Favorite "Well that's weird" layer result

[andrewiles]

Here's a strange one.

Decided two years ago to ground layer a small Mikawa Yatsubusa to remove the graft. Used a metal plate as a girdle. Added some rooting gel. Easy.


Checked last year and there were no roots, though a nice callous. Grrr. Brushed with Hormodim 3 to give it an extra kick and burried again (after this picture):


Poked around this year and saw a few roots. About time. So I cut the trunk below the plate and then removed the dirt. Then this happened:


Yes, all the roots are coming from that side branch. Nothing below the main trunk. So much for those rooting hormones. I figured that branch might survive so I repotted the entire thing. Why not.


I don't have a photo right now, but the crazy thing is that the entire tree is still alive and apparently doing just fine. I do have it in light shade but as best I can tell the roots on that branch are supporting the entire tree. It's possible the main trunk finally formed roots, I suppose, but you'd think it would have to do that pretty fast to avoid that part failing immediately after leaf out. And if those roots are supporting the entire tree it means nutrient and water flow on that branch reversed direction...

 

[caffeinated]

An air layer attempt on a Ryuzu Japanese Maple. It didn't take in over two years, though some callous did develop. It did at one point start developing roots BELOW the girdle, which was my first time ever seeing that. In hindsight I should've let those develop and done some experimenting with it, but I wanted the layer more at the time.

 

[andrewiles]

An air layer attempt on a Ryuzu Japanese Maple. It didn't take in over two years, though some callous did develop. It did at one point start developing roots BELOW the girdle, which was my first time ever seeing that. In hindsight I should've let those develop and done some experimenting with it, but I wanted the layer more at the time.

That is wild. My brain is unable to make sense of that.

 

[andrewiles]

Here's another one. Dawn redwood that rooted below the girdle.