Has anyone had success with airlayering or ground layering or applying tourniquet on English oak?

[AJL]

Im wanting to improve the nebari on an oak- Quercus robur by layering at the base and wondered if this can be done?- any advice or tips please?
The tree is about 3 inches in diameter at the base.

 

[AJL]

Still no answer?!! guess Ill just give it a go then!!!

 

[Mazzou]

How did it go??? I'm new to the group I love air rooting and grafting and basically turning trees into Frankenstein. Lol
I'm not too nutty, but totally enthralled with what you can do.

 

[BobbyLane]

ive seen the question pop up a few times and not many if any have ground layered an oak. the article on bonsai4me says they are difficult to layer http://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Quercus.html

maybe you could try one and document the results here for others?
i have a couple of oaks in growing beds, they already had fairly decent nebari when i purchased, its important to start out with a decent nebari.

btw the tourniquet method is a little outdated, sometimes it works and other times it fails. have you seen it done successfully somewhere else?

ps ive just seen that this was a rebump, the original poster hasnt returned since starting the thread back in apr

 

[Bon Sai]

I don't know about this kind of oak, but I airlayered a Quercus ilex with succes.



30 days later

 

[AJL]

I started my attempt at air layer on my Quercus robur in June but haven't disturbed the pot or tried to check inside it yet. No sign of roots emerging through the bottom of the pot yet so Im being patient this time!!The foliage above the layering point showed no signs of wilting or stress despite some extremely hot weather in the summer , so theres room for optimism! Ive attached photo of the Oak before layering
I also airlayered Pyracanthas and evergreen Berberis darwinii the same week and they have ALL rooted brilliantly so I separated them back in August!

 

[MrWunderful]

I have a couple Q. Lobata that I am going to try to air layer as well as tourniquet this upcoming year to see what happens. Both are extremely vigorous.

 

[AJL]

A quick update:- The Oak is still alive and looking quite healthy- just came into leaf 2 weeks ago.
I had partial success with the original air layer:- as you can see roots have formed but unfortunately the trees has also partially callused and bridged the gaps.
Also I found 3 large slugs inside the original airlayer wrapping which cannot have helped the emerging roots.I dont know how they got in!
I have now recut the 'bridging' cambial layers between the new roots , dusted the upper cuts with hormone rooting powder and re- potted/ wrapped the air layer with a mix of akadama and compost.
Hopefully the tree will now produce a second crop of ymore roots.

 

[AJL]

I just checked this Quercus robur air layer I started late May 2019 and I found new roots emerging from the base of the pot!

My gut- feeling is it would be best to wait till after leaf fall, before separating the layer, but Im tempted to try while its still in active growth, so Im undecided!
Can any of our experts help please?

 

[AJL]

Oops sorry photo wouldnt attach so here goes again

 

[Crawforde]

Nice!
I had always heard and read that oaks In general were very difficult to layer.
good job trying, and it looks like you may have succeeded.
mid that is making enough roots to fill and escape the pot, then it is probably ready to be on its own.

 

[AJL]

So heres the proof Oaks can be air layered!!

 

[BobbyLane]

Good news!

 

[AJL]

Sorry the photos loaded slightly jumbled.Its taken 14months to root this layer. I decided to separate it today because the roots were escaping from the layering pot . Im going to keep it in a sheltered semi shaded spot till it establishes. Do you think I should cut it back to help it recover?

 

[Crawforde]

Good work
Good news
I’m going to be looking for a live oak to try airlayering.

 

[Trenthany]

Good work
Good news
I’m going to be looking for a live oak to try airlayering.

Give me your tricks if you get it to work!

 

[Trenthany]

Sorry the photos loaded slightly jumbled.Its taken 14months to root this layer. I decided to separate it today because the roots were escaping from the layering pot . Im going to keep it in a sheltered semi shaded spot till it establishes. Do you think I should cut it back to help it recover?

I’m not an expert and have asked other times. I’m thinking yes though I’m far from certain. What hormones and medium did you use?

 

[AJL]

I’m not an expert and have asked other times. I’m thinking yes though I’m far from certain. What hormones and medium did you use?

Back in 2019 I used a normal garden rooting hormone powder(Doff) which I happened to have in my cupboard. I wetted and made it into a paste then painted it onto the upper edge of the top layering cut. Then secured the split pot to the tree and filled with Akadama mix ,with moss and wrapped the whole layer in kitchen cling- film.I watered occasionally then left it alone.Last Summer here we had record High temperatures which might have inhibited rooting.
Last autumn I checked it and couldnt see any sign of roots.
In May this year when I checked I found a few roots, but the tree had partially callused and bridged over the cut , so I recut it and cleaned up, applied more hormone and re- wrapped it, so most of the new roots have grown since May 2020.

 

[Trenthany]

Back in 2019 I used a normal garden rooting hormone powder(Doff) which I happened to have in my cupboard. I wetted and made it into a paste then painted it onto the upper edge of the top layering cut. Then secured the split pot to the tree and filled with Akadama mix ,with moss and wrapped the whole layer in kitchen cling- film.I watered occasionally then left it alone.Last Summer here we had record High temperatures which might have inhibited rooting.
Last autumn I checked it and couldnt see any sign of roots.
In May this year when I checked I found a few roots, but the tree had partially callused and bridged over the cut , so I recut it and cleaned up, applied more hormone and re- wrapped it, so most of the new roots have grown since May 2020.

So nothing super special just normal air layering. I’m going to google doff rooting hormone see which kind it is. Thank you!

 

[John P.]

More proof: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/john-p-’s-socal-oak-thread.44037/