Lets go airlayer my Japanese Maple!

[M. Frary]

First off I would just like to say that I've never done this before and hope that it goes off without a hitch.
First the star of the show. My Acer palmatum "red pygmy". As most of you know or maybe not I just acquired this tree a few weeks ago. At that time I bare rooted it and put it in fast draining substrate.
Next are you the supplies I will be using.
Sharp knife. ( This is a Buck zipper.) They don't come any sharper.
Rooting hormone. Picked it up at the local hardware.
Sphagnum moss. Got it at Lowes.
Plastic sheeting. Got it off my window.
Bread ties. From guess where.
Cheese cloth. It was in the kitchen cupboard. What for? God only knows. Or maybe my wife.

 

[davetree]

Are you layering branches or the whole tree ? If you are layering the whole tree it may not be a good idea so soon after bare rooting.

 

[M. Frary]

I guess it's time to do the deed. First I get hold of my zipper. The knife that's called the zipper.
Then I cut a ring of bark off. Being my first time I'm erring on the safe side and make it around 2" wide.
Then scrape off the cambium layer down till I'm scraping white wood.
Time for the hormone. I wanted to be sure it was applied and would stay on. So I tore off a strip of paper towel,wet it and sprinkled hormone on them fold it and put more on.
Next wrap it around the top cut. Stays on nicely doesn't it?
Now for the cheese cloth. I think this is going to work great. Wet the cheese cloth. Grab a handful of wet sphagnum and use the cloth to hold the moss on the tree.

 

[M. Frary]

Almost there. Once the cheesecloth is on I tie it on with bread ties. Cheapness is a learned art.
Wrap in plastic. More bread ties.
And lastly to reflect the mean old Suns light cover the whole thing with aluminum foil.
I'm doing this to 6 branches this year and if they grow roots next time it's the trunk. Keeping my toes crossed and my eyes dotted.

 

[M. Frary]

Are you layering branches or the whole tree ? If you are layering the whole tree it may not be a good idea so soon after bare rooting.

Got in there before I could finish. Just layering branches this go round. It's growing new leaves all over. I think I should be alright. I think.

 

[Cypress]

Haha, love the name for this thread. Always good to see a step by step breakdown with these technical projects.

 

[M. Frary]

Haha, love the name for this thread. Always good to see a step by step breakdown with these technical projects.

I like this kind of stuff too and will probably do some more as time goes by.
And if anybody sees something I did wrong or left out please correct me. I'm open for suggestions and or criticism.
Thank you.

 

[KennedyMarx]

I like the cheese cloth idea. I wonder if it will help to create a more ramified root system, like a pond basket, with the new root tips starting to be exposed to more air.

 

[davetree]

I would have made the wrap a bit bigger to give the roots some room. Better to have too many roots than not enough.

 

[M. Frary]

I like the cheese cloth idea. I wonder if it will help to create a more ramified root system, like a pond basket, with the new root tips starting to be exposed to more air.

Hmm. Didn't think of that. The cheesecloth was an easy to wrap the moss on the limbs. I figured since it was cotton it wouldn't hinder roots trying to push through and help hold a little more moisture in.

 

[M. Frary]

I would have made the wrap a bit bigger to give the roots some room. Better to have too many roots than not enough.

I'm going to take off the plastic wrap and add a bucket cut in half to fit around each layer with soil to let the roots grow into. Also I believe it will enable me to monitor moisture levels.

 

[bonsaiBlake]

I'm going to take off the plastic wrap and add a bucket cut in half to fit around each layer with soil to let the roots grow into. Also I believe it will enable me to monitor moisture levels.

i havent done any layers yet(just wanted that out there first) it seems to me that the pot method would be way more effective/easier at developing good healthy roots. Good luck hope it all works for ya.

 

[barrosinc]

Did these layers work?

 

[Poink88]

Prep work looks okay but I have a few comments.

1. The use of cheese cloth may work but it will be a problem to remove it after (imagine the roots going through them) and it will take some time before they actually "dissolve". For me it is more hassle than it is worth.

2. The wrap is too small, ergo the soil volume is too small. It can dry too fast esp after the new roots have grown and can lead to death of the new roots.

3. Use of paper towel can also pose a problem...it will hinder proper growth of the roots and may force them to either go up or down...not outward. I just make a paste out of my powder rooting hormone. Seems to work fine.

Good luck!

 

[Poink88]

I'm going to take off the plastic wrap and add a bucket cut in half to fit around each layer with soil to let the roots grow into. Also I believe it will enable me to monitor moisture levels.

I use gallon sized nursery pots. Seems like the perfect size unless the branch is really big.

 

[GrimLore]

I use gallon sized nursery pots. Seems like the perfect size unless the branch is really big.

You are layering small stuff now I am baffled

Grimmy

 

[Poink88]

You are layering small stuff now I am baffled

Grimmy

I have several 3" air layers in 1 gallon pots going right now. When I say big...I mean BIG! LOL

 

[barrosinc]

wow! 3 inch!
what plants???

 

[Poink88]

wow! 3 inch!
what plants???

Boxwood.......

 

[GrimLore]

Boxwood.......

I am looking at these 100 year plus English Boxwood - thinking I might be able to pull at least a 9 inch either by layer or perhaps base chop, not certain if I can handle it myself in Spring as I have a lot more going on...

Grimmy