Ginkgo air layer...where to go from here?

[LittleDingus]

I have a grafted ginkgo cultivar. The graft union has clear bark differences and is at a good height to be chopped at so that's where I'm headed. Before I do the chop, I was hoping to layer one or maybe two trees off the top first...after all, the cultivar is what I paid for But the graft is untennable for bonsai

I started the first layer last year. I can't find those pictures to verify the exact date but it was June or maybe early July. By fall, no roots started.

I left the tree alone over the winter. A few weeks ago, the buds above the layer started to move so I peaked at the layer. Still no roots...which I wasn't surprised since there were none just before winter. The callus looked healthy. I scruffed it up a bit to and applied a little liquid rooting hormone and otherwise left it alone.



That was about 2 weeks ago. Since then, the tree has mostly leafed out. There are even quite a few flowers and lots of healthy growth above the layer



My original hope was to take this top layer, then take another layer just above the graft union and then make my final chop. My original plan was that this first layer would have been removed by now then the new layer could have been started after new growth hardened this year.

I'm guessing this layer will still take given how healthy the top is...but when?? There is less foliage on the section beneath this one so I'm guessing that layer would take even longer

Those of you with lots of layering experience...especially if it's with ginkgo...how safe would it be to start a second layer in series later this spring even if the first layer hasn't rooted out yet? My understanding is the vascular system of ginkgo is a little different than typical. Is there something I should have done differently with the first layer? Or be doing differently now?

Can I still get 2 as originally planned?? If it's going to take 2 more years to get the second layer, I may just chop and start development of the rootstock if I can ever get the first layer off.

Thoughts much appreciated...

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I'm absolutely no expert on ginkgo, because they're still some ancient elusive one-of-a-kind species to me. I have just two of them, both wildtype.
But I have struck cuttings for two years that didn't produce any roots until summer. They leafed out as usual, started growing, and just did their thing without roots. Then around july they suddenly had roots all around.

Last year I jammed some finger-thick sticks in the ground and you can guess it.. They're leafing out right now.

What I'm saying is, be patient. Or just cut the layer off and jam it in the dirt since it should root. But if it doesn't, you've lost a lot of work and effort so I'm all for waiting it out.

I guess that IF the lower layer you want to make has its own foliage, it should be good. You'll be separating this one in summer, so the bottom one can continue growing and rooting for the rest of the year as if it was the apex.

 

[LittleDingus]

...and finally: roots!



I peeked because I was curious. The leaves above the layer opened well before the leaves below the layer. But they remained much smaller...about 1/3 the size...of the leaves below the layer until just recently. That's why I decided to check...the leaf sizes were starting to even out again and I wanted to make sure a bridge hadn't formed.

Now it's starting to look like what I'm used to when air layering

If I can get this layer off by end of July, I might make an attempt at layering the lower section then...let it callous over winter like this one did then separate it before buds break and try and continue it on like a cutting from there. That way I can still start developing the part below the graft next spring as originally planned.

My local nursery has a few small chi-chis that are grafts. Now that this layer is working, I might pick one of them up as well...help the nursery have enough funds to pay my daughter who works there so she can have spending money in college They are grafted much lower so I'm not sure it's worth saving the rootstock on those...

And a bonus picture of Josie Phibian! I scared her out of hiding in the ginkgo while I was poking around at the air layer.

 

[Pj86]

...and finally: roots!

View attachment 378063 View attachment 378064

I peeked because I was curious. The leaves above the layer opened well before the leaves below the layer. But they remained much smaller...about 1/3 the size...of the leaves below the layer until just recently. That's why I decided to check...the leaf sizes were starting to even out again and I wanted to make sure a bridge hadn't formed.

Now it's starting to look like what I'm used to when air layering

If I can get this layer off by end of July, I might make an attempt at layering the lower section then...let it callous over winter like this one did then separate it before buds break and try and continue it on like a cutting from there. That way I can still start developing the part below the graft next spring as originally planned.

My local nursery has a few small chi-chis that are grafts. Now that this layer is working, I might pick one of them up as well...help the nursery have enough funds to pay my daughter who works there so she can have spending money in college They are grafted much lower so I'm not sure it's worth saving the rootstock on those...

And a bonus picture of Josie Phibian! I scared her out of hiding in the ginkgo while I was poking around at the air layer.

View attachment 378065

Nice! What type of cultivar is it?

 

[LittleDingus]

Nice! What type of cultivar is it?

"Autumn gold"

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

If you notice, only those that have not been doing bonsai very long casually toss around "do an air layer". Air layers especially on conifers, like pines and ginkgo, can be hit or miss.

It is common for air layers to take more than one growing season for those of us in shorter summer climates, like zone 6 and colder. Especially if you don't start them until middle of the growing season. If you were in Northern Florida, it might have rooted toward the end of the first autumn, which would have been December. But being in Kansas, where your first frost is in October, the air layer needed another growing season.

I have never been able to make "chain air layers" take, where there are more than one on the same trunk or same branch. I have had multiple air layers take where each air layer was on its own branch. All the air layers had a direct line to the roots.

 

[AlainK]

Air layers especially on conifers, like pines and ginkgo, can be hit or miss.

The chance of a successful air-layer on ginkgo is far better than on conifers, though not as esay-peasy as with maples

I tried one, but left it through the winter, which was not a good idea : ginkgo resent having damp feet from what I read, and anyway, when in a pot 4 or 5 feet above the ground, frost can damage the roots that mays have gone out.

So in the spring, I was left with the bottom part, now :



But the air-layered roots suffered from the frost, or roted. I refreshed the cuts and planted it in a pot. I's now a very healthy tree :

 

[LittleDingus]

I've air layered many times in the past. I guess most of my experience is with tropicals that you can basically wrap a damp paper towel around and get to take root

I have layered some locals with success. Lots of hardwood cuttings too.

My initial question was looking for collective experience to help me decide if I should even bother trying the second layer given my time frame. I'd like to chop the parent before next spring.

I'm thinking now I might give this one til July. Then, if it looks like it's moving along maybe start the lower one with this still attached if needed so the lower one can callus. Next spring I can still chop early even if the second isn't ready to come off and stick it in a pot as a hardwood cutting and cross my fingers

I bought this tree to have a base to play with...being a cultivar though, I wanted to try and save the original tree if I could.

I just picked up a 'chi chi' that's grafted as well. I DO want the top of that tree though