Back in the spring of 2019, I decided to start a few air-layer attempts on Japanese maple, Crepe Myrtle, Pomegranate and a Privet. This is not my first attempt - I tried a couple of years ago (on a ficus?) and gave up when it failed, since I didn't see the point. Now I do. It's an awesome short-cut to get a thick trunk - the single most important thing for a bonsai!
The air-layering technique consists of scraping off a ring of the bark and cambium layers from a branch, wrapping the wound with wet moss, perhaps after apply some rooting hormone, and covering it with plastic sheets to keep it from drying out. The cambium will be tricked into developing roots at the upper edge of the ring, while the xylem/phloem inner layers keep the branch alive. After a few weeks, when there are enough roots, cut off the branch and plant it in soil to get a new tree. That is, if all goes to plan.
Out of the 5 attempts this time, I got 5 different results! One of the Japanese maple layers briefly rooted. But three and a half weeks later (I was out of town), the whole branch had died. This was part of a bigger branch which seemed to be dying off bit by bit... so may be it wasn't my fault. The other JM air layer (in a healthier branch on the same tree), simply calloused over - no sign of roots. It was bumpy sort of callous, which perhaps always accompanies rooting. I scraped off the callous and re-wrapped it in wet moss, to give it more time. The crepe-myrtle also closed the gap with no signs of rooting. But this callous was smooth, and looked less promising. The privet ignored my wound, and grew a couple of roots at a different spot! I cut it off and planted it in soil. Hope it pulls through.
The pomegranate was the best of the lot. The air-layer was started on 11th May 2019, and by mid August, there were clear signs of rooting along with bumpy callousing. I gave it a good spray of water and let it sit for couple more weeks. Then on Labor Day, I cut it off and planted it in a pot. I couldn't resist the urge to peel off as much of the moss as possible to take a good look at the roots. Hope I didn't damage too may roots in the process.
Now the wait to see if it survives...
The air-layering technique consists of scraping off a ring of the bark and cambium layers from a branch, wrapping the wound with wet moss, perhaps after apply some rooting hormone, and covering it with plastic sheets to keep it from drying out. The cambium will be tricked into developing roots at the upper edge of the ring, while the xylem/phloem inner layers keep the branch alive. After a few weeks, when there are enough roots, cut off the branch and plant it in soil to get a new tree. That is, if all goes to plan.
Out of the 5 attempts this time, I got 5 different results! One of the Japanese maple layers briefly rooted. But three and a half weeks later (I was out of town), the whole branch had died. This was part of a bigger branch which seemed to be dying off bit by bit... so may be it wasn't my fault. The other JM air layer (in a healthier branch on the same tree), simply calloused over - no sign of roots. It was bumpy sort of callous, which perhaps always accompanies rooting. I scraped off the callous and re-wrapped it in wet moss, to give it more time. The crepe-myrtle also closed the gap with no signs of rooting. But this callous was smooth, and looked less promising. The privet ignored my wound, and grew a couple of roots at a different spot! I cut it off and planted it in soil. Hope it pulls through.
The pomegranate was the best of the lot. The air-layer was started on 11th May 2019, and by mid August, there were clear signs of rooting along with bumpy callousing. I gave it a good spray of water and let it sit for couple more weeks. Then on Labor Day, I cut it off and planted it in a pot. I couldn't resist the urge to peel off as much of the moss as possible to take a good look at the roots. Hope I didn't damage too may roots in the process.
Now the wait to see if it survives...
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