Airlayering a Lepto???

[wattynine]

Have had a look across the forum and have certainly read everything I can regarding airlayering so my direct question is;
Can this be applied to a Lepto, I have a Darwinian weeping Lepto with a fantastic trunk. It has just had it's bark shedding but I am still curious and dubious as to the this bark on these trees and whether an airlayer will take?
any experiences out there?
keen to give it a go,
Watty

[shibui]

I have not layered a lepto yet. I can't even find any reference to the name you have given but...

The bark should not affect the success of an air layer. You will cut through the bark and remove a section to leave the cambium exposed. New roots will grow from the cambium, not the bark. I think any Leptospermum should layer ok so I would give it a try.

Just did some more searching. possibly L. madidum ssp. sativum? which is from NT. National botanic gardens website says -

Propagation From seed or cuttings, which are difficult to strike.

. Maybe this will be more difficult to layer than some others but you won't know until you try.

[Ryceman3]

Now this is interesting!
Do it.
I wanna see plenty of photos & info on how you go about it please... it's an exciting proposition, hope it all turns out - keep us posted!

[Sno]

Hi wattynine .I have airlayered a Leptospermum myrtifolium see thread viewtopic.php?f=153&t=19539&start=0
I tried quite a few more of the same variety , they all struck roots but when I cut them off the mother trees they didn't make it .i set them all in spring , I think if I left them on longer they would fare better ie take them off the following spring .your climate would be different of course .

[Milo]

Hi wattynine.
I make a habit of carrying a camera (little automatic) in my bonsai apron and snapping pics as I progress through the stages of my plants, So I have some progression pics of a Lepto I airlayered
Although I don't have any display ready trees, its amazing when looking back how much they have changed.

Oct2014a.jpg

I used the open pot way of airlayering so I could control the dampness, and the letter box style of air layering, the branch had 2 strips of bark at 5mm untouched. no pic.

Apr2015a.jpg

Apr2015b.jpg

Apr2015c.jpg

Apr2015d.jpg

Sept2015a.jpg

Sept2015b.jpg

The tree is in full flower now, The tree has had no training and as the wood is hard , I may not be able to get any sort of shape into it.
Will strip all the seed pods of and allow to grow and we will see where it goes.
I'm lucky enough to be able to get to the Vic Native workshops and with their help may be able to get some shape into it

Milo

[Ryceman3]

Hi wattynine.
I make a habit of carrying a camera (little automatic) in my bonsai apron and snapping pics as I progress through the stages of my plants, So I have some progression pics of a Lepto I airlayered
Although I don't have any display ready trees, its amazing when looking back how much they have changed.

Oct2014a.jpg

I used the open pot way of airlayering so I could control the dampness, and the letter box style of air layering, the branch had 2 strips of bark at 5mm untouched. no pic.

Apr2015a.jpg

Apr2015b.jpg

Apr2015c.jpg

Apr2015d.jpg

Sept2015a.jpg

Sept2015b.jpg

The tree is in full flower now, The tree has had no training and as the wood is hard , I may not be able to get any sort of shape into it.
Will strip all the seed pods of and allow to grow and we will see where it goes.
I'm lucky enough to be able to get to the Vic Native workshops and with their help may be able to get some shape into it

Milo

Hi Milo,
Love the photo progression of this layer - good job with the camera!
Just a few questions if I may :
What time of year did you set this layer?
How long did you leave the layer on to achieve that root mass? - it's a pretty impressive spread.
How did the tree you layered from pull up after you took the layer off?

Once again, good job on the photos and thanks for posting.

Cheers.

[Milo]

Hi Ryceman3
It was 12 months start to finish. Oct 2014 and it was only 6 months to Apr 2015 in air layer pot,
then put into Colander for only 5 months to Sept 2015. Then into its current pot.

The intention was to air layer the main tree at ground level . I cut all around the trunk for the airlayer ,
but it never survived , I should have left a couple of bark strips. Or let it settle to Oct before air layering.

Now thinking about it, I should have slowly reduced the root mass over a couple of years

I found an article written by Roger Hnatiuk on airlayering with extracts from one of Peter Chen books that stated if the roots have no leaves to feed they die,

[Ryceman3]

Hi Ryceman3
It was 12 months start to finish. Oct 2014 and it was only 6 months to Apr 2015 in air layer pot,
then put into Colander for only 5 months to Sept 2015. Then into its current pot.

The intention was to air layer the main tree at ground level . I cut all around the trunk for the airlayer ,
but it never survived , I should have left a couple of bark strips. Or let it settle to Oct before air layering.

Now thinking about it, I should have slowly reduced the root mass over a couple of years

I found an article written by Roger Hnatiuk on airlayering with extracts from one of Peter Chen books that stated if the roots have no leaves to feed they die,

Thanks for the feedback Milo.
All that growth in just 12 months is fantastic, what a progression! It seems now is a good time to set a Leptospermum air layer! I guess my last question is "What species of Leptospermum is this specifically and do you think it is indicative of Leptospermum in general?"...
I'm thinking about layering a Laevigatum which I'm sure this is not - but maybe the technique is sound for those too??!?
Your results are pretty inspiring.

[wattynine]

OK, today is the day, time to take a punt.
The tree has been confirmed as the "madidum var. sativum" aka Darwin weeping Tea Tree.

so perhaps the tree first approx. 6 feet tall.

CIMG5645.JPG

close up of the trunk, all four angles.

CIMG5641.JPG

CIMG5642.JPG

CIMG5643.JPG

CIMG5644.JPG

an idea of where I will airlayer, and the operating table prepared.

CIMG5646.JPG

and the cuts;

CIMG5647.JPG

and the procedure

CIMG5648.JPG

the hormone juice

CIMG5649.JPG

the wire

CIMG5649.JPG

the muck

CIMG5650.JPG

the sphagnum

CIMG5652.JPG

and wrapped up

CIMG5654.JPG

and all covered up

CIMG5655.JPG

Now we pray to the bonsai gods, give a nod to Father time, cross our fingers.
I cannot see why this would fail, I have followed Ray's book (I hope) "to a tea".
now for a positive result, I have promised the wife the top of the tree so it had better work
wish me luck
Watty

[Ryceman3]

Fantastic effort, both on performing the layer & documenting it so well. Wishing you all the best with that one, it looks to me like you've done a stellar job. Ray's book is invaluable - hard to believe you go wrong there. It goes without saying....

Really appreciate this post, I think you've done all the right things.

[Ryceman3]

Don't spose you've got an update have you Watty?

[wattynine]

Sure mate thanks for asking, but be aware I am not embarrassed to give bad (?) news as well.
The tree is not dead, for that I am extremely thankful.
The graft did not take but the top was also badly infected by an insect infestation so the overall health was interrupted.
After about 6 weeks and not having a single root form I thought something was amiss so I removed the entire graft setup and the tree was still surviving.
My guess is that not entire removal of the layers was successful and that the tree was surviving on a sliver of cambium layer that had not been severed??
I did have lower shoots below the graft also but have since removed these.
So the tree survives and it will be my intention to attempt to sever the sliver and a second attempt will be made probably within the next 6-8 weeks as the weather turns to spring.
I will endeavour to update as this progresses (or dies).
Thanks for the interest
Watty

[Ryceman3]

Shame it didn't work out but you know what they say ... If at first you don't succeed, try & try again! Thanks for the candid summary and I'll have my fingers crossed for you on the next attempt - keep updating, good or bad!! I guess the up shot is you still have the stock intact to go another round...Good luck with it!

[wattynine]

Well I hope, at least in the short term that is my last reported dead tree.
Upon the second attempt I thought I should have a look at the medium as the tree wasn't coming back like I thought it would.
The potting mix was a mess, certainly taking some blame here for leaving it so long in the nursery bag it was in and my watering system was keeping it drenched as it wasn't draining like my bonsai mix.
So the attempt was made, the top cut off at the graft and re-potted into a coarse mix, no good, too late, dead tree.
Watty

[Ryceman3]

That is a shame Watty... it was a great base.
Just while I'm responding to one of your posts, I applaud your bravery in clearing out your stock and even more so your generosity in donating a lot of it to the Qld locals up there, very lucky people!