Ground Layer and Air Layer at the same time?

[BonsaiBobbie]

Hi all, I have a question about doing a ground layer and air layer at the same time on a JM?

JM Layer.JPG

I moved this JM from its location in the garden to a grow pot in early autumn as it wasn't getting enough light and not doing very well. I decided I would turn it into Bonsai rather than a maple tree which was the original intention.

Currently it is very tall and very straight, whilst the main trunk has some good taper, it needs to be cut / air layered, which I will do in spring. It is currently doing well. It hasn't started to lose it's leaves yet, given I'm relatively close to the coast.

When I potted it, I didn't touch the roots etc, so the current plan is to repot / to start working on the nebari, and then the air layer somewhere in the vicinity of this photo.

As such, I was wondering if it doing both a ground layer (say via toruniquet - if it needed it) and an air layer is generally considered a no-no and too much stress on a tree?

Even if doing the root work ahead of an airlayer would be too much? My JM are generally responding to all the neglect I can throw at them.

[shibui]

It is generally considered that layers need growing tips above to fuel root growth.
Looks like the tree is still pretty young so probably just a trunk and not much else so an air layer on the trunk would stop food circulating to the lower trunk where a ground layer will be. In theory that may mean the ground layer would not be successful but I haven't tried it to confirm the theory is sound.
You mention that the trunk has good taper but I cannot see that in the photo. Maybe it's better further up? Just asking to ascertain whether layering is worth the time and effort when you can buy another maple for very little money?
If you're doing this for the experience then go ahead but now is probably not the best time of year, even near the coast. The layer(s) may callus over autumn and winter but probably won't root well until spring growth starts.

You'll probably get better results if you layer without root pruning but maples recover from root pruning very well so it is likely you'd still get a layer to root even after hard pruning roots.

[BonsaiBobbie]

Hi Shibui,

Thanks for that.

Yes tree is young, but also the most advanced I have (in terms of JM).

Yes taper is higher up, and the point of the air layer is to start working direction via pruning and get more of a taper down the bottom and also possibly get some flare with a ground layer.

I won’t air layer to spring, but trying to plan what to do, and as I learn about more things I wonder, can I do that at the same time.