What's the largest air-layer you have ever successfully done?

[Bonsai Nut]

I'm curious how big of an air-layer people have been able to successfully separate and grow out. I've got a medium-sized American persimmon tree in landscape and am wondering if I could remove the top 15'. Base of air-layer would be about 2" or slightly larger.

 

[DaveNuts]

About 1cm

 

[Mike Westervelt]

I've done 1-1/2" to 2" on Japanese maple and magnolia

 

[leatherback]

2-3 inch hornbeam
3 inch juniper
[does a 6 inch salix cutting count?]

 

[Dav4]

Easily 4 inch diameter trunks on the two big Japanese maples highlighted here https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/go-big-or-go-home.26917/

 

[stav121]

Not me personally, but I remember my grandfather air-layering entire olive branches in the 20–30 cm diameter range. After separation, he planted them directly into the ground. It was a technique he used to speed up commercial olive production.

 

[Jrmcmich]

Did over 3” American elm while it did root only got roots on one side and tree failed over first winter. Other than that one largest has been slightly over 1” and didn’t try any last year

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Peter Chan regularly air layers very large branches and tree tops as shown in many of his videos. He often leaves them on for a couple of seasons and has whole sections of his nursery trees dedicated for layers. The question really is how easy are D. virginiana to air layer?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I know we're mostly talking in diameters. How TALL of an air-layer has someone successfully taken? I'm wondering if I can take a full 15' top off a tree... or if I would be better off pruning the tree back, letting it recover, and then air-layering when it was a more manageable size.

 

[Dav4]

One of the maples I mentioned above was 10 ft + tall and had multiple layers going at the same time so no chopping until after the deed was done.

 

[zens]

Biggest airlayer was a 3 inch chinese elm. Ill be trying in the coming season to do a 3inch plum and Hawthorn.

Biggest cutting was a 2ft wide olive trunk

 

[River's Edge]

I know we're mostly talking in diameters. How TALL of an air-layer has someone successfully taken? I'm wondering if I can take a full 15' top off a tree... or if I would be better off pruning the tree back, letting it recover, and then air-layering when it was a more manageable size.

I would suggest that the additional branches and foliage would improve the chances of the air layer by providing additional resources to speed up the process. On a larger air layer like that I would also suggest the preliminary step of a tourniquet to prepare the site for air layering. Added benefit of localizing resources and creating the beginnings of a nice flair at the chosen site. I am certain you are aware of this extra step and benefits but wanted to mention for consideration of those reading. I know it is a bit of an old school technique but it has a history of success!
For those that have Merrigiolis book he describes it nicely in chapter nine, page 144.

 

[chance]

Here are two examples of successful airlayers, I've done both over 15ft long and over 15 years old, J.maple and dawn redwood. Both were done using the Peter Chan method- sphagnum moss and rooting hormone. I've also done some similar sized red maples as well. Both of these had to be on for more than a year, but the Japanese maple probably could have been separated the same year if I had just started the air layer earlier in the year. Both of these were side-branches but I think generally I've had better success/faster rooting with vertical/main trunks (my guess is that its a combination of better vigor on the main stem, and better rain collection within the bag for if its vertical).

I haven't tried air layering American persimmon- so I can't speak to how well they will do, but I have killed all my American persimmons I grew from seed in their second year. I think it was due to root rot/fungal issues- so something to be on the lookout for- especially if you are successful and have a big underground cut once seperated.

 

[Mike Westervelt]

I know we're mostly talking in diameters. How TALL of an air-layer has someone successfully taken? I'm wondering if I can take a full 15' top off a tree... or if I would be better off pruning the tree back, letting it recover, and then air-layering when it was a more manageable size.

The magnolia I referred to was a landscape tree, brother in law kept asking for "start" of it, so I layered a 8' tall, 2" diameter branch off, it took very quickly, like month and a half. (used a 6" pot cut in half filled with fine bonsai soil and shrink wrapped for moisture retention

I don't think length of the layer has much to do with any success, if any thing the more foliage above the layer site the better results in my experience.

Also took a !/2" diameter, but very short Japanese maple air layer last year and it took 3 months to grow sufficient roots to separate.

 

[doc spring _work]

... That's it I really need to practice air layering...

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Air layer contest time!

 

[Adamski77]

Here are two examples of successful airlayers, I've done both over 15ft long and over 15 years old, J.maple and dawn redwood. Both were done using the Peter Chan method- sphagnum moss and rooting hormone. I've also done some similar sized red maples as well. Both of these had to be on for more than a year, but the Japanese maple probably could have been separated the same year if I had just started the air layer earlier in the year. Both of these were side-branches but I think generally I've had better success/faster rooting with vertical/main trunks (my guess is that its a combination of better vigor on the main stem, and better rain collection within the bag for if its vertical).

I haven't tried air layering American persimmon- so I can't speak to how well they will do, but I have killed all my American persimmons I grew from seed in their second year. I think it was due to root rot/fungal issues- so something to be on the lookout for- especially if you are successful and have a big underground cut once seperated.
View attachment 625958View attachment 625959

great success... FWIW... I think you should have air layered 3ft higher... seems to be ugly looking graft up there...

 

[BrianBay9]

I know we're mostly talking in diameters. How TALL of an air-layer has someone successfully taken? I'm wondering if I can take a full 15' top off a tree... or if I would be better off pruning the tree back, letting it recover, and then air-layering when it was a more manageable size.

I've never tried keep anything taller than maybe 18 inches above the layer. But I would assume that the taller you want to leave the layer, the larger you need the container for the layer's roots? I would worry about a fist-sized root ball trying to support 10 feet of plant above it.

 

[doc spring _work]

I've never tried keep anything taller than maybe 18 inches above the layer. But I would assume that the taller you want to leave the layer, the larger you need the container for the layer's roots? I would worry about a fist-sized root ball trying to support 10 feet of plant above it.

I know more foliage means you'll need more roots, but couldn't you start reducing the branch ahead of time? Shape it out, and leave a good section bare to support the air layering...?

Again I haven't successfully gotten an air layer yet genuinely curious, I imagine a decidous tree you could get the branch kinda bare until the top a year before the later then air layer the following year leaving it to root for a year or two?

My assumptions could be very wrong... Wouldn't be the first time

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I know more foliage means you'll need more roots, but couldn't you start reducing the branch ahead of time?

Yes, I was considering simply doing a massive pruning spree and waiting for a year... but if it is possible, I'd love to be able to save the material.

The tree is approx. 30' tall. The highest I could reasonably do an airlayer would be about 15' off the ground - and even that would require creative work with a ladder. Assuming the air-layer is successful, I now have 2 x 15' trees to work with for propagation.