Melaluca Aerial Layer

[Petra]

I dont know the botanical name of this melaluca, all i know it is the snow in summer. ( true to name) as of the middle of November this treee is full of snow like blooms. This aerial ayered experiment was done in August of 2009. Ringed barked then painted with Clonex root gel & a wrap of spagnum moss, then surrounded with a slit pot filled with premium grade seed raising mix from a coir block, and wrapped in plastic.

This arvo i checked on these 2 aerial layerings. 1st one is 15cm diameter and thick branch length of 30cm. As you can see,roots protruding from both front and back, also noticed the mother tree already reshooting behind the layering.
Second layering with the same results, this one is 8cm diametre and a thick branch of 25cm length. Im not sure at this time, as the roots are still thin if i should cut the branches off.
Thoughts and sugestions welcomed,please.

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[Waltron]

It's Melaleuca linarifolia.

These trees fill the nature strips around here, they're about 70 years old (Assuming they were planted when all the houses were built) and are awesome.

[Jamie]

petra, honestly not knowing natives to well im not sure, but looking at how those roots are, if they are filling the pot like this all the way through i would be happy to take it off for sure. very carefully put it in a light mix and let it grow on for a while, then when the roots have stregthened some more and hardened off, then i would look at doing the root work in getting them neat.

but like i said, i dont have any experience with natives to well


jamie

[FlyBri]

Gday Petra!

Looking good! I'd look at removing both layers now, so that they have a few months to grow strongly before winter sets in. Depending on what the tops look like, you might want to give them a good prune at the time of removal, just to keep a balance between roots and foliage.

Please keep us posted.

Thanks.

Fly.

[Petra]

Thanks all for your reply s,Waltron im glad i now have the correct name of this tree, great job thanks.

[Webos]

Looks to me like a pot full of roots....I'd be chopping it off, easing the old pot off trying to leave the rootball as undisturbed as possible. I'd then plant the rootball into a nice free draining mix and waiting for that one to fill up with roots. Well done!

[Psymo]

Petra you've done it again another successful layering. Cut it back, pot it up and watch it take off. I don't know how much more it can grow the state that it's in?

How are your other trees that you layered doing? would like to know, any pics?