Successful air layer...now what

[Balbs]

Hi all, I air layered an ornamental plum tree. The branch is probably about two inches and diameter and six feet long. About a month ago I severed the branch and planted the nice new roots into a five gallon bucket with drainage holes to let its new roots spread out. I want to train the tree as a bonsai, which I think means performing a trunk chop. How and when do I do this? If it helps, I live in Massachusetts.

 

[bonsaichile]

let it be for a year or two so the root system can establish itself before doing anything else to it

 

[R3x]

If you want this to become bonsai you will have to do a radical cut to make it much much shorter and gain some taper. The "salami" cut above the first branch for example. I'd do it at the beginning of spring.

 

[Warpig]

If you want this to become bonsai you will have to do a radical cut to make it much much shorter and gain some taper. The "salami" cut above the first branch for example. I'd do it at the beginning of spring.

The spring of 2022! You want it to spend the whole growing season of 2021 letting the roots grow and keeping it healthy.

 

[Balbs]

Thank you!

 

[M. Frary]

I would let it grow next year.
The spring after I would chop it drastically.
If it were an elm of any sort I would chop it in the coming spring.
Also,this tree will be putting on roots this year still.
Check it in the slring,you may be o.k.to cut it then.
Maples do put out some roots too.

 

[Balbs]

Hi everyone, thanks for the guidance last year. This baby overwintered and is growing pretty well right now. I’m getting antsy and impatient for that trunk chop, so I figured I’d let you all tell me to leave it alone for the year. Thanks again!

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Hi everyone, thanks for the guidance last year. This baby overwintered and is growing pretty well right now. I’m getting antsy and impatient for that trunk chop, so I figured I’d let you all tell me to leave it alone for the year. Thanks again!

LOL you are insane. It's like you started at "advanced bonsai techniques" and started working backwards!

Congrats on your air-layer! The world is your oyster! Now every time you see a tree with crappy roots you will think - oh I can fix that with an air-layer

However... don't lose sight of the upper part of the tree. Clearly, a long and spindly nursery tree isn't going to make good bonsai. A lot of people are saying "you need to do a trunk chop". However you might have done a trunk chop first... and THEN an air-layer later. In the future, you could look at your material and select a specially good place for an air-layer, like at a branch split, etc. You could prune there first, and then air-layer a few months later after new growth has sprouted. Additionally - don't forget when you air-layer you don't need to do so perpendicular to the line of the trunk. If you air-layer at an angle, the tree that you end with will naturally have a lean instead of being completely vertical at the soil line.

Regardless, you win the award for courage and boldly applying advanced bonsai techniques!

 

[Balbs]

I appreciate both the confidence boost as well as the advice!

don't lose sight of the upper part of the tree.

To be clear, are you suggesting I consider layering the top of the new tree?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

To be clear, are you suggesting I consider layering the top of the new tree?

Not necessarily, but you can. Some people are saying to just prune off the top (and perhaps throw it away) leaving you with a short trunk to use as a base to start your bonsai structure. It is good advice... but you don't have to prune the top when you can just air-layer it off. Just depends on how much time you have and the effort you want to put into it.

As you have found out, if you have good air-layering skills, you can create numerous trees from a single source tree. In fact, many nurseries maintain large trees in landscape solely for the purpose of being able to air-layer off branches for source material.

However getting back to bonsai... a good bonsai always starts with a good root structure at the soil line, a good trunk line, and good taper. In your current tree, you may have created good surface roots with your air-layer, but the trunk doesn't have any character because it is dead straight and has no taper. If you prune it or air-layer it so that the remaining trunk is only 6" tall (or so) you can guide/wire new growth so that you can create an interesting trunk line (anything but dead straight) and good taper.

 

[Balbs]

Again, I appreciate the advice!