AusBonsai

I airlayered a Japanese maple back around August, maybe mid September (old age and poor note keeping )
Hopefully some of the trimmings will take off as cuttings

Thoglette great post mate!

I have my first maple air layer that I think is ready to come off
But I was under the impression I had to wait till winter??

I am just about to put layers on all my maples this weekend with removal scheduled around jan. That should give it a few more good months to develop a strong root system before going dormant.

matty-j wrote:Thoglette great post mate!

I have my first maple air layer that I think is ready to come off
But I was under the impression I had to wait till winter??

I wanted to take advantage of the spring growth - which for me is September. Hopefully the second flush (happening about now) will get some solid roots going before the desiccating ravages of January and February - we get no rain, 5% humidity and either hot or salty winds all month. Not good for Acers!

If you live in Hobart the story would be different.

correct me if ihave oversimplified my understanding of this, but to my mind spring growth or flush actually taxes or uses up the roots reserves. It is after this growth hardens at the end of spring that the tree reverses and uses these new leaves to gather as much light and pruduce buckets of chlorophil to replenish and regrow new masses of roots. Once this has been completed you get a second smaller flush with many species before one final month and a half of restoring the roots before winter.

To take an air layer and plant it at the start of spring i would have thought is riskier as it can overtax the limited roots and possibly stunt the tree development for a full season? Any experts out wish to comment so i can learn more or regine my understanding?

K2

k2bonsai wrote: To take an air layer and plant it at the start of spring i would have thought is riskier as it can overtax the limited roots and possibly stunt the tree development for a full season? Any experts out wish to comment so i can learn more or regine my understanding?

My seasons are out-of-whack with the rest of the world - I get Autumn, Spring, Summer and Summer. So I let the plant burst bud and put on 6" long shoots before setting up the layer.

However, the root-to-leaf transfer is not stopped by removal of the bark, only the leaf-to-root - which is why layering works (new roots form). I don't know if the bud-burts inducing sugar shift is core (Xylem) or bark (Phloem) based. But once the leaves are out, it doesn't matter.

Then roots appeared about eight weeks later - where I am it is critical to get as much roots as fast as possible, so I got it into a pot as soon as the roots appeared through (ie likely filled) the spagnum moss

I'd be interested in finding out ore information regarding this too. I wish to carry out an air layer on a japanese maple soon and was researching on the forum with no conclusive results.