AusBonsai

Hi all just a quick question,i have a few air layers progressing well.
My question is when is an ideal time to seep rat them from the parent tree
All of them are deciduous two elms and a swampy

Being that you are on the Sunny Coast I would have no hesitation in separating them now if the roots are ready to support the separated top. My swampies here in brissy are hit and miss as to whether they shed and elms don't seem to shed until later in Winter.

I always thought that when the new roots are brown then they are ready and you can separate the air layer...



Cheers
EZ
Sent using Tapatalk

Not only in QLD Tony, even down here in the cooler country I remove layers whenever I think there are enough roots - and that turns out to be surprisingly less than you'd think.

Last week I separated a black pine layer. There's way more roots there than it needs to there will be no problems with that one surviving.

I agree with Shibui in that I am amazed at how few roots some layers take to survive.
I did what I consider to be a largish Japanese maple this year. Whilst separating and sorting the roots I broke the majority off (I don't usually do this step). Anyway what read left was but one tiny I think even broken root. In disgust at my work I potted it anyway sure that it would die. Needless to say it still looks very much alive and ice noticed roots popping through the bottom of the pot.

Not saying this will be the case with every species just my observations.

I separated a swampy two weeks ago and it hasn't missed a beat. Roots only developed on one side however the tree is still doing fine

I separated my Wisteria, crepe myrtles and flowering plums a month ago and all are doing well. Next time, I will separate around Jan or Feb. I air layered them in spring after most leafs have harden.

Cheers all thank you all for your replies this is the first time I've done layers normally i do all my propergating by cutting and seed.