Restarting a failed airlayer in mid summer for fall separation

[pandacular]

This April, I attempted an air layer on an Azara microphylla that has since failed. Looking back at the pictures, I think I see the problem clearly now--way too much green!

Uncover this first attempt, I do see some signs that it was starting to work, before it completely (and somewhat cleanly) bridged.Notably,the swelling in the trunk above the layer seems to me to be a good sign.


I decided to just give a shot at another air layer at this point, below the swelling, and see if I can separate it in the spring. My understanding of fall being more focused on root growth makes me believe it's a decent enough plan. This time I made sure to leave no green... and then have my non-color blind girlfriend double check. However, I did not remember to take pictures of the new wound I added.

Would love to hear thoughts on my plan, or anything I could improve. This is a piece of nursery stock I bought specifically to practice layering, so I've already gotten my money's worth out of practice. Unfortunately, the top of the tree is much more promising, so I would love for it to succeed, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[BrianBay9]

You can get bridging with very small amounts of cambium - easy to miss and hard to remove mechanically. Tips include letting the area of removed cambium completely dry before packing up the layer. Or, using some rubbing alcohol to kill any remaining cambium. Some use fine sandpaper to ensure the connection is broken. But everyone occasionally has to recut and start over.

 

[pandacular]

In the time between my first one, I watched several new videos of folks setting air layers. One in particular that was interesting was a Bonsai Mirai video where only one side of the layer took. Ryan went in and re-wounded it, then basically carved back big chunks, almost like he knew what he was whittling a piece of wood. I did something similar, albeit less graceful.

I've also read Botany for Gardeners in the meantime, whivh has really helped my understanding of how it actually functions. It's really beautiful--if you allow water to go up but don't allow sugars and starches to go down, the tree has nothing else to do jut throw out roots.

I'm just happy that my instinct was correct that it had not taken, and that I was able to recognize signs that it had started to work. It's also a really amazing sign of how much trunk growth you can get in a few months. A second layer brings with it more base flare, which ain't so bad!

 

[Wood]

Bjorn showed me a trick to ensure cambium isn't left. Take the ring of bark out, then use knob pruners to bite away at the cambium around the top in a complete ring. It'll definitely remove the cambium and you don't have to worry about bridging. Doesn't need to be deep -- especially with yours, i'd only go maybe 1/8" or a smidge less

 

[pandacular]

I did a very similar thing with a carving knife this time around. When I first set the layer, it was worried about damaging the wood too much. This time, I banished any such fear after watching the pros really dig in deep...plus I learned that roots will actually form ABOVE where I cut the ring.

Really wish I had taken pictures of this cut so y'all could judge my work properly!

 

[LeatherTree23]

This April, I attempted an air layer on an Azara microphylla that has since failed. Looking back at the pictures, I think I see the problem clearly now--way too much green!
View attachment 499298View attachment 499299
Uncover this first attempt, I do see some signs that it was starting to work, before it completely (and somewhat cleanly) bridged.Notably,the swelling in the trunk above the layer seems to me to be a good sign.
View attachment 499300View attachment 499301

I decided to just give a shot at another air layer at this point, below the swelling, and see if I can separate it in the spring. My understanding of fall being more focused on root growth makes me believe it's a decent enough plan. This time I made sure to leave no green... and then have my non-color blind girlfriend double check. However, I did not remember to take pictures of the new wound I added.
View attachment 499302
Would love to hear thoughts on my plan, or anything I could improve. This is a piece of nursery stock I bought specifically to practice layering, so I've already gotten my money's worth out of practice. Unfortunately, the top of the tree is much more promising, so I would love for it to succeed, but I'm not holding my breath.

I did the same thing to a Japanese maple 4- ish weeks ago. Fingers crossed to both of us!

 

[pandacular]

Planning on holding off separation to spring. Do you think you'll separate this fall, or do it in the spring?

 

[LeatherTree23]

Planning on holding off separation to spring. Do you think you'll separate this fall, or do it in the spring?

I’m pretty sure I hit sapwood when I rescraped the cut site and removed the bridged cambium. The leaves have gotten a bit red in the hot weather recently. So I’m removing in fall. I sliced my hand deeply with my knife so my marker is when MY cut In completely healed and the scar is faded, I’ll separate. (I’m being silly. I’m aiming to separate in September provided the layer doesn’t die. )

 

[pandacular]

Awesome, makes sense. Azara are said to be very fast growers. I've certainly observed that in the foliage and trunk, but not sure if that applies to the roots. If it does, I will certainly consider a separation in late September or October. Our falls are pretty mild (in terms of temparature...not precipitation) so it may be able to keep growing into fall. If I do separate in fall, it will be going on a heat pad for winter with my other delicate trees. Still, my primary plan is to wait until spring.

 

[BrianBay9]

I’m pretty sure I hit sapwood when I rescraped the cut site and removed the bridged cambium. The leaves have gotten a bit red in the hot weather recently. So I’m removing in fall. I sliced my hand deeply with my knife so my marker is when MY cut In completely healed and the scar is faded, I’ll separate. (I’m being silly. I’m aiming to separate in September provided the layer doesn’t die. )

Hope it doesn't take until September for your cut to heal.......

 

[pandacular]

Hope it doesn't take until September for your cut to heal.......

Everyone knows that the best way to get a cut to heal is to periodically re-wound it. He's just following proper wound care protocol.

 

[LeatherTree23]

Everyone knows that the best way to get a cut to heal is to periodically re-wound it. He's just following proper wound care protocol.

Ahem…she

 

[LeatherTree23]

Hope it doesn't take until September for your cut to heal.......

My knife was very sharp, the hand very soft, my frustration at scraping very great. All 3 together = a jerk of the knife and A LOT of swearing

 

[pandacular]

In the comedy of errors that is my novice attempts at air-layers, I realized quickly that I made another big mistake; failing to properly fix the pot to the tree to provide stability for the roots. About two days after I put on the second attempt at an airlayer, I noticed that the pot had slid down the trunk! I added three wire loops through the pot and now it ain't going nowhere. Hopefully it wasn't starting to make any proper roots in those first two days, but now the wait continues, with much better odds.

 

[yenling83]

Planning on holding off separation to spring. Do you think you'll separate this fall, or do it in the spring?

I think it's more so around whenever the new piece has enough roots. That's the main or first thing you want to focus on. Once it has enough roots, and roots that are 360 degrees around the trunk, you could remove either time.

I could be wrong about this, but if I separated in Fall and lived in Seattle I would attempt to protect in unheated greenhouse if possible. While they are the same brand new roots, if I could not protect it I would leave it on until spring. It seems that airlayers which are attached seem to do alright in fairly cold temps while still attached to the parent.

 

[pandacular]

Thanks for the advice! I will be working on my wintering over plan for my trees in the coming months, but tentatively it looks something like mulching my trees into planter boxes, adding bottom heat, and a windbreak. While I think this could've been sufficient with a nice level of roots after layer separation if I had hit it the first time, I'm far less confident. Of course, I'll keep an eye on root development (already started checking, in my impatience) but I don't see a strong reason to separate in the fall at this time.

I might add a bit of protection to the air-layer for winter (put the pot in another pot?? idk) as this species is likely my least cold-hardy, but I'm not seeing what I would gain from an earlier separation.

 

[pandacular]

It seems one of the big downsides to using a pot for an air-layer as I've done here is that it's hard to follow the root growth. Any tips on how to check for roots would be appreciated. Currently, I'm waiting to see some roots escaping the bottom of the pot before I think about anything else.

 

[BobbyLane]

You can cut a window flap in side of pot to check for roots. I think the one downside is you cant always tell if youre keeping it too wet. Its worked for one of my beeches though and not so well for another

 

[pandacular]

I think the one downside is you cant always tell if youre keeping it too wet.

is this a downside to using a pot, or specifically to using this window method?

 

[BobbyLane]

is this a downside to using a pot, or specifically to using this window method?

the pot. some folk only use pots and have great success. experiment