Show us Your Airlayers
- Thread starter dbonsaiw
- Start date
What’s the general consensus on prime timing to start an air layer for acers? I have a Shishigashira that I’m waiting to take an air layer from and from what I’ve read so far it seems that after the first flush has hardened off it’s go time.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
There is no concensus
Some people put them on before budbreak, others at. Most agree that you need to put them on before mid-summer. After that it might become too late for separation in the same year.
andrewiles
Shohin
I've had success with layers started from mid winter through mid spring. I don't really see a difference in success rate between those times, though this is just my gut feeling. One thing I like about starting the layers before bud break is it can be easier to work on the tree before it's covered in leaves.
sevan
Mame
Here’s a dawn redwood air layer from a nursery tree I took in 2022 getting it's first repot. I plan to shorten both trunks a bit later in the season once I see what I have to work with. There are some gaps in the roots that I will have to keep an eye on to see if root grafts are needed in the future.
This is the parent tree. I was going to air layer it again this year, but I decided I liked it the way it was, so I repotted it as well. It still needs some work on the branches, but I will work on that later in the year. The roots were surprisingly nice for a nursery tree.
This is the parent tree. I was going to air layer it again this year, but I decided I liked it the way it was, so I repotted it as well. It still needs some work on the branches, but I will work on that later in the year. The roots were surprisingly nice for a nursery tree.
Pyracantha airlayer from last summer. It looked rather anemic and I decided to take a look.
The pot was completely filled with roots! It was planted in Napa after separation. Nothing special, pyracanthas are easy just one of the first ones I tried. Reduced the roots and branches, cut off the nub at the bottom and planted back in the same pot with more organic matter in the soil.
The pot was completely filled with roots! It was planted in Napa after separation. Nothing special, pyracanthas are easy just one of the first ones I tried. Reduced the roots and branches, cut off the nub at the bottom and planted back in the same pot with more organic matter in the soil.
Javaman4373
Shohin
Here is a follow up to post 74 in this thread. This is an air layered yew that I wintered in our cool basement with a grow light. Last spring it got damaged outside by a late freeze (May 18th) and it suffered some die back of new growth at the top. So those branches ended up dead wood and I did some carving on it 
Javaman4373
Shohin
This an air layer started on a 4 ft tall tamarack to divide it into two trees. The base has an ugly root and the overall tree is just too big for my taste. My plan is to keep the air layer sopping wet, to simulate the environment in a bog, where these trees seem quite proficient at generating new roots in the water near the surface. 
I spy chicken helper!
leatherback
The Treedeemer
ooohw.. you put a date on the layer. I like that!
I have to. Getting old.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
lucky you! I still am hoping I will get old!
David P
Mame
I did 3 layers on a large Shin Deshojo I have as a garden tree and only one rooted and survived, the other 2 created callous all around the air layer sight but no roots ever generated.
eplov90
Yamadori
@dbonsaiw and @DavidP, I had a pretty easy time groundlayering a small shindeshojo last year so it’s definitely doable:
This year, so far, I have only separated a small air layer from my Beni Chidori. The weather has been pretty terrible in London meaning slower growth and slower layering.
I always want more Beni chidori because it’s an amazing JM cultivar but also I wanted to test how easily it roots since I am not entirely happy with the graft on the larger tree so may layer it off in the future and wouldn’t risk it without a trial run on a branch.
This year, so far, I have only separated a small air layer from my Beni Chidori. The weather has been pretty terrible in London meaning slower growth and slower layering.
I always want more Beni chidori because it’s an amazing JM cultivar but also I wanted to test how easily it roots since I am not entirely happy with the graft on the larger tree so may layer it off in the future and wouldn’t risk it without a trial run on a branch.
Nice work. I'm going to give it another try next year. I did a really sloppy airlayer on a small branch and didn't really pay any attention to it. It actually grew roots on one side, but I just tossed it.
I think we made great progress since 7/18. Hard to tell, but there is so many roots, the wrap is getting filled.
River's Edge
Masterpiece
Kishu Juniper five airliners with results!
Bolter
Sapling
Olive Air layer start:
Forgot about this one for ~5 weeks, then checked and saw some roots:
After opening up, there were a few more roots than I was expecting:
Air Layer removed:
Forgot about this one for ~5 weeks, then checked and saw some roots:
After opening up, there were a few more roots than I was expecting:
Air Layer removed:
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