Air layering Japanese white pine

[MACH5]

I wanted to ask you BNuts about white pine air layering. I am very familiar with layering maples, however not at all when it comes to pines. Is it a similar process? Can I do it now? How long? What's the success rate etc.

Just to give a little context. I am planning to air layer a very old white pine bonsai I have had for more than a decade. I plan to layer the very top to eventually create a clump composition. The area to be layered is about 1.75" in diameter with several branches growing from the same point.

Please give me any tips, advice in layering white pines.

Thanks in advance!
M5

 

[Dan W.]

I would contact Julian Adams.... Adams Bonsai. He's one of the very few that I know is successful with white pines. And I think it's an incredibly long process compared to maples..like several seasons long. Sorry I'm not more help.

 

[Dan W.]

Here's a link to his site: http://www.adamsbonsai.com/

I bought some cutting grown Zuisho white pines from him last year, and he was very helpful and easy to talk to.

 

[MACH5]

Thanks again Dan, I really appreciate it!

 

[0soyoung]

I have not attempted JWP as yet, but have air layered JBP (varieties of P. Thunbergii). While there may be one, I am unaware of any reason JWP would be radically different.

JBP can be done in the same fashion as Japanese maples - girdle the stem, scrape away green cambium from the xylem (follow with an isopropyl alcohol wipe to kill any remant cambial cells), optionally dust with rooting hormone, ... etc. I get roots on old-ish wood (age unknown but more than 5 years) in one season. George Murakana in his much warmer climate in CA routinely layers last year's candles with similar results.

BTW, I've also done JBP air layers by only applying a wire tourniquet as Harry Harrington recommends. It produces awesome basal flare, but will take at least one if not two more seasons to produce a harvestable layer (for me it was three seasons, total, from twisting wire to harvesting and potting my new tree - your results may vary; yada, yada, yada).

 

[augustine]

Julian Adams discussed propagating Zuisho JWP through air layers and cuttings (he gave a Pine seminar at my club in January). He did not make reference to using those methods on any other WP varieties. He also grows and offer JWP seedlings.

I can't say that I've read about anyone layering/taking cuttings of JWP other than Zuisho. I have heard of folks doing it with JBP. I hope it works, record your process.

Best,

Augustine
MD 7a