First air layer attempt

[RKatzin]

You’ve gone more than deep enough in my opinion

Is your opinion based on successful airlayering? I'm coming from a failed attempt point of view and all consensus is that I didn't get deep enough to prevent bridging
Also I believe the tree I'm referring to primarily is a Makawa yatsubusa and most indications are that it's a difficult variety to airlayer. I know I haven't been able to get cuttings to strike roots.

 

[Srt8madness]

Is your opinion based on successful airlayering? I'm coming from a failed attempt point of view and all consensus is that I didn't get deep enough to prevent bridging
Also I believe the tree I'm referring to primarily is a Makawa yatsubusa and most indications are that it's a difficult variety to airlayer. I know I haven't been able to get cuttings to strike roots.

He went deep enough. Cambium is green, you don't have to dig out the wood. That is the science behind it. Air layers can bridge even with all cambium scraped away. One or two failed attempts doesn't mean much.

 

[SeanS]

Is your opinion based on successful airlayering? I'm coming from a failed attempt point of view and all consensus is that I didn't get deep enough to prevent bridging
Also I believe the tree I'm referring to primarily is a Makawa yatsubusa and most indications are that it's a difficult variety to airlayer. I know I haven't been able to get cuttings to strike roots.

My opinion is based on many successfully layers on a number of species. I have found tridents more difficult to layer than JM, most due to bridging. But the bridging I’ve experienced was because the callous on the top and bottom sections (above and below the girdle) got so large that they eventually touched, without forming any roots.

I don’t usually go as deep as you’ve gone, you seem to have nibbled away into the hardwood. I usually just strip the bark and use a knife to scrape any of the remaining fleshy stuff off. Usually when I can see the white hardwood drying and looking “dry” (you have to see it to understand my reference) as I’m working on the layer then I’m confident I’ve taken off everything necessary.

Here’s one of 2 of my failed trident layers, out of about 40 successful layers on many species, including but not limited to:
JM
Trident
Ume
Chojubai
Elaeagnus
Junipers
Zelkova

 

[Jrmcmich]

My opinion is based on many successfully layers on a number of species. I have found tridents more difficult to layer than JM, most due to bridging. But the bridging I’ve experienced was because the callous on the top and bottom sections (above and below the girdle) got so large that they eventually touched, without forming any roots.

I don’t usually go as deep as you’ve gone, you seem to have nibbled away into the hardwood. I usually just strip the bark and use a knife to scrape any of the remaining fleshy stuff off. Usually when I can see the white hardwood drying and looking “dry” (you have to see it to understand my reference) as I’m working on the layer then I’m confident I’ve taken off everything necessary.

Here’s one of 2 of my failed trident layers, out of about 40 successful layers on many species, including but not limited to:
JM
Trident
Ume
Chojubai
Elaeagnus
Junipers
Zelkova

View attachment 543646

Pretty crazy the callous there. Yeah I got past the green cambium layer and only reason I kept going deeper was some things I read about not going deep enough.

 

[The Warm Canuck]

At least a couple weeks, the sapwood should be completely dry.

Never heard that it needs to be that long.

 

[RKatzin]

He went deep enough. Cambium is green, you don't have to dig out the wood. That is the science behind it. Air layers can bridge even with all cambium scraped away. One or two failed attempts doesn't mean much.

I did eleven set ups, one Kiyohime successful, seven failed, but still viable and need to be redone and three the branch died. My first time, too so I'm really looking for some answers, too.

 

[Jrmcmich]

So had not seen any roots on outside of clear wrap around Sphagnum so opened up to take closer look as it’s been almost 7 weeks. I do see roots and got just picture of one of them but there’s plenty more all around so that’s good. I am covering back up to let them grow more before removing.

Trident roots (more underneath)



The biggest reason I decided to look inside is I have read multiple failures on tridents with callous but no roots and didn’t see anything outside edges where I did a hillier elm about 1-1/2 weeks after this trident and tons of roots on outside but a bigger tree and also would say looks like healthier foliage as I have had a fungus issue with this trident but hope it’s on other side now.

Hillier elm layer for comparison

 

[Jrmcmich]

Well finally cut off air layer. Roots got pretty long so probably could have done this earlier.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Nah, Those are great roots!