Musings - Air layering

[GreenGrowTheRushes]

As the change in seasons shuts down any effort to be outside, save for cold weather play, this leaves me with a great deal of time to think. Way too much. Lots of online reading, lots of Heron's and Notion Bonsai videos

Regardless, I have time to think about next spring and what I want to do, experiments I want to try. One of those things is air layering.

I understand the process and will be ready come spring, but one question I have is: Can you place multiple air layers on the same branch, at the same time? Example, if I have a 10-foot-long branch, can I space out the air layers, say 3 feet apart on that same branch?.

Honest question.

Thanks in Advance

 

[stewarjm192]

As the change in seasons shuts down any effort to be outside, save for cold weather play, this leaves me with a great deal of time to think. Way too much. Lots of online reading, lots of Heron's and Notion Bonsai videos

Regardless, I have time to think about next spring and what I want to do, experiments I want to try. One of those things is air layering.

I understand the process and will be ready come spring, but one question I have is: Can you place multiple air layers on the same branch, at the same time? Example, if I have a 10-foot-long branch, can I space out the air layers, say 3 feet apart on that same branch?.

Honest question.

Thanks in Advance

the rule of thumb is one per shoot...so if your tree has three branches coming off the main trunk, you can put an air layer on each branch, but only one on the main trunk if that makes sense

 

[BonsaiManic]

I like this question.
@stewarjm192, so, if an air layer is successful on the end of a branch, how long do you have to wait after it is removed before you can attempt another one further in on the same branch? Is it better to wait until the next growing season?

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I had a similar question several years ago and the general consensus seemed to be while you can put multiple airlayers on the same tree they should be limited to one per branch. And if you do too many you run the risk of killing the tree since you would limit how much energy could be supplied to the roots. Now of course you do need to define what you mean by multiples per branch. If the branch forks and you place an air layer on each of the forks then that should work but probably not good to have them in sequence on a branch.

 

[littletreefarmer]

I think this question also depends on what tree species you are considering performing the air layers on. Some species air layer more readily and recover more quickly than others. Nothing is a given. I successfully put 2 air layers in sequence on a "large" (1 inch) shinpaku branch this year, and both have been separated and seem to be thriving well so far.

My rule of thumb is: If the branch is important (has been wired in a desirable way to be a future standalone tree) I will give it that respect and not experiment with it, but if it is just a branch I want removed the experimentation could be more valuable than the stock.

 

[stewarjm192]

I like this question.
@stewarjm192, so, if an air layer is successful on the end of a branch, how long do you have to wait after it is removed before you can attempt another one further in on the same branch? Is it better to wait until the next growing season?

you wont have enough time to grow roots if you attempt a second round of airlayers in one grow season, unless your species is very "root-positive" very healthy and vigerous, and you have a very temperate climate

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

If you cut away a ring of bark: one per branch.
If you don't cut a ring of bark, like junipers; they root without any cutting most of the times: you can do multiple.
If you girdle: one per branch.

I assume it's fine to do more in one season, as long as the first is taken off and the parts behind it have plenty of foliage. If the parts behind the first layer are bare, I would get those up to strength first.