Advice on layering a plum

[ben17487]

Hey guys and gals,
I'm after some advice on air layering plum trees. I have one that I have made an attempt on before but had little experience at the time and it didn't work out.
The other issue I ran into was the copious amounts of sap... Is there a time of year that is optimal to start an air layer on these or are they just not that suitable for this technique?

I'll post some photos soon in the hope of getting an ID of the species

Cheers,
Ben

[shibui]

Plums should layer just fine. They root quite easily either as layers or cuttings. Have not come across the sap issue. What time of year did you layer? Quickest results should be from spring layer but I like to wait until leaves are fully open before setting layers.
You can also try doing them in winter. Nothing much happens until spring but they'll be just a bit ahead of a late spring layer because they can slowly callus over winter.

[ben17487]

Thanks for the info shibui!
Pretty sure it was around spring time when I tried the last layer. I used the totally wrong method so it may have been because of that.. But the whole tree seems to ooze sap regularly :S

[shibui]

Oozing sap is a sign of some problem in the tree. Generally called gummosis it can be caused by wounds, insect (borer) damage or several infections. It is most common in cherry, almond and apricots but also affects plums.
If caused by borers it can be controlled but when it is an infection there's not usually much you can do.

If your plum dose have gummosis of some sort it is possible the gummosis has played a part in stopping your last layer. I would not bother layering a sick tree. First the weakness will make layering difficult, Second, if it does layer the new tree will most likely be infected as well.

Occasionally an infected tree will recover but usually they gradually get worse and eventually die.

[ben17487]

Oh that's a bummer :/
Now that I think about it the tree hasn't fruited in a while..
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[LordVader]

Just for interest's sake, Flybri had the best technique for air layers. Will be a very old thread by now, I think it was a eucalyptus possibly he used to show it.