I've found a stunning JM to air layer and I need to gain some experience

[hidefrom_sun]

I've only just started collecting trees this spring/summer. There's a lot for me to learn. I'm getting through a lot of books and the Mirai online material is fantastic.

I had a chat with my brother and sister in law about this beautiful specimen in their garden. I started off small... asking if I could air layer a smaller branch but they're all for it! They said I can take 4 or 5 substantial 1-2inch air layers from it.

I have no idea what kind of cultivar it is. The main trunk is around 6inch / 15cm. Bright lime green bark. Leaves are blood red in spring and autumn. Leaves are very small even from the second flush, it's all tightly packed in and internodes are well spaced even on established areas with with dominant growth. No leaf scorching, no die back, the foliage is pristine. I can't even find a cheeky aphid nibble on them.

I really don't want to damage this tree - it's stunning, even if they haven't pruned it. They've offered pretty much anything I want. There must be ten of fifteen branches. Lots of interesting shapes and trunk movement. It's a very quick growing tree so I think it will quickly cover in new growth the following year. It'd be great to show my brother a somewhat healthy finished product.

Zone 9A in Yorkshire United kingdom. So here come the questions. I'm searching through the previous posts but there's a lot of conflicting information.

What time of year is best to start my first couple of air layers?
How long should I leave them on? The more roots the healthier?
When potting up I'm planning on screwing a board to the trunk and pinning out a nice nebari then putting it in a pond planter.
What medium works best? Can I put it straight into bonsai medium? I will be using Kaizen Bonsai's premade mixes for all my future potting.
Do I need to defoliate the remaining leaves with new and likely stressed root system? What's the right balance.

Sorry for having so many questions. I just want to make sure everything is bought, ready and prepared for next year when I get going.

 

[hidefrom_sun]

Having issues with the pics, might have edited the post a few too many times. Here they are:

 

[19Mateo83]

The best time to set layers is spring after the first growth has hardened. If you have never layered before, try on a smaller branch first. It depends on the cultivar, which is unknown, but generally it takes a good solid two months to put off roots. If you use clear plastic for your layers you can easily see when you have good roots. I suggest watching Peter Chans air layering master class video on YouTube. It explains everything in detail and will help you get good results.

 

[Jrmcmich]

So this was my first year trying air layers as well. Small hillier elm did 3 on amd was super easy. A trident maple wasn’t too bad but took a bit longer. A elm tree in yard which did ok but only roots on one side but seems to be doing well afterwards. Did 3 on a Japanese maple as well amd those have been very slow compared to others although not been quite 8 weeks yet. I peeked few days ago and had a single root on one of layers. I ended up scraping a bit amd adding more rooting hormone and wrapped back up. As you will see in videos fairly consistent info using spagnum moss but if you search here you will see bonsai soil can be used as well which would make it easier to sort roots out as the moss really gets stuck but I was able to clean out fairly well. As @19Mateo83 mentioned spring time is best and I am trying the 3 on my Japanese maple to check before doing a ground layer next spring. As scary as it seems it’s actually fairly easy and a good tool to add. Good luck as it looks like a nice one to grab a couple off of.

Here is link to alternative method.

Thread 'Radialayer™ a season saver.'

Nov 1, 2014

Nutters,

You may have noticed I almost always jump to recommending airlayers. I don't think I will ever lose my fascination with the process. In attempts to perfect it, I have worked out some tweaks so it is time to share my method.

I don't understand haphazardly throwing long Sphagnum in plasticwrap (though I do this too), just to sort out the roots later. This Bonsai thing takes long enough as it is. This method has gotten me off to a good start on a couple plants, (pom, elm) Now that I remembered to add the support putty, and to take photos, well... Here it is on a ficus...

• sorce
• Replies: 190
• Forum: Grafting, layering & propagating

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[Shibui]

Some Japanese maples layer easily. Others seem reluctant.
I'm assuming the tree in question is one of the dwarf cultivars - smaller leaves, small size, compact internodes but some seedlings also show some or all of these attributes too. The dwarf cvs I have tried to layer, and know that others have tried, have been spectacularly unsuccessful so far. I'd still go ahead and try but don't be too disappointed if you don't get roots.

As already mentioned, Spring seems to be the best time. I've seen some layers done before leaf out but have not had much success with that timing. Just after leaves harden seems to be better so mid -late spring.

There's no fixed timeline. Even the same cultivar will vary in timing depending on technique, weather, how strong and healthy the tree is and whether you've layered a strong branch ora weaker one.
Layers can survive with remarkably few roots. Provided there are enough to sustain it for a few weeks after removing the tree will very quickly grow some more. I've removed some layers after just a couple of months (summer), also in Autumn and sometimes the following spring when rooting was slower. You will just have to monitor progress and pot it up when (if) there's some roots.

Beware the pond planter. They dry out very quick. Might be OK in Yorkshire but you will need to water effectively to maintain health in a pond planter.
Soil mix does not matter so much in development stages. Trees will grow well in bonsai mix but also in regular potting soil. If you go for potting soil it can be combe out and replaced with a more appropriate open mix when you get to a bonsai pot.

We may be getting a little ahead with questions on what to do after rooting. Lets just get those roots established first then look at how to separate and pot up then.

 

[Maros]

It's a bit late to start now, but as a part of the learning process it is worth starting at least one layer to see if the cultivar is playing along. If you are lucky, you will have a rooted plant in 6-8 weeks, enough time for new roots to develop post-separation, until the first frost and leaf fall.
Maybe starting at the junction, trying to get a twin trunk would be the best option.
For the rooting media, I use local moss from the forest without issues.
Potting mix does not matter as far as it is a modern well-draining substrate.
Keep most of the original foliage so the tree can generate sugars for the new roots.
If you can streamline the process of dealing with roots post-separation you can use something like a piece of plastic to force roots to grow in the desired direction, similar to what I did in the video below.

 

[TrevorLarsen]

Here is a database that lists all the verities of JM that air layer or root from cuttings.

Thread 'Japanese Maples that Root from Cuttings'

Jan 2, 2022

For the benefit of all B nutters, self included, I would love to have here a list of Japanese Maples that others have success in rooting from either cuttings or air layers. As a logical starting point it was suggested that all of the maples listed at Evergreen Gardenworks are rooted. So I thank Pitoon for the suggestion and Brent for the hard work establishing the baseline. These are those maples listed.

A. palmatum seedlings
A. palmatum (small leaf dwarf)
A. palmatum (small leaf, small seed)
A. palmatum (Ryusen seedlings)
A. palmatum 'Ao Kanzashi'
A. palmatum 'Bloodgood'
A. palmatum...

• penumbra
• Replies: 120
• Forum: Grafting, layering & propagating

• 

 

[BrianBay9]

Another tip - I've found more vertical growing sections easier to layer. They're more likely to give roots on all sides. They don't have to be perfectly vertical. A slight angle off ultimately makes a more interesting planting angle in the layer, particularly if you try to make your cuts parallel with the ground.

 

[hidefrom_sun]

The best time to set layers is spring after the first growth has hardened. If you have never layered before, try on a smaller branch first. It depends on the cultivar, which is unknown, but generally it takes a good solid two months to put off roots. If you use clear plastic for your layers you can easily see when you have good roots. I suggest watching Peter Chans air layering master class video on YouTube. It explains everything in detail and will help you get good results.

That fella is such a legend!

From your experience if the first one appears to be successful once I get roots growing within the bag do I have time to air layer more branches and plant then sucessfully before the season is over?

Having one big chonker by the end of next summer would be great. This has taken years off of my expectations of actually getting a really good trunk base. Can't wait to give it a go!!

In terms of buying JMs in the future - I have a nursery I use near my house. They sell plants at a premium but they are always really high quality. Their JMs were out of my price range this year but they were all very healthy with 4inch trunk bases and around 5-8ft tall with several opportunities to air layer - even more if you don't mind more feminine trees which to be honest I do think look really elegant. They're between £250-£350 depending on the cultivar.

Some Japanese maples layer easily. Others seem reluctant.
I'm assuming the tree in question is one of the dwarf cultivars - smaller leaves, small size, compact internodes but some seedlings also show some or all of these attributes too. The dwarf cvs I have tried to layer, and know that others have tried, have been spectacularly unsuccessful so far. I'd still go ahead and try but don't be too disappointed if you don't get roots.

As already mentioned, Spring seems to be the best time. I've seen some layers done before leaf out but have not had much success with that timing. Just after leaves harden seems to be better so mid -late spring.

There's no fixed timeline. Even the same cultivar will vary in timing depending on technique, weather, how strong and healthy the tree is and whether you've layered a strong branch ora weaker one.
Layers can survive with remarkably few roots. Provided there are enough to sustain it for a few weeks after removing the tree will very quickly grow some more. I've removed some layers after just a couple of months (summer), also in Autumn and sometimes the following spring when rooting was slower. You will just have to monitor progress and pot it up when (if) there's some roots.

Beware the pond planter. They dry out very quick. Might be OK in Yorkshire but you will need to water effectively to maintain health in a pond planter.
Soil mix does not matter so much in development stages. Trees will grow well in bonsai mix but also in regular potting soil. If you go for potting soil it can be combe out and replaced with a more appropriate open mix when you get to a bonsai pot.

We may be getting a little ahead with questions on what to do after rooting. Lets just get those roots established first then look at how to separate and pot up then.

Not getting ahead at all. It's all really useful information - as it's my brother's I really want to have a successful tree at the end of it.

I started getting interested in bonsai late this spring and lets just say I've learned a lot with destructive testing. I successfully murdered three cheap junipers which really were there to learn pruning, wiring and understand some basic design concepts (also turns out I'm really allergic to junipers!) My first couple of JMs were pruned way too hard setting them back possibly a couple of seasons. In hindsight I should have pruned some apical growth, removed a few unwanted branches then wired out to allow light into the lower canopy and left them alone. I behaved myself with a Katsura maple but it developed a fungal infection so I reluctantly had to remove the worst affected areas.

After a lot more learning, patience and locking away my pruning scissors and branch cutters I have a Summer Gold that's healthy and developing well with a chonker of a sacrifice branch poking out 1.5m. I've wired the sacrifice branch to create some movement and plan to air layer it next spring. A few saplings that are coming along great, 50 cuttings that are successfully doing nothing and my latest addition is a Beni Maiko. It's currently in one piece whilst I try to learn patience... I'm growing out a Hornbeam, the trunk is around 40mm and there's nice movement (terrible nebari - so more layering practice ahead!!) A field maple I'm leaving in peace and a European Beech - which I'm looking forwards to growing because it's the first tree I've bought with nice root flair out of the nursery.

So any advice right now is welcome advice, especially with substrates. All of the nursery media has held too much moisture - not so much of a problem for my other trees but it's not been ideal for my JMs which is why I think I'm erring towards the opposite end of the spectrum with the pond baskets. Following your advice I might run an experiment on one in a pond basket and just repot the others with one of Kaizen Bonsai's premade mixes.

With regards to the tree I'll just take the one air layer next spring, along with some air layers on my other trees i'll learn a lot for the following year. It isn't going anywhere and there's potential to make some beautiful trees so I'd rather build my experience.

Thanks

 

[hidefrom_sun]

Another tip - I've found more vertical growing sections easier to layer. They're more likely to give roots on all sides. They don't have to be perfectly vertical. A slight angle off ultimately makes a more interesting planting angle in the layer, particularly if you try to make your cuts parallel with the ground.

Ahh perfect. I'll take that into consideration when I decide on my first victim!

 

[19Mateo83]

I’d say give it a go and make sure to use clear wrap so you don’t have to disturb it to check. If you don’t get enough roots by fall you can always leave it on over winter and separate next spring /early summer.