Air Layering Japanese maple
- Thread starter b3bowen
- Start date
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Paul, unfortunately up here in the Northeast, US we can get well below -9C. I have much doubt that the air layer could survive. I think I have better chances cutting it off. I have two more months and by then I should/hope to have enough roots to sustain the tree. We shall see.
Paulpash
Masterpiece
I bemoan the UK weather with our wet and gloomy Summers but it's rare we ever get - 10C or above 30C. I wish you luck with the layer - I'd love to see those lovely leaves open in Spring be it for bonsai or landscape.
I've already got several of the same Acers you've posted over the years, ginnala, Sharp's pygmy etc and it looks like another variety is now firmly on the list.
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Paul this one would be my truly "out-of-left-field" maple. I am not much for fancy cultivars for bonsai since I think they can be slow, unresponsive and sometimes too "showy". This higasayama maple would truly be an exception for me. I found it to be truly beautiful and unique. We shall see how it responds to bonsai culture. That is of course given the fact that I can air layer it successfully. One step at a time!
Paulpash
Masterpiece
It is a beautiful variety. I think, like yourself, anything variegated could be problematic in terms of vigour. Another concern is after you finish the development stage and a significant amount of work has been done how will it cope with partial defoliation (I don't think you'd ever risk full?)Paul this one would be my truly "out-of-left-field" maple. I am not much for fancy cultivars for bonsai since I think they can be slow, unresponsive and sometimes too "showy". This higasayama maple would truly be an exception for me. I found it to be truly beautiful and unique. We shall see how it responds to bonsai culture. That is of course given the fact that I can air layer it successfully. One step at a time!
The upside is that it's a freebie
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
It is a beautiful variety. I think, like yourself, anything variegated could be problematic in terms of vigour. Another concern is after you finish the development stage and a significant amount of work has been done how will it cope with partial defoliation (I don't think you'd ever risk full?)
The upside is that it's a freebie
Partial defoliation yes.... full defoliation may require a good think! But... I do hope to have that problem
b3bowen
Mame
Viridis - long, lean, will need to get some lower branches but 3ft tall, 1 inch diameter and not as straight as photo appears. Just happy I got it on its own roots. Will focus on strong growth for now. Such beautiful orange fall color on this one.
Attachments
b3bowen
Mame
Koto no ito- finally got tired of watching the roots not grow so I detached about a week ago. Placed in grow bed and it seems to be doing fine. Should have plenty of time to put out new roots before winter.
b3bowen
Mame
Yes its the same one. It was started as soon as buds started to exted, around march. I started seeing some roots around June. They filled the bag and stopped growing but it was too large of a layer for those Roots to support. So, I put a large 1 gallon pot around the limb and filled it with DE. It started pushing a lot of roots after that, and I detached it a little under a week ago.
The plastic disc is homemade based on the size of the limb. I think any plastic would work, I usually use old nursery pots. I posted pictures of the whole process and post 84.
I have another layer on the same tree, different branch. It has produced no roots.
D
Deleted member 21616
Guest
Thanks @b3bowen !
I somehow missed taking-in post #84! Thanks for documenting that! I think i'm going to give it a try. A few of my airlayers produced roots that I wish would have been more horizontal, and i was hesitant to make them horizontal upon repotting because of their fragility!
Thanks again!
I somehow missed taking-in post #84! Thanks for documenting that! I think i'm going to give it a try. A few of my airlayers produced roots that I wish would have been more horizontal, and i was hesitant to make them horizontal upon repotting because of their fragility!
Thanks again!
b3bowen
Mame
No problem, I actually really wish I had done most of my air layers the way I posted with the screen. I’m going to have a lot of work untangling roots from the bag and bottle methods i used next year.
Forrestford
Shohin
Does anyone organize their roots after they cut the airlayer off or put it straight into more medium? I would think if you cleaned off the spagnum moss and organized the roots it would give you better results in the long run. As long as you're not pruning the roots. Would that be an issue? Reason I ask is I took an airlayer off a jm yesterday organized the roots and screwed to a board before I put it in a pot. I guess time will tell. I’ve read not to but it’s so hard not to...
I realize that mid summer is not ideal for root work, but like I said it’s organizing the roots not pruning.
Thoughts?
I realize that mid summer is not ideal for root work, but like I said it’s organizing the roots not pruning.
Thoughts?
D
Deleted member 21616
Guest
@Forrestford yes, i do this for both cuttings and air layers - two out three people i did workshops with on propagation were absolutely adamant about organized roots, and i have adopted that attitude
the roots on that air layer are spectacular!! Can I ask what cultivar this is, and whether you could you please explain your process/substrate/hormone etc.? I can't believe how many roots are emerging from the trunk!
Thank you
Derek
the roots on that air layer are spectacular!! Can I ask what cultivar this is, and whether you could you please explain your process/substrate/hormone etc.? I can't believe how many roots are emerging from the trunk!
Thank you
Derek
Forrestford
Shohin
Hey Derek, this is my first season doing airlayers so no pro here but here’s what I did with mine.
Just your standard green acer(pot plant as my buddies call it). I tried out a couple diff air layers this one was in pot with spagnum moss and akadama
Started on July 18( I know a little late but they are in full sun all day and I let it grow wild
Roots poking out everywhere. I was going to leave them another week or two but I’m about to be real busy So it was time.
This one was in straight spagnum moss in a bag and gave me good results as well. I watered the air layers often and I didn’t tie the top of the bag real tight so it could stay moist with waterings. Covered it in tin foil as well. The leaves and the color of the trunk on this cultivar are different maybe a kiyohime? Not sure tho.
Here’s my rooting hormone. Seems to work well plus it’s 6.99!So spagnum moss and akadama mix gave me my best results. I have another airlayer in a bonsai soil mix that I didn’t seperate yet. It doesn’t look to strong.
I honestly thought I cut too deep on all of the these and the tops would die but they flourished. This trident failed. I was nervous that I was cutting too deep. I didn’t cut deep enough! Lesson learned...
Forrestford
Shohin
Beginners luck
. But glad to hear you organize them as well. They are in a shaded spot for the rest of the summer. I figure if I’m going to be separating the air layers I probably won’t see the roots til spring 2021 so hopefully I set them up for success.
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
@Forrestford I do not touch them. I put them straight into a pot with soil and that's how they'll stay until the following spring. At that time I will then organize my roots and do whatever else is needed to get it ready for its first full growing season.
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Just heard good news from my brother. I asked him a few days ago to check on my higayasama air layer and today sent me this!
I received this pic from my brother today as I had asked him to give me a report on the progress of this air layer. I was excited to finally see this! I suspect many more roots inside that have not made it yet to the edge of the rather substantial bag of moss. I think there will be time for roots to develop enough to separate it before the cold arrives. I am now almost at the three month mark. It has been a slow process compared to what I am used to but I did expect it to be so.
I received this pic from my brother today as I had asked him to give me a report on the progress of this air layer. I was excited to finally see this! I suspect many more roots inside that have not made it yet to the edge of the rather substantial bag of moss. I think there will be time for roots to develop enough to separate it before the cold arrives. I am now almost at the three month mark. It has been a slow process compared to what I am used to but I did expect it to be so.
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
Congrats! I believe this air layering will make it. When do you plan to seperate?
b3bowen
Mame
So what from here?
Here is an airlayer on a viridis. About 1.5 inch thick limb. I know it is capable of forming roots becsuse I have taken 3 layers off of the same tree(none this big/thick).
Layer was started 5 months ago. No roots at all, no bridging, limb looks healthy, minimal callus.
Do people think the limb will make it through the winter? If so i will rewound and rewrap with moss. If people think it may die off, i may still have time to girdle younger wood (same limb) and see if i can get roots on that.
Has anyone noticed if the age of the stem seams to impact the probability of rooting.
Here is an airlayer on a viridis. About 1.5 inch thick limb. I know it is capable of forming roots becsuse I have taken 3 layers off of the same tree(none this big/thick).
Layer was started 5 months ago. No roots at all, no bridging, limb looks healthy, minimal callus.
Do people think the limb will make it through the winter? If so i will rewound and rewrap with moss. If people think it may die off, i may still have time to girdle younger wood (same limb) and see if i can get roots on that.
Has anyone noticed if the age of the stem seams to impact the probability of rooting.
