I bought three large 60 cm pitch pine saplings and I want to air payer them to make a lot of smaller trees as a shohin material, but is early spring a good time to do it or I should wait and do it when the trees are growing. And also should I use the wire or the ring method? I have read that JBPs can be layered by the ring method. I did two branches today and I used the ring method, but I didn't strip whole ring of bark, just 2/3.
air layering pitch pines
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penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
I don't believe it will air layer. I don't believe pines do in general.
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
I do not know pitch pine but I do know that the Japanese pines and mugho all layer quite reliably so I suspect that other species should too.
I've only ever used ring method so cannot comment on wire layers except in theory - wire tourniquet requires the trunk or branch to thicken to the point where circulation is restricted thus forcing the tree to callus and then produce roots. Some pines grow fast enough for that to work in a reasonable time but in general, ring of bark achieves the same thing much quicker. Part ring is safe and will produce roots on easy to strike species but for those that are reluctant I'm thinking they may not bother when there's still a connection to roots.
I've done some tests on efficacy of rooting hormone. It does make a big difference in time to roots, % strike and growth of cuttings after striking. I assume the same applies to layers.
The brand does not mater as all formulae have the same basic ingredients but the actives do deteriorate over time so fresh supply every couple of years is recommended. Store in cool, dry, dark place as light and heat destroy the active components quicker. If in doubt get some new stuff. Only costs a couple of $ and worth every penny.
I've only ever used ring method so cannot comment on wire layers except in theory - wire tourniquet requires the trunk or branch to thicken to the point where circulation is restricted thus forcing the tree to callus and then produce roots. Some pines grow fast enough for that to work in a reasonable time but in general, ring of bark achieves the same thing much quicker. Part ring is safe and will produce roots on easy to strike species but for those that are reluctant I'm thinking they may not bother when there's still a connection to roots.
I've done some tests on efficacy of rooting hormone. It does make a big difference in time to roots, % strike and growth of cuttings after striking. I assume the same applies to layers.
The brand does not mater as all formulae have the same basic ingredients but the actives do deteriorate over time so fresh supply every couple of years is recommended. Store in cool, dry, dark place as light and heat destroy the active components quicker. If in doubt get some new stuff. Only costs a couple of $ and worth every penny.
0soyoung
Imperial Masterpiece
Adventitious root formation depends upon blocking the Polar Auxin Transport chain so that cambium cells get upregulated to being root tips. In my experience anytime a girdle is bridged, the bridge transports enough auxin to preclude adventitious root formation. There are exceptions, of course, but none are pines, AFAIK. IOW, I think you need to remove the entire ring of bark to have a hope. Furthermore, when you do, leave it exposed to the open air for a day or so to assure that any remnant cambium is desiccated (dead) before bundling it up in a rooting medium.
Pines that root are slow to do so. Unfortunately, the older the wood, the less likely it is. I have successfully layered p. thunbegrii, but met total failure with p. mugo and p. sylvestris and p. densiflora. I do enjoy just finding things out, so it will be interesting to know how your attempts with p. rigida work out. On the other hand, pine seedlings tend to thicken pretty rapidly. So much so that I prefer to just grow 0-3 year seedlings instead of trying to air layer older stock. It is so easy to create interesting trunks in small seedlings instead. So, I think @penumbra is pretty much correct
for all practical intents. Regardless, carry through with what you've started.
Rooting hormone will only give the process a kick start. With cuttings it is a race against time because photosynthesis is pretty much a necessity for generating roots. An air layer is still connected to its water and mineral supply, so it won't desiccate in the process = rooting hormone is of negligible benefit.
True, I will try the layering on several branches, but if it doesn't work I will just plant the trees in the ground and make something bigger from them, they are no more than 2 cm thick, so still somehow shapable.
Wires_Guy_wires
Imperial Masterpiece
In hard to root conifers I use both the girdle to produce callus and the next year the ring technique. It seems to improve success rates.
BonjourBonsai
Chumono
@*tree* did the air layer work? I've got a similar tree I'd like to try it on.
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