Air layering garden tree

[CapeFear盆景]

A friend had this large maple garden tree he said I could air layer. I’ve never done an air layering of a maple and was hoping for some tips.

He also does not know how to prune the tree and is becoming a bit over grown. So my question is how do I prune such a large garden tree.

Also I’m not sure what which type this is. Any information would be appreciated.

Thank you

 

[leatherback]

Hm.. a semi-drooping laceleaf variety of acer palmatum..

You can prune these in late winter and it will pop buds everywhere. However, if you want to layer, layer next spring. Trim a year later.

That being said.. The laceleaf, grafted on a regular japanese maple is the only type I had fail on my when layering.

 

[CapeFear盆景]

Thank you,

I’ll wait to prune it next winter (2021). Do you think it will be ok to wait another year until pruning?

Do you have any tips for the layering?

Hm.. a semi-drooping laceleaf variety of acer palmatum..

You can prune these in late winter and it will pop buds everywhere. However, if you want to layer, layer next spring. Trim a year later.

That being said.. The laceleaf, grafted on a regular japanese maple is the only type I had fail on my when layering.

 

[leatherback]

Do you have any tips for the layering?

Not really. Just proceed as normal

 

[rodeolthr]

There seems to be a lot of anecdotal evidence that this type of Japanese maple is almost impossible to air-layer

 

[Rivian]

I tried airlayering almost that exact type and it didnt work, whereas all my upright A. palmatum airlayers did work. Do not try to airlayer dissectums. They are better garden trees anyway. There are plenty of A. palmatum dissectum pruning tutorials on youtube, be a bro and give it a trim for him. Branches that are sick you cut off. Branches that are too long and touch the ground, you take back to a smaller branch. But again, look on Youtube and google for tutorials.

 

[CapeFear盆景]

Thank you for the info. I’ll do some more research on layering this. I might still give it a try just because the owner doesn’t care and it might be a good experiment to post on here. Thank you for the feed back and I’m going to help him out, he’s a older fella and has a large yard full of beautiful trees.

I tried airlayering almost that exact type and it didnt work, whereas all my upright A. palmatum airlayers did work. Do not try to airlayer dissectums. They are better garden trees anyway. There are plenty of A. palmatum dissectum pruning tutorials on youtube, be a bro and give it a trim for him. Branches that are sick you cut off. Branches that are too long and touch the ground, you take back to a smaller branch. But again, look on Youtube and google for tutorials.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

There are some dissectum that do air layer, there are many more that do not. Some take longer to air layer than the "normal" 8 weeks, some can take 8 months. You won't know if you don't try.

My suggestion would be to look at the tree, and take your air layer in a spot that if it fails it won't leave an ugly hole in the design of the landscape maple. Then when you put it on, don't give up too early. Check every month or two to see if roots form, if not just re-wrap the air layer. IF it does not root before winter dormancy, do not panic, it will be fine in place over winter. In early spring, cut or "shave" the bottom edge of the new callus that forms. Just take it back a little bit, don't remove all of it. The wounding of the callus will sometimes initiate roots. It will keep the callus from reconnecting the cambium of the trunk below.

I usually do not use hormones, if you use hormones when you set up the air layer, do not re-dose until at least 4 months later.

Some dissectums, will root, like 'Inaba Shidare' but others will not. It is a very individual cultivar by cultivar response, and no one list is totally accurate or totally complete.

 

[SouthernMaple]

There are some dissectum that do air layer, there are many more that do not. Some take longer to air layer than the "normal" 8 weeks, some can take 8 months. You won't know if you don't try.

My suggestion would be to look at the tree, and take your air layer in a spot that if it fails it won't leave an ugly hole in the design of the landscape maple. Then when you put it on, don't give up too early. Check every month or two to see if roots form, if not just re-wrap the air layer. IF it does not root before winter dormancy, do not panic, it will be fine in place over winter. In early spring, cut or "shave" the bottom edge of the new callus that forms. Just take it back a little bit, don't remove all of it. The wounding of the callus will sometimes initiate roots. It will keep the callus from reconnecting the cambium of the trunk below.

I usually do not use hormones, if you use hormones when you set up the air layer, do not re-dose until at least 4 months later.

Some dissectums, will root, like 'Inaba Shidare' but others will not. It is a very individual cultivar by cultivar response, and no one list is totally accurate or totally complete.

have you tried Willow water and root Harmone together to try and root a dissectum?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@SouthernMaple
I have not. I don't have willows in easy reach of me. With using hormones, it is important to follow directions, too much will retard rooting rather than help rooting. A little is good, too much is bad.

Willow water is good, when I had a willow next door, overhanging my property, I would keep a jar, and use it to water cuttings, air layers, and other projects. But that willow was cut down and removed a decade or two ago.

 

[SouthernMaple]

@SouthernMaple
I have not. I don't have willows in easy reach of me. With using hormones, it is important to follow directions, too much will retard rooting rather than help rooting. A little is good, too much is bad.

Willow water is good, when I had a willow next door, overhanging my property, I would keep a jar, and use it to water cuttings, air layers, and other projects. But that willow was cut down and removed a decade or two ago.

so you are saying a combination of rooting harmone and willow water will backfire?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

so you are saying a combination of rooting harmone and willow water will backfire?

No, I wasn't saying that. IF you follow rooting hormone directions you should be fine. Willow water composition is mostly salicylic acid or related salicylic compounds. These function in ways similar to, but a different mode of action compared to rooting hormones. The salicylates encourage wound healing, and have some anti-microbial activity. You can use the two together. I don't remember whether I used the two together or not.

In the past I have seen people ignore the hormone rooting powder or gel directions and just pour it on. The results are retardation of root formation. If you read Dirr's book, Manual for Propagation of Trees and Woody Shrubs, you will find very precise limits on the amount of hormones to use. I found this book is nearly always "spot on" in its recommendations. In that if you exceed the concentrations recommended, your results will not be as good.

Often, rooting hormones are not necessary. Really. If you are not paying a mortgage or employees salaries with the results of your rooting efforts, you can have "good enough for bonsai" results using no hormones at all. If you can be happy with 1 in 10 cuttings rooting, to give you a "spare" of a tree you are working on, you can skip hormones completely.