Air layering limber pine: Is it possible?

[!_DRACULA_!]

I recently purchased a limber pine at the garden center. The height of the tree is too tall for the design I have planned and I’m a big fan of air-layering anything I can. I have never tried a pine and heard that they rarely take. Does anyone have any experience or advice?

 

[Titratethis]

So are you going to air layer it and show the results or do you want to just talk about it?

 

[!_DRACULA_!]

I would like to discuss the viability of propagating the tree by method of air-layering. If others have had success with air-layering a Pinus Flexilis then I will absolutely attempt and share my results. If the success rate is terrible or not at all then I’ll just saw the tree down to size and not risk infection.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Like most pines not very likely to succeed.

 

[sorce]

We can do it, but you can't cuz you gotta start them in the daytime.

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Paradox]

Most pines do not air layer well at all. I think Zushio Japanese white pine is about the only one people have done successfully?
I have never tried to air layer a pine myself because from all the reading/research I've done on it, it is very unlikely to succeed.

 

[Divide_by_zero]

I have always been told that pines do not air layer and the few times I have tried in the past would support that conclusion. I've found that juniper do air layer fairly well (60% success?)

That said, I always encourage experimentation so go for it, who knows you may be the one to teach us all something new. Please be sure to document your attempts and results with pics so you can share with us.

One thing to keep in mind, be sure to keep at least one large active branch below the air layer site, not having something to feed the roots is a guaranteed death sentence on any air layer, in my experience.

 

[bwaynef]

When I was confronted with a similar conundrum, I was told that my chances were better to graft roots where I wanted them.

 

[Divide_by_zero]

When I was confronted with a similar conundrum, I was told that my chances were better to graft roots where I wanted them.

That makes sense, though I personally have never had success with grafting, haven't tried many.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

My advice is to just give it a try. In the worst case, a limb has to go. In the best case, a limb has turned into a new tree.
Instead of removing a strip of bark, I'd just wrap some wire around it and pack that up with moss. The bulge that grows on top of the wire can produce roots, but it'll take a year or two.
I know this works sometimes on other pines, so it might work on limber pine too.