Crab Apple air layers

[CWTurner]

So I have a landscape crabapple that I needed to prune back for aesthetic reasons, and instead of just chopping off the offending limbs, I thought that I would apply some air layers...like about a half dozen. This was during an unusual February/March warm spell.

A few days ago I figured that I've given them enough time and unwrapped a couple.

This first one I tried to make the air layer close to the trunk, where the base of the branch flared.

While it rooted nicely, unfortunately, the all those roots emanated from an area above the flare. But I do have those little nubbins that will turn into roots. One lesson that I keep forgetting is to shred the sphagnum moss when I'm not using NAPA 8022, which I did on a larger, upright limb. I planted this in the ground until the spring of 2018.

This second one had lots of roots, but as it has more bonsai potential , so I didn't want to harvest it just yet. Before (backside view), and now.



The roots followed the "shrink wrap" that I used to enclose the sphagnum moss, all the way around the adjoining trunk. I peeled the roots loose and cut a pot to fit the crotch and added sphagnum moss to the pot and top and wrapped it all up again.


I'll probably harvest this air layer after the leaves drop and also put it in the ground.



There are still a lot of layers to harvest. I believe that I could open a bonsai starter business if I had a few more crabs . Very easy air layering.
CW

 

[sorce]

This is the real thread then?
The other one has no pics!

That big one is mad crazy!

Nice!

Sorce

 

[CWTurner]

I don't know how I double posted this. Bonsai Nut can you help, or delete one?
CW

 

[CWTurner]

A couple more air layers harvested from my landscape crab apple.

This one was just a thick vertical branch that I wanted to eliminate. Figured I'd do an airlayer in a pot to see how it worked. I used 100% NAPA 8022.

Washed

Cut and potted, Not much of a specimen as it is almost perfectly straight with no taper.


This second one was layered off of a horizontal branch as I wanted to see if I could capture the flare where the vertical branch came off of the horizontal one.

I added the red line to show how the layer was situated on the horizontal branch. I put this one in the ground.
CW

 

[CWTurner]

The tree needs a good bit more pruning so I'll air layer some more next spring and hopefully do a better job of selecting usable branches.
CW

 

[ConorDash]

This is cool.

How long did the air layer take on that big one? Very big one.

And doing an air layer on that flair bit is quite cool, not seen that before, interested to see how this goes

 

[Giga]

That's a pretty good job - I never really branches out into air layers but I may have too

 

[Grant Hamby]

Nice! Here's one I separated over the summer. It put out some strong growth after collecting, but I cut some off when I refined the trunk chop.

Image

• Grant Hamby
• Sep 16, 2016
• 2

Crabapple Air Layer

 

[CWTurner]

So I harvested this air layer, and look the additional roots that grew since early August.



So many roots I can even find where they start, even after soaking the AL in water overnight. I planted in my grow bed with the base horizontal. That means the "square" root-base is protruding from the ground so I mounded soil over it.
I guess I'll leave it in the ground a year or two and see what happens.
CW

 

[BrianBay9]

Nice. I've been doing pretty much the same. But I find it hard to select an airlayer site that provides a decent base AND some signficant taper. All of mind look like long term projects.

 

[CWTurner]

But I find it hard to select an airlayer site that provides a decent base AND some signficant taper.

That's why I made this air layer so close to the trunk, to collect the flare.
CW