Any special techniques for air layering trident maples?

[Michael P]

Bonsai Nut's fantastic article on air layering has inspired me to do some this spring. I've air layered a number of different species in the past (including some other maples) but never tridents. My seven tree trident forest needs a complete make over; the tops are interesting, but the trunks and nebari are terrible.

Any suggestions that are specific to trident maples? The trunks where I want to make the layers are all about 3/4" to 1" in diameter. If the layers are successful, I will want to drastically change the planting angles. What time of year is optimal to do this in zone 8a? How long should I expect to wait before the air layers can be separated from the trees?

Thank you!

 

[Fonz]

My bonsai teacher tells me that the trees should first have leafes before starting the air layer. Then by the end of summer there should be enough roots to seperate the air layer from the rest of the tree. Curious on other responses...

 

[Stan Kengai]

Trident maples are more difficult to layer than many other plants. I tried a hybrid method I saw on a Japanese blog that went something like this. In mid summer, I applied a wire tournequit with very thick wire. This caused a 1 inch branch to swell to 2+ inches by fall. In the spring before bud swell, I stripped the bark below the tournequit about 2 inches, removing the tournequit wire along the way. I applied rooting hormone and mounted a 4 inch pot with pumice, scoria and shredded sphagnum. Watered daily. I removed the layer at the end of the summer because the pot felt solid as a brick and had roots visible at the soil line.

Turns out the pot was 90 percent full of callus material, with little roots present. It made it through, but lost a lot of the top growth I was after.

Next time, I'll use a moss bag instead of a pot with soil, to see if that deters the growth of callus.

 

[Michael P]

Thanks! I plan to start the layers in spring after the first leaves have hardened off, as in Bonsai Nut's article. The bag and sphagnum method is the only option because these trees are so close together that there isn't room for pots.

 

[Michael P]

Bumping this before the next holiday distracts everyone, LOL.

 

[justBonsai]

Make sure to start the air layers after the spring growth has hardened off. I don't think tridents aren't particularly hard to layer. A big reason for airlayers not working is failing to girdle the cambium completely. When you make the cut make sure to scrape really well. You can use rubbing alcohol to kill off the remaining cambium you didn't remove. I generally tie a wire ring after I make the girdle as insurance if there is in fact remaining cambium. So far my air layer success is 100%. Old wood or harder to root varieties just take more time.

 

[Michael P]

Good tips, thanks!

 

[Pmr]

Old thread I know… I’m only just really beginning to get my toes wet in the bonsai world but I’ve got a question: How tight do I tie the wire ring above where I want to air layer?

 

[Fonz]

Old thread I know… I’m only just really beginning to get my toes wet in the bonsai world but I’ve got a question: How tight do I tie the wire ring above where I want to air layer?

Not too tight but make sure that it holds, if you worry about it biting in the bark just loosen it and tie it again.

 

[Pmr]

Not too tight but make sure that it holds, if you worry about it biting in the bark just loosen it and tie it again.

Terrific, thanks!!

 

[SeanS]

Old thread I know… I’m only just really beginning to get my toes wet in the bonsai world but I’ve got a question: How tight do I tie the wire ring above where I want to air layer?

the wire tourniquet goes below where you want to layer, the roots (and top of the bark ring that you remove) will grow from the swollen area above where the tourniquet is applied

 

[Pmr]

I thought it is applied above as in this thread:

Air layering a trident maple in the summer

I'm hoping to air layer the top half of my trident maple, because the trunk is too tall, and want to see if I can get a "free" tree out of the trunk chop. It's just getting to the hot part of the summer in Georgia... Did I miss my window this year? Or can I go ahead and start the air layer in...

www.bonsainut.com

 

[SeanS]

I thought it is applied above as in this thread:

Air layering a trident maple in the summer

I'm hoping to air layer the top half of my trident maple, because the trunk is too tall, and want to see if I can get a "free" tree out of the trunk chop. It's just getting to the hot part of the summer in Georgia... Did I miss my window this year? Or can I go ahead and start the air layer in...

www.bonsainut.com

If you’re referring to these photos from that thread, the roots would grow where I’ve marked them in the photos. The pink line in the 2nd photos indicates where the tourniquet was originally located

 

[Pmr]

If you’re referring to these photos from that thread, the roots would grow where I’ve marked them in the photos. The pink line in the 2nd photos indicates where the tourniquet was originally located

View attachment 477960
View attachment 477959

I think it was an issue of terminology. I was referring to those pictures, yes, but I was referring to applying the wire ring to above where the bark is cleaned away from. Thank you for the diagram!