Air Layering

[gnichols]

No wonder spagnum moss can sometimes be difficult to find. Must have cost a fortune Tim?

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[TimS]

No wonder spagnum moss can sometimes be difficult to find. Must have cost a fortune Tim?

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Not too bad, I buy the large size compacted dry block from the shed of evil monopolisation, I can’t remember how much it rehydrates to but it’s heaps for bonsai use. I think the block is about $30.

Much cheaper than buying the already hydrated stuff in smaller bags at Diacos Nursery/ independent nurseries

[shibui]

I've just posted some pics of shimpaku layers here viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1307&p=298059#p298059

Some extra info on the layer process which may show some of what can be done with layering.

I set these layers in spring - not sure exactly when. The stock plant is close to the bonsai so I elected to use open pots as I could water each day.

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After a week or 2 I needed to prune the parent plant as long branches were encroaching on the display area. Unfortunately one of those I chopped had a layer on the tip. Obviously no roots at that stage but I decided to cut the whole layer off and put it in the cutting bed under mist, still in the pot.
I know that shimpaku can root quite easily. I know that layering process initiates callus pretty quick and that's the first step to roots and one which stops some cuttings from producing roots. By my estimation the layer would have been well on the way so should root given half a chance.

A few weeks later and it is still green and growing so I moved it out to the nursery for more sun. Now strong roots showing so I'll pot it on into a larger pot.

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The second one was left on the parent plant to root. Turns out it is harder to keep these small pots damp than I anticipated so I'm trying to remove these layers as soon as possible.
Several had some roots but maybe not enough to survive. I cut them off and moved the pots as they were into the cutting bed under mist to ensure they did not dehydrate with too few roots. I've found before that layers can and do survive with very few roots. It appears that removing the main source of water and nutrients is a great motivator to get on with growing roots.
This one was cut from the stock plant a week ago. Roots now showing at the base of the pot so I potted it on into a larger pot to grow through summer.

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[SuperBonSaiyan]

Turns out it is harder to keep these small pots damp than I anticipated

In my very limited experience, I've found that covering these with foil or plastic to keep the moisture in quite well.

I tried both ways this season, with a number of open pots, and a number of pots covered in foil or plastic. The covered ones were much easier to maintain. I just check on them once every couple of weeks and they're usually still moist.

The open pots sometimes dried out for me between watering sessions and it was difficult to re-hydrate the top as the dried moss became hydrophobic.

A question I have at the moment is - can I still set Shimpaku layers? Or is it too late in the growing season?

I have a number of straight branches I'm thinking of layering off to make a vertical Shimpaku forest - inspired by John Naka's Goshin.



No idea if it will look like anything resembling that in my lifetime, but I figure any project needs to start somewhere.

If my chances of layering successfully are much better next spring, please let me know and I'll continue to wait.

[shibui]

I put a few more shimpaku layers on today. They only take a few weeks to root and will survive with very few roots anyway so I don't think it is too late.
If you don't get roots before winter just leave them on until spring. No problem with our mild winters.

[TimS]

I'm confident the kotohime layer is a success, tree looks great since separation, no struggle at all

This is the tree it came off and the layer i actually purchased the tree for and am crossing everything works. It's layered underneath a twin trunk fork with a little bit of movement. This one may end up being a 12 month + layer i reckon. It is nice to have a smaller back up in case this layer does fail though.

If the layer is a success, i will also try to layer off the branch with the natural dead wood shari running down the length. Don't see too many maples like that so it would be a good point of difference if i can get it to work.

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With my finger for sense of scale of the size of the trunk

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Just pushing some new buds out after i removed the top layer which i'm taking as a good sign.

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[TimS]

I have something i'm calling 'maple sickness' where i cannot walk past the maple section of a nursery without inspecting for potential bonsai material.

Mainly this sickness appears when i pass dwarf cultivars, and especially rears its head when shishigashira is invovled, but is also how i ended up buying the kotohime above.

Here's one shishi i purchased a few months back and set 3 layers on. Point of note all layers on this and the kotohime, including the one i already separated, were set in the 3rd week of November if anyone was curious. At least 1 has roots now but i'm trying to not poke around too much to disturb them either.

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And yesterday i went to my most fertile hunting ground nursery and picked up another one with a little bit of interest right down low and some potential multiple trunk air layers further up to take off come spring this year. Going to end up with more shishi than i know what to do with if they all work

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[Daluke]

I’m struggling this year on maple layers. Will have to swap you apricots for them!

I took some cuttings of shisha - some look like they are taking.

[TimS]

I’m struggling this year on maple layers. Will have to swap you apricots for them!

I took some cuttings of shisha - some look like they are taking.

I don't think i have ever managed to get a single japanese maple cutting to root in my life, no idea how you or anyone else is able to do it but well done!

My maple sickness is only rivalled by my apricot sickness I'll see how these go and we can work something out

[TimS]

Turns out it is harder to keep these small pots damp than I anticipated

In my very limited experience, I've found that covering these with foil or plastic to keep the moisture in quite well.

I tried both ways this season, with a number of open pots, and a number of pots covered in foil or plastic. The covered ones were much easier to maintain. I just check on them once every couple of weeks and they're usually still moist.

The open pots sometimes dried out for me between watering sessions and it was difficult to re-hydrate the top as the dried moss became hydrophobic.

A question I have at the moment is - can I still set Shimpaku layers? Or is it too late in the growing season?

I have a number of straight branches I'm thinking of layering off to make a vertical Shimpaku forest - inspired by John Naka's Goshin.



No idea if it will look like anything resembling that in my lifetime, but I figure any project needs to start somewhere.

If my chances of layering successfully are much better next spring, please let me know and I'll continue to wait.

Certainly not going to be a quick endeavour, but if you get your layers done and then grow them to be trees rather than bonsai you will find it easier to then work backwards to a forest like this. Push all bonsai thoughts out of the window, pot them up into bigger pots or even ground grow them and just focus on keeping that leader growing dead straight. Work the roots every few years so you have half a hope of getting them eventually back into a tray and put it in the 20+ year jobs list.

[SuperBonSaiyan]

Going to end up with more shishi than i know what to do with if they all work

I'd like to pop my hand up for any layers of shishi or other drawf JM varieties you might have too many layers of.

Some of my layers seem to be taking, but I enjoy the process of styling and pruning far more than I do setting layers and waiting, so I've come to the conclusion that I'd rather pay someone (if they're willing) to set the layers.

Re: shimpaku forest, i have a number of branches of various sizes, ranging from 5c thick up to 50c thick. I was thinking I'd try and make a smaller version of the forest, but I'll see how the layers come out first and then decide. Still a few years away from even harvesting all the layers.

If anyone wants to sell some dead straight shimpaku layers, please let me know.

[TimS]

Going to end up with more shishi than i know what to do with if they all work

I'd like to pop my hand up for any layers of shishi or other drawf JM varieties you might have too many layers of.

Some of my layers seem to be taking, but I enjoy the process of styling and pruning far more than I do setting layers and waiting, so I've come to the conclusion that I'd rather pay someone (if they're willing) to set the layers.

Re: shimpaku forest, i have a number of branches of various sizes, ranging from 5c thick up to 50c thick. I was thinking I'd try and make a smaller version of the forest, but I'll see how the layers come out first and then decide. Still a few years away from even harvesting all the layers.

If anyone wants to sell some dead straight shimpaku layers, please let me know.

Easy done, i kind of love doing air layers so i'm happy to be the one to do the sitting and waiting. I can see how it is tedious though, a good 6 months at least are usually just waiting for it to root and be able to be separated, then another few months of growing out in spring to make sure it's healthy before actually doing any styling.

in a few years i should have a decent selection of cultivars to produce from; currently i have shishi and kotohime that are actually layerable, but have Kamagata, Arakawa and Katsura that 1-2 years away from being big enough to layer reasonable size plants from. Have Sharps Pygmy too, but it's a bonsai so 100% no chance of setting layers from it so i'll try to track down a stock plant of Sharps as well. Have tracked down a few others i'll add to the collection come winter when they can be posted bare root.

50 cent thickness shimpaku is a great size to have, well worth the time and tedium to air layer that, and if you're doing one air layer you may as well do more is my philosophy. The sooner it's air layered, the sooner you can move onto the fun of training them

[SuperBonSaiyan]

I pulled a layer off my shindeshojo tree yesterday because all the leaves were crinkling up and dying.

Checked the moss ball, nothing. Not a single root.

I think you (TimS) were spot on with you advice about shindeshojo, just doesn't want to layer.

I have another 3 on the tree, if nothing roots this will become a garden tree i guess.

My shishi layer is still under shade cloth and hasn't lost any further leaves, do that should be okay.

Then I've got two more layers on a kamagata, 5-6 on a mikaea yatsubusa (another one I've been told was difficult to layer), and one on a seigen.

[TimS]

I pulled a layer off my shindeshojo tree yesterday because all the leaves were crinkling up and dying.

Checked the moss ball, nothing. Not a single root.

I think you (TimS) were spot on with you advice about shindeshojo, just doesn't want to layer.

I have another 3 on the tree, if nothing roots this will become a garden tree i guess.

My shishi layer is still under shade cloth and hasn't lost any further leaves, do that should be okay.

Then I've got two more layers on a kamagata, 5-6 on a mikaea yatsubusa (another one I've been told was difficult to layer), and one on a seigen.

Yeah my experience layering shideshojo has been almost entirely negative. I looked back over my last thread and one grew a very feeble root but still didn't survive long term after separation, all the others failed. Still i would be tempted to try one more time but there are none at my local nurseries at the moment. Maybe in spring

If you find in the future you have a spare layer of seigen around i'd love to buy one or work some kind of swap deal out with you

[KIRKY]

Tim you can come to mine when it’s air layering time I have the shindeshojo in a large garden pot you can take as many layers as you like.
Cheers
Kirky