When do you cut an air-layer?

[Alain]

Hi there,
Everything is more or less in the title

I started some air-layers (in particular of some branches of my neighbor Thuya occidentalis which are invading my yard ) and I can see roots thru the plastic wrapping on some of my layers.

So when do I cut them?
As soon as I see roots?
Better to wait a little that the roots conquer the whole plastic wrapping?

 

[barrosinc]

It all depends... Some plants need more than others, how much foliage will the new plant have?

If it has a lot of roots, rule of thumb says it should be good to go.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Let the roots mature a bit so that they don't break, and more roots would be better if you want to take a large air layer.

 

[Eric Group]

Yep, just cut it once you have enough roots so the tree won't die after separation...

Kind of like wiring- bend until just BEFORE you hear the branch crack!

 

[Alain]

Ok thanks a lot for your answers!

The branches I layered have quite a bunch of leaves but I think I'll wait a bite just to be sure.

An addition to my first question (the most important part that I forgot in fact): there can't be any problem letting the layer too long right?

 

[0soyoung]

An addition to my first question (the most important part that I forgot in fact): there can't be any problem letting the layer too long right?

The worst outcome is that winter freeze kills the roots and you need to go another season to have viable roots before you can harvest it. Likewise, you probably want to remove the layer and pot/plant it about 6 weeks before any hard freezes.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

There likely will be a point where a layer is left on too long, but you probably won't get there unless you've forgotten about the air layer. I've left a pine air layer on for past a year. If left too long in a suspended pot or plastic wrap the roots would grow long and all tangled up. I switched my pot out with a colander. I had no tangled roots but lots of fine roots. I think I could've left it alone unsevered longer like you would any pine in a colander.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

I haven't tried this yet but I may just for the fun it. You could probably leave an air layer on forever if you repot it when you need to.

 

[GrimLore]

If I am reading this correctly it is a Coniferous plant and you are in Illinois Zone 6a. The trick with success after separation is making sure the plant can go into Winter very healthy after separation so separate when you think there is enough time to allow that - being coniferous I am "guessing" you could let it go two seasons if you feel you need a lot more root. Picture or two would be most helpful honest.

Grimmy

 

[Alain]

If I am reading this correctly it is a Coniferous plant and you are in Illinois Zone 6a. The trick with success after separation is making sure the plant can go into Winter very healthy after separation so separate when you think there is enough time to allow that - being coniferous I am "guessing" you could let it go two seasons if you feel you need a lot more root. Picture or two would be most helpful honest.

Grimmy

In fact I'm in zone 5a.

I have several layers:
- 2 on my neighbor thuya, one has roots already for sure (I see them);
- 1 on a chinese willow because willows root like crazy but die back like crazy too so I wanted to try and see what happen when you layer instead of just cutting a branch and put it in a bucket of water. This one has roots also.
- 1 on some sort of Prunus or Cornus (I asked last year if somebody could help me identify this tree but I never get a for sure determination).
- 2 on a white ash, or may be not a white ash, the bark looks like a white ash but the leaves not so much...

I'm pretty sure I'll not let my layers long enough to be too close to Winter. I did the last layers last week (on the white ash) so it give them more than 3 months to root and then at least 2 months before the weather turns nasty, hopefully it will be enough.

Anyway thanks all of you for all the information, it helps a lot!
I'll see if I can take picture but I'm pretty sure there won't be anything to see with the plastic wrap.

 

[klosi]

I'll post a question, since a thread is similar to what I've been wondering for some time. What if I wraped the plastic foil around so many times, I can't see if the layer produced any roots? How could I be sure that it has new roots and I can remove it?

 

[amcoffeegirl]

I'll post a question, since a thread is similar to what I've been wondering for some time. What if I wraped the plastic foil around so many times, I can't see if the layer produced any roots? How could I be sure that it has new roots and I can remove it?

I think eventually you'll have to look underneath the foil.
I don't think you are supposed to seal it up. When you get some roots don't you want a place to water those?

 

[klosi]

It has a few small cracks made with knife on top and bottom for water to get in and out.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

Reviving this old thread, as it is pertinent to my own air layer project.

I am attempting to air layer a hackberry tree. Sometime around May 1 I applied an air layer, my first attempt, using the ring method and a sphagnum moss/perlite/soil mix. Today for the first time I finally see evidence of root growth! Hell yeah and so exciting.


I began to read on when to cut the air layer. Some sources are stating to wait til the roots are "brown" and mature. I thought white roots, not brown, are healthy? I may just let this run til mid-fall and cut about 6 weeks before winter temps arrive. Thoughts?