Air Layering Natives

[teejay]

I know that you can air-layer many natives but has anyone here had any success air-layering Melaluecas?

[Pup]

Yes I have done it with a couple. There are a helluva lot of Melaleucas, that are not Paper barks.
Most of the ones that are referred to as Paperbarks are water loving plants. All of the large ones that I collected Locally were ground layer's. They had layered them selves by having the branch in touch with the wet soil. I have done it with M, Lanceolata sub species. The roots were not great so I airlayed some new ones. The tree is posted in the natives under sub species.
When you do an airlayer on the paper bark ones you must go down to the heart wood. Do I repeat do not peel any bark other than where you want to layer.
Keep it moist I have used a mixture of sphagnum moss and clay ( akadama dust now ) clay works well for Liquid ambars as well.
I use Stymies method of wrapping clear plastic covered with black for inspection purposes.
It also generates heat which helps root formation. Yes I use a root stimulant for hard wood.
I hope this will help you in having a go as for how long it takes. It is one of those variables depending on weather heat the sub species one was 3 months the rhaphiophylla 6 months.
Which did surprise me as they are water loving swamp dwellers.
As with all fresh cut layers keep the medium around the area till the roots have hardened It will not harm them it has been three years and no problems. Pup

[teejay]

Cheers again Pup that is most helpful. My house is surrounded by a good selection of Melaluecas and I'm keen to start attempting to steal branches from all of them (part of my current air-layering obsession). The info you've given me with definitely come in handy.

The only concern I have with doing this is that the most attractive branches (prospective trunks) are a fair distance from any foliage. This seems to be the case for all of them. Do Mels back bud readily or is the only option to pick a smaller one closer to the foilage?

[Pup]

That is some thing I have disscoverd in the now 17 different species I have.
Not all bud back freely. So that is a question unanswered really. It is trial and error. Do you know what species it is maybe it is one that does?. Pup

[teejay]

I can't say for sure, but I think one is a melaleuca styphelioides and another is Melaleuca linariifolia. These titles are accurate for one at least.

[Jon Chown]

Thanks for that info Pup - I'm going to have a go at one as well. I bought some Richgro root strike for hard wood cuttings today.

Is there any special or best time to attempt this (being impatient, I want to go out and do it now)

Jon

[Pup]

I can't say for sure, but I think one is a melaleuca styphelioides and another is Melaleuca linariifolia. These titles are accurate for one at least.

I have found Linarifolia to be recalcitrant, styphelioides I have not worked on. With linariifolia I have found the hybrid carrot tops does shoots back. The species needs to be brought back slowly slowly. In pot culture it may react differently in nature, so if it can be done without a problem break a branch I repeat break.
The reason I say break over the years I have been working with Melaleuca's I have found they shoot, well from cuts but much more growth from a break is evident.
This last piece of information is in Vita and Dorothy Koreshoff's book on Natives. I tried it and have proven it works. Pup

[Pup]

Thanks for that info Pup - I'm going to have a go at one as well. I bought some Richgro root strike for hard wood cuttings today.

Is there any special or best time to attempt this (being impatient, I want to go out and do it now)

Jon

Jon if there is new growth appearing and is soft not a problem. If not wiat till you have some rain and a bit of warmth they will start a new growth spurt go ahead. If it is not a problem try now and after like I said so we can all learn. Pup

[teejay]

Thanks yet again Pup, you're a wealth of knowledge. Like Jon I'll be out there later today!

I also ordered the Koreshoff book yesterday and it'll be arriving any day now.

[Bonsai26]

Hi mate's just joined because someone wanted to know about bp seed propagation, can't find him now.
has anyone air layered a eucalypt i set a very young shoot, ringbarked it, hormoned and put clear plastic around it, that was May/june and it is still green. i don't know if it will take, or how long it will take. also i want to air layer an apple but i've had no luck with those either.
bonsai26

[Glenda]

Hi mate's just joined because someone wanted to know about bp seed propagation, can't find him now.
has anyone air layered a eucalypt i set a very young shoot, ringbarked it, hormoned and put clear plastic around it, that was May/june and it is still green. i don't know if it will take, or how long it will take. also i want to air layer an apple but i've had no luck with those either.
bonsai26

Welcome to Ausbonsai, Bonsai26! Plenty of helpful, friendly people on here.

Glenda

[outbackdave]

hi, has anyone had any success snapping shoots off eucalypts , soaking them in rooting agent overnight, then putting the shoot in soil?

I have absolutely no bonsai knowledge. But this method has worked with other cuttings in the garden (low success rate) and im wondering if anyone has tried it on eucalypts.

Air layering isnt practical as they arent my trees and theyre in a public place.



I have done this already with a few dozen shoots a week ago, but if it fails dont want to wait until next spring to try again, so would welcome any advice

[Joel]

hi, has anyone had any success snapping shoots off eucalypts , soaking them in rooting agent overnight, then putting the shoot in soil?

I have absolutely no bonsai knowledge. But this method has worked with other cuttings in the garden (low success rate) and im wondering if anyone has tried it on eucalypts.

Air layering isnt practical as they arent my trees and theyre in a public place.



I have done this already with a few dozen shoots a week ago, but if it fails dont want to wait until next spring to try again, so would welcome any advice

It doesnt work. Full stop. Eucs are very reluctant to throw out shoots anywhere above the lignotuber. Airlayering can be succesful (Flybri has done some) but cuttings have an extremely low rate, and are generally termed impossible.

Joel

[outbackdave]

ok thanks
so seed it is