Melaleuca Air Layering Advice

[Ryan1979b]

Hi All

Just a quick question regarding airlayering a Melaleuca. I'm pretty sure its a prickly paperbark and was hoping to take a reasonable size branch. some trees have great movement in the branches and was hoping to take advantage of that.

Anyway just wondering a few things listed below:

1) Maximum size thickness to layer - I was looking at 30-40mm
2) Do you use any root hormone powder or honey etc?
3) What time of year would be the best
4) How long would you leavw the layering?

Cheers all, any advice or experiences would be great

[shibui]

Not having layered melaleuca I can only give general advice. Take it as that with no promises.

30-40 mm should be no problem Many larger layers have been successful in many species. Melaleuca should root ok
I use rooting compound (hormone) on layers and believe it speeds up the process quite a bit but it should still work without.
Best time to layer is when tree is in active growth so now should be ok for melaleuca. Usually still works at other times but just takes longer.
Leave layer until enough roots have grown. This will depend on the amount of branches and leaves the trunk you layered has. If there's less roots you can cut the top back a bit to match. Clear plastic will allow you to see when new roots grow to the edge of the sphagnum and down along the plastic. If you use opaque plastic wrap just open gently and check every few weeks to see what is happening. A bit harder again with plastic pots but you can still poke gently into the potting mix and see that roots are growing - or wait for roots to show at the holes in the bottom.

Good luck

[Pup]

G,day Ryan I have had success and failure with Melaleucas. With Paperbarks, the hardest part is to get right though the Bark down to the cambium layer to make sure it is all gone .I have used rooting hormone gell, as it can be painted on.

As Shibui says plenty of damp sphagnum moss, what I do is use clear wrap and the put black plastic over that, so when I want to check the roots just undo the black, you do not disturb the roots that are developing.

Of the ones I have done, root growth varies from 3 months to six. One lot of layers were one sided and are still growing well now, I did not disturb them as they were struggling.

This was a M, preissiana. Like I always say, never give up on a Melaleuca, I can come back from the dead( what appears to be) after two years.

Cheers Pup

[Soundsliketheocean]

Old thread I know, but how would you be sure to take enough bark off? Is there a tell tale sign when you get to the cambium? I struggle with this a lot and I’m also trying M. Alternifolia layering.

[shibui]

In the growing season the bark will lift cleanly at the cambium layer - like peeling a banana. In most species the wood layer is a slightly different color and usually different texture/hardness.
Try cutting through some spare branches if you can find some. Doesn't have to be bonsai and doesn't have to be the same species - garden trees, street trees, etc. Try a range of different trees to get a feel for how thick the bark is and what different layers look like.

[Ryceman3]

Don't know if the following link helps (different mel, but an airlayer on a mel nonetheless with pics of removing the bark.) ...

viewtopic.php?p=195609#p195609

Maybe wait until spring to put it on? I find natives don't really stop growing over winter for sure, but I would look to layer when it is really pushing growth if you can wait. Good luck!