Pear air layer...

[fredman]

Man, this worked way better than expected. I did a layer on a pear tree I planted some time ago...exactly a year ago this week.
I mixed up 50/50 perlite/vermiculite, and used that as the air layer medium....as an experiment. I topped it with a 1/2 inch layer of sphagnum to keep the moisture in...and keep the perlite/vermiculite mix in place.
Luckily the layer was upright and easy to water...once a week in dry times is what I did.
I took it off today...end of spring here.


The fun part. The medium falls away from from the roots soooo easy.

Look at that beautiful roots....and its all round the same. Incredibly a nebari is starting to form already.

And there she is all tied up in her new pot. I have a thing for terracotta.
Got a bud at the right place to lead the top to extend.

As I said...I'm very pleased with how this layer medium experiment turned out.
The roots are healthy and strong....some even looks hardened off, and started dividing already.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Really nice base and layer.

 

[leatherback]

exactly how we like them. Nice!

 

[fredman]

Yeah I done a plum layer the same time I did this one....and it needs to come off to.
I used sphagnum and NOT looking forward to unravelling the roots...I have to say.
Should've used this medium....

 

[Dabbler]

Looks great!

 

[fredman]

I'll use this thread as a progression going forward. She's my baby...I grew her from a seed...

The little bud at the top is really taking off. I might make a apex...or grow it bigger, to get some taper....but that is unlikely i'm thinking at this stage. Its a straight pole, and the sudden tapering might look way to unnatural. I'll see how it goes....
Luckily (for a formal upright) it has a almost perfect array of positioned side branches (8 in all) right around the whole tree...love that.
For this season its just left to grow wild.

 

[fredman]

I've been contemplating a plan to get the top to grow straight up.
I want the roll over growth to only grow towards the centre....and not form a bulge on the side.
Today I put that plan in action.
I shortened a teaspoon and hammered it flat and attached it to the top to contain the growth.
My worry now is over time, the sudden taper that will form, will look unnatural.
I can't do much but wait and see now. Best case....I can always chop it off later to form a apex.
For now the tree is growing...while I develop the base and bottom branches.