Air Layering Japanese maple

[PeaceBD]

In the process of air layering my sharp's pygmy. It's been two months and nothing visible yet. So took matters into my own hands and made a slit on the bag and poked around to see. Was happy to have found some small roots forming so I am hopeful. Looks like this cultivar is slow to layer?

I would like to know what size is the branch you are air layering on the Sharp's pygmy? I have a Sharps Pygmy (grafted) I brought 4 years ago which I have been waiting to air layer but the thickest branch is about 1/4" . I will post some pictures later today. I would really appreciate your input/tips on air layering this one.

 

[cmeg1]

One sided roots from layers can make great clumps if you could find another of same variety to add.
Definately worth it.I made some clumps from my one sided Zelkova layers that I am very happy with.
Can use stones and wires to fuse bases together and get angles correct.

 

[MACH5]

I would like to know what size is the branch you are air layering on the Sharp's pygmy? I have a Sharps Pygmy (grafted) I brought 4 years ago which I have been waiting to air layer but the thickest branch is about 1/4" . I will post some pictures later today. I would really appreciate your input/tips on air layering this one.

It's about 3/8" in diameter. I just checked again a couple of days ago and now I can see some roots. Looks to be a bit slower than regular green A. Palmatum but it seems it can be air layered readily. I used the ring method as I always do for all my layers. I will need to wait at least a few more weeks before I can separate it.

 

[b3bowen]

i like this idea

any pics of the disc? are you using a household item? making your own out of the bottom of a pot?

i have tried to do this but was never satisfied with my disc and always gave up and proceeded without it.

So I figured i would post my method of air layering though I am no expert. As a little history, 5-6 years ago I had access to scion wood and wanted to build a maple collection but did not have a lot of money to do so. So I started seeds, grew out my own rootstock then 3-4 years ago grafted the varieties I have, always with the plan to airlayer them off. They went from containers to the ground to push growth 2 seasons ago. So this was finally the year to layer everything off.

Goals of layering: radial roots all the way around. I started a layer today to show my method. The tree is inabe shidare and I want to keep it on rootstock but a want a very low graft that will blend with the nebari.
So I girdled a few mm below the bottom of the graft and wrap 2.5 mm wire which will suport a disc to force roots to grow out. I also think it would block any bridging.



Here is the disc and it on the tree. I make them by just cutting from the side of a nursery pot.




Next for the spagnum moss. I tried bags first. Roots are a mess.



So then I tried containing the moss in cut clear bottles. Works great, roots are more organized but when they are dence they seem to fuse into this plate that im not sure i will be able to seperate.



So lastly i have used screening as in my post above and that seems to work best by keeping extending roots air pruned.



So thats what I did here.





I cover base with clonex.



And cover the entire thing with foil to keep moist. Once roots begin to emerge, I will remove the foil so air pruning can occur.

 

[b3bowen]

Oh yeah, the strange disc in bottom photo is the base of the little screen pot that contains the moss.thin wire is threaded through the small outer holes through the screen to hold it all togeather.

 

[b3bowen]

Trying to air layer an A. palmatum higasayama. In its fourth week and not sure of the progress since it is in my brother's landscape. I will be going over there in a few more weeks and see. Very beautiful and unique maple!

View attachment 243061

Hopefully your layer will work. I tried layering my higasayama below but close to the graft union but I checked today and have roots begining to form above the graft. Perhaps I will be able to get it on its own roots.

 

[MACH5]

Hopefully your layer will work. I tried layering my higasayama below but close to the graft union but I checked today and have roots begining to form above the graft. Perhaps I will be able to get it on its own roots.

That's great to hear. I am encouraged by this!

 

[Pitoon]

Took another mikawa yatsubusa a couple weeks ago. My goal this year is to produce at least 30 air layerings of mixed cultivars.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

I'd layer more if it weren't so hot and humid outside. Dozens of things I want to layer right now. Good time.

 

[cmeg1]

Nice job.Great way to make bonsai.

 

[jmw_bonsai]

I'd layer more if it weren't so hot and humid outside. Dozens of things I want to layer right now. Good time.

LOL, that's me for sure! I'm really wanting to get some air layering done this summer before wife prunes the crap out of them! End of this week I will be home so its looking like now or never. Of course supposed to be in the upper 90s and high humidity in Atlanta. Doesn't inspire me to want to get out and rustle around in the trees and dirt! Makes me want to crank the smoker up and grab a nice craft in the shade!!!
Plus got some more cuttings I would like to do also! Since the a few of our trees are going to be cut back from 10-15ft to 5ft might as well use all the greenery I can!

 

[Pitoon]

July for us is pretty much do it now or do it next season. By the time they root out and you transplant we are looking at around September. This doesn't leave much time for roots to grow to support the new tree before fall/winter. This month I plan to do the rest of my air layerings.

Azaleas should be hardened off enough to take cuttings. I also have some junipers to cut and transplant, will be really busy soon......

 

[namnhi]

The sun wakes up very early these days. My bonsai time is 6 - 9. Peace, quiet and cool.

 

[エドガー]

I'm a horticulture/bonsai n00b and have only done two juniper (both successful) air-layers before and recently.. but, I have a question...

Let's say I have a 4' long leader/apex/branch on my J maple I would like to air-layer off (just 1)... can I air-layer that single 4' long branch into two separate 2' long air-layers at the same time? (ie: giving me 2 separate new plants).

Just wanting to know what's possible, and also maybe propagate as much as I can.

Any info greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Deleted member 21616]

can I air-layer that single 4' long branch into two separate 2' long air-layers at the same time?

if there is sufficient foliage between both air layer locations, yes. But i would not risk it at this stage in your learning. Do things that you know will succeed, and build your confidence!

as an aside, a 4’ branch doesn’t usually make a good bonsai, nor does a 2’ branch. If bonsai is your goal, make sure that what you are removing already has good movement, or can be wired to introduce movement (unlikely on a 4’ branch)

a lot of people air layer just because they want something thick. But developing a log with a 2-3” diameter into something interesting will take you just as long as if you started from seed, but it will never be as nice

 

[0soyoung]

developing a log with a 2-3” diameter into something interesting will take you just as long as if you started from seed, but it will never be as nice

I honestly don't follow this.

Except in the one case of making a 'wad of nodes' mini/sumo and even then it is just convenient to start with seed. One loops the young growth around and then waits for a few years for the loops to fuse together. The young growth could just as well be the last node or two of a new shoot as the first node or two of a new seedling. Regardless, the wad of nodes becomes the core of a mini/sumo - one then works on developing shoots/branches for the small tree and, at some point, layers the wad of nodes off its mother stem. It simply cannot be done from a fat trunk from a bigger tree. Otherwise, every bonsai trunk will have been chopped (or severely pruned) several times to produce taper/movement. Starting with an air layer gives one a multi-year, if not decade, head start, IMHO.

 

[エドガー]

Thanks for the info/tips!

My 4’ or 2’ was just a hypothetical example... I’m mainly just planning/researching for the distant-future of any trunk-chops or cuts of long sacrifice trunks/branches. ie: I’d rather air-layer them, than just throw them away.

Who knows, these sacrifices might be even 6-20’ in the future.

 

[エドガー]

every bonsai trunk will have been chopped (or severely pruned) several times to produce taper/movement. Starting with an air layer gives one a multi-year, if not decade, head start, IMHO.

That’s what I was thinkin.

Even if that 2-4’ straight-log air-layer isn’t ideal as a finished bonsai (which I wasn’t expecting it to be), I’d still continue to let it grow until desired thickness...and then start development of movement with more trunk-chops on those air-layer born plants.

 

[Deleted member 21616]

Starting with an air layer gives one a multi-year, if not decade, head start, IMHO.

in the name of science, we should have a “race”

I’ll start with a cutting tomorrow morning (and mark it as “science project” so i don’t forget or misplace it)

would you happen to have something on a maple that is a couple of inches thick to air layer?

in 10 years from now we can compare nebari, trunk size, trunk movement and taper, as well as lack of scars

We can start a thread and post annually if you like. I’m curious myself

I guess a lot depends on your target. I personally can’t see how an air layer (where indicated in picture 1, for example) gets you any closer to the trees in the other pictures. Those other pictures happen to be my targets (and they are what comes to mind for most people, i imagine, when they think maple bonsai). A 3” diameter air layer in this case is about 2” too thick to begin with

 

[エドガー]

Valavanis has amazing air-layered J maples. They are very nice.