Largest Air-layer ever taken.

[Mitchell]

Hi all.

Thought it might be interesting to see what is the biggest air-layer you have ever taken off a bonsai/tree.

Pics would be great, but I am happy with your word on it.
It just had me thinking, is there a limit? I'm thinking not given correct balances.

Would love to hear your thoughts etc.


Cheers.

[Bougy Fan]

Banksia Integrolia - taken off about 2 weeks ago and new buds are shooting. This is growing in our garden and took a long time - had to scrape back about 3 times as it was determined to bridge the gap and not put out roots. It's too dark to take photos of it in it's pot, but where it caloused it has swollen the trunk nicely.


Tony

Banksia airlayer.jpg

[Mitchell]

Thanks Tony, that's what I'm talken' 'bout!!

Any other takers?

[Ash]

Although not technically an 'aerial' layering in 1997 I layered two large fig trees that were over 4 m tall. The layering was done at their root level by digging a trench all the way around the tree and to 50 cm deep and about the same wide, layer cutting the major roots, painting with a root gel available at the time and then back filling with sharp river sand. I pruned the tops of the trees and shredded some leaves off but this became boring so most were left in place. The trees were lifted with a forklift over three months later and moved to be street trees. They are now enormous figs. From a physiological view-point I don't think that there is an upper limit to stem diameter provided that the difference between the leaf area above and the root area below is not so huge that one outstrips the other.
Just have a go!
Ash

[Watto]

Here is a crab apple I layered. Just used the traditional method, but I like the end result. No where near as big as the fig, but this year I will be undertaking a couple more so I will see how those go. At the time of seperation it was about 60mm.

[MattA]

Hey Mitchell,

Not the largest, but I currently have this pear being layered that is about 15cm in dia viewtopic.php?f=104&t=4245&hilit=field+ ... r&start=15.

In the past I have air layered a magnolia of approx 25cm dia, Japanese maple 15cm dia, Privet approx 20cm dia, wisteria 25cm dia, willow over 30cm dia, ground layered a mulberry 35cm dia. There are a few other big layers I have done in the past but cant think off top of my head what species, time I started keeping better records.

A lot of the larger layers are done to be split into portions later or used for garden trees. I have found over the years of moving larger garden trees that they respond better if root work is carried out a year or 2 before if possible.

Matt

[bodhidharma]

G'day Mitchell, i have layered a Coprosma 200mm across. It was layered and covered with a very large square plastic bucket and left for one year.Both trees are doing fine.

[Pup]

My own was a 5cm corky bark elm about 10 years ago. Unfortunately last year it dried out and died I still have it sitting on my PC desk.
To remind me of what I have done wrong. Even after 25= plus years of growing or trying to grow Bonsai.

This thread reminded me of an article in the now defunct Bonsai Today. In BT number 26 page 36 is an article by Yusei Mitsuya, he has taken a 8inch 20cm airlayer from a Cryptomeria.
What is more it was taken from a tree 22 feet or 7 metres , the layer was 65inches 165 cm high and as said 8 inches in diameter 20 cm in 1967 in September 1981 it was 42 inches 106 cm, so that was 17 feet 6.5 metres from the ground.
There are some more pictures of its progress.
Then the last picture shows the tree as a formal Bonsai ( notice I said formal not formal upright as it has a hollow trunk ) at 37 inches 94 cm high width is 29 inches 73 cm the diameter at the base is 8 inches 20 cm.

I am sorry I do not have a copier, so no pics I tried with the camera but just cant get them to focus properly. So if any one reading this has a copier an BT number 26 please feel free to show the pictures.
Cheers Pup

[Bougy Fan]

Speaking of air layers Mr Pup are there any natives that cannot be layered ? I have a callistimon that has been done for nearly 3 months and is only starting to show signs of calousing. Are they normally slow ?


Tony

[Pup]

Speaking of air layers Mr Pup are there any natives that cannot be layered ? I have a callistimon that has been done for nearly 3 months and is only starting to show signs of calousing. Are they normally slow ?


Tony

Do not want to hijack but I am only just trying, as I have been fortunate enough to get small as well as large from my collecting, and cuttings on most of the varietys I grow do strike well.

So as I have not had success with layering at this point in time, though the tops and bottoms of the tree's I am working with are looking fine I cannot see any roots yet. So as it is only a couple of months yes I have photographed them, I cannot say.

Cheers Pup

[Mitchell]

Interesting replies guys. So it seems given special attention and balancing roots to foliage, there perhaps is no limit.