AusBonsai

For those interested, Here are some photos of the tree and cuttings when we took them off at School one night.
Ray Nesci Could not keep his hands off them and was eager to lend a hand while I took photos

The top of the tree. I hope to make this into a twin trunk / Mother Daughter

Hi Ken, Twin trunks are often difficult to produce and due to the fact that both trunks on your cutting appear to be the same thickness, I think that Mother and Daughter might be very difficult for this specimen. Have you got Deborah Koreshoffs book - she has an excellent chapter on Twin trunks.

Jon

Hi Pup,

Thank you for your comments on the maple. I do have a camera of my own now. I can take pictures whenever I want.

Please allow me to be an imbecile on this occasion and ask the sensei a "trick" question. Have you notice anything
"unusual" on the maple?

Last autumn down here was warmer than usual Pup.

Hi Antonio,

If you have time, please document your process and share with everybody. We can all build a nice type of "library" on
the subject of layering black pine.

That would be good for the forum. If it prove popular enough, we never know, one day Steven might decide to give the
subject it own main page

Hi Jon,

If you could document the process, that would be good too.

Hi Ken,

I must admit I have been paying very little attention to other layering methods. So I do not know much about them.
If you happen to do it again, please document the process. I am sure everybody who want to try would find it useful.

I am taken straight away by your first tree. I think it could be made into a very good pine bonsai. I do not know what
to think about the twin trunk one.

Best regards to everybody.

Viet.

The entire 18 months have passed. Today, 25/07/2010, I repotted the main tree. I did not have
enough time to to it last 2009.

These photos are also taken on the 25/07/2010. Following are the views of the rootage:







In the side, as seen in the photo below, roots did not develop much.



From August 2006 to July 2010 -- just a month short of a full four years and only this much
new roots develop. I can see now why in bonsai books, authors often state that for older black
pines, only repot every 3 to 5 years; or perhaps even longer.

And I potted into this big round pot for further development. I did not cut off much roots at
all:









The diameter of the pot is 46.5 cm; and the height is 18.00 cm. Given what I have observed
about roots development of pine, I would think that it does not need repot again till at least
2014.

I have a pretty good idea of how I like to shape this pine. But I will wait until October 2010
or perhaps even a bit longer before wiring.

That tree is looking fantastically healthy viet! Its going to make very good material in the not too distant future. Great to see it thanks.

love your work. great healthy looking pine

Nine months have passed since. I let the tree develops freely. I just fed it.

On the 21/04/2011, I wired it for the first time during the five (5) years that I have been owning it. These following photos were taken on 22/04/2011.


1. View - 1


1. View - 2


1. View - 3


1. View - 4

It is 60 cm from the soil surface. It has five (5) branches. I have split the top branch by accident during wiring; I am not sure if it will survive.

I am happy with five (5) branches and the height. Basically, for me, the skeleton for this tree has been set up (provided that the top branch survives). Most of the branches are still juvenile. I can see great potential in this tree. But it will take much more times.

Nice Development Daviet

Love the last view

Ken

Hi Daviet , its coming along nicely . I managed to split /fracture a branch doing a layer on mine so i put a splint on it and wrapped with grafting tape . Bugger me it swelled to twice the thickness of the original branch . Looks a bit like an anaconda after a good feed , but the branch did survive .Cheers Alpine

Hi Ken,

I like the view of the last picture too! Funny enough though, I have always thought of this one as the "back" view. Because the original and main trunk leans forward from this view, and then the new leader standing up: we are looking at the angle that the two form.

*
* *

Hi Alpine,

I hope not to resort to grafting yet. If it dies, I will cut the top off and hopefully new shoots will come out, because it is still very young. It still has that sort of pinkish colour.

I appreciate your suggestion. I will keep us update with this one.

Best regards.

Hi, I haven't had a chance to read this thread thoroughly yet as my gf is nagging me to come to bed, but I just wanted to comment that I have been told by a few people than you can't air-layer pines. Obviously they have tried and failed. I'm gonna have to read up on this and give it a go myself in the next few weeks

Have just finished reading this and I must say, Im impressed. I cant wait to give it a go myself. I have been told that using plastic to wrap the sphagnum moss in and then wrap with bubble wrap (for heat purposes) and then with black plastic is the way to go. However, if people have had many successes with the split pot method, I would think that the heat doesn't make any difference, does anyone have any ideas on this?

Hi Luke,

I have not tried the split pot method myself, but others on this forum have used it with great success.

From afar, I believe the split pot method has an advantage over this wrapping method. The have bigger diameter than we could manage with wrapping; and hence the roots have more room to radiate outward: you already and naturally have a good start to great surface root.

With the wrap, I have experienced that the roots stay closer to the trunk. For pines, it is a good one year before I dare to move the root outward a little. For Japanese maples, as per the one used in this illustration, the next year repot, I usually bare root and cut off the dead trunk underneath. The pine took me a lot longer.

But for me, the wrap is easy to set up. I hope this make sense.

Cheers.

The rooter pots from gardenexpress are purpose built for airlayering, and only cost $3.95 each, $5.95 for large size. They have a reservoir so you can see how much water is around, clear sides and a removable lid, and reusable.
Apart from the fact that the little plastic tabs which hold bits together tend to break, they work really well without wrestling plastic sheet and wire. Currently working on another Cas airlayer from my nursery reject, and a chestnut I picked up cheaply.

Nice job Viet, two good looking trees. I'll be looking to do this on my own pine in the next year or two as well. You've described the process well which will be a big help to newbie like myself.