[Trenthany]

Their system works but I think yours has a lot going for it. You can set it and forget it until first repotting after cutting. It isn’t expensive either. Even buying brand new tupperware type containers they’d be affordable for almost anyone. Soil in the tub is almost as much as the tub probably, and who doesn’t have plastic bottles to make the root spreader. The other reply with the plastic bottle based one looks cool too! Especially if done in a place you can water daily because it is something most people have plenty of access to. You could even carry water bottles with partial water and add media then cut them before adding to branch. Quick wrap with tape/stretch wrap and air layering is ready.

Speaking of your RadialDisk concept, have you done any airlayers with it yet? I think you had done a couple tests. I was wondering if it worked on horizontal branches too?

ops missed your reply to last question! Gotta follow up! I’ll try again soon! I learned the radiallayer idea after I started most of my airlayers.

 

[Trenthany]

Hi all! Speakin of air layers, I have one going since early May and when I peeked to see the progress the other day I saw a big fat callous ring instead of roots. Think it will work or has it not progressed enough in two months?

I have the same concerns but if needs be, since I’m in FL I can wait till spring and check then.

 

[Joe Dupre']

Yes, Trenthany, killer thorns indeed! I leave them on because they are part of the personality of the tree and they have a beautiful, deep, reddish-brown color that compliments the green airyness of the foliage.

 

[Trenthany]

Yes, Trenthany, killer thorns indeed! I leave them on because they are part of the personality of the tree and they have a beautiful, deep, reddish-brown color that compliments the green airyness of the foliage.

I’m going to find myself a younger one and try chopping it to begin devolpment for next year and maybe go for a ground layer over the Fall/Winter so that I can try one too now! I’ve considered it before, but so far I haven’t found any good branches or trunks to air layer.

On a related note. How much do you defoliate the airlayer after the separation? I’ve started some on various local species but haven’t found any mention Of whether or not to, leading me to think I probably don’t need to, but what if my tiny new roots can’t support the separated section? Should I just go for a chop like a collected cypress? What about cuttings? I’ve seen people say defoliate the cuttings but those aren’t typically for trees. So I’m worried I’ll kill my first layering experiments. Luckily they’re all on poor-mediocre material, things I’m going to prune/remove anyways because I don’t want to screw up. Lmao

 

[Joe Dupre']

Well, it's my first time airlayering this species, so I proceeded with caution. I defoliated the airlayer almost completely , just leaving 3 or 4 of the smaller leaves. That was on May 23 of this year. The new tree is now flushed out enough that I did a tiny bit of pruning to slow the most vigorous branches. The stump has a pencil-sized shoot emerging from the cut area that is 30" long. They both seem to want to grow!

 

[Trenthany]

Well, it's my first time airlayering this species, so I proceeded with caution. I defoliated the airlayer almost completely , just leaving 3 or 4 of the smaller leaves. That was on May 23 of this year. The new tree is now flushed out enough that I did a tiny bit of pruning to slow the most vigorous branches. The stump has a pencil-sized shoot emerging from the cut area that is 30" long. They both seem to want to grow!

Yay! Any experience with air layering oak? I know it varies by species. Here in FL we call it a scrub oak. Trunks can get very interesting! Not sure about back budding. I’m so excited to try the locust now!

 

[Joe Dupre']

Never tried oak. I'd like to, because I see some nice barked up branches hanging low now and then. But really, the live oaks grow so fast here that collecting a stump and growing it out is almost as fast. This is one I collected as a naked stump 18 months ago. The pic is from the end of March.. It's WAY more filled out now.