Trident Maple Air Layer Just Callousing

[Apex37]

I started this air layer back in early March and have checked it twice since then. So far I can only get a callous but no roots.

Any suggestions on what I could be doing better? Maybe I should try an actual soil mix or mix some in akadama with the sphagnum moss? Would scarring the callous be advisable or should I let it be? This is my first attempt at air layering Tridents.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Callus tissue is still undifferentiated tissue, and plants use it to heal wounds.
At some point, your plant will need more moisture than it can draw from the remaining wood, and that's usually the time when they start differentiating the callus tissue into roots.
On my maple, this took almost a year.

Scarring can help, but it's a 50/50 chance that it might just produce more callus. If the callus produces bark, rescarring is needed. As long as it looks whitish or yellow, it's still in a undifferentiated state, which means it can become anything.
If you have rooting hormone, paint a little onto your callus, it might just signal it enough to make some roots.

 

[Shibui]

Callus is usually the preliminary stage for roots. My feeling is that you are not being patient enough. Some varieties take longer to root than others. Some individual plants take longer to root because of local conditions, tree vigour, etc.
I'd just cover it up again, sit back and let nature take its course.

 

[Kanorin]

Tridents are notorious during air layers for developing a robust callous, but being resistant to throw roots. We've had two club members have success just rooting them as large cuttings with callous (the presence of the callous will allow these to root much quicker than a straight-up cutting). I'd recommend giving it another 6 weeks or so, then try just cutting it off as a big cutting.

 

[namnhi]

The ones I did before leafing out has started to show roots. About 5 of the 9 I did. I would cut the bottom of the callus and cover it back again. Patience is needed with Trident.

 

[Piedmont Bonsai]

I’ve had more success using no rooting hormone and using a wire tourniquet method for trident airlayers. The ring bark method seems to produce too much callous and not enough roots on tridents in my experience.

 

[Fishsauce]

I started several air layers last April (2023) on a red laced leaf Japanese maple, and by November all of them only has a ring of small callous when checked. Since red lace leaf JM are notoriously known as hard to air layer, I decided to cut them off and consider it a fail; However, I decided just for kicks to stick one in the veggies garden soil. A few weeks ago I notice that it has started leafing out. Thinking back I should have just left them over the winter or stuck them all into the soil.

 

[Apex37]

Thanks all! I’ll be a bit more patient with this one, just was hoping to get it separated before the heat moved in. I’ll just monitor it closely to make sure it doesn’t dry out.