Detaching elm air layer

yamins

Yamadori
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Long Island, NY, USA
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I started three airlayers on a cork bark chinese elm about 6 weeks ago.

All the previous air layers I've done were on pines, spruce, ume, or oaks, and all were left on for at least six months before being ready for removal. However, with these elm layers, fat white roots are pushing out all over the plastic wrap I used to hold together the sphagnum moss balls covering the wounds. If I used the same standard for these that I used for other layers I've done, these look like would be ready for removal already.

Should they be removed now? Or how long should I wait?
 

Brian Van Fleet

Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
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Way too soon...fat and white roots are good, but they really need to harden off a bit and take on a more brown color. Removing too early is far riskier than too late. Leave them on until about 6 weeks before your expected first frost, then separate, remove the bag, and plant the in-tact root mass, moss and all into a coarse mix. You can sort out the roots in 2014.
 
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