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Quote:

Originally Posted by Asus101

Brian as a euc master, you showed some images of a airlayer you did. Would you please give us a run down on how you did it, and when you did it?

Euc Master? If you say so...

I assume you are referring to the River Red layer which can be seen in this post. (I've also attached an image of the tree as it is now - as you can see, I'm experimenting with wiring vigorous extended growth.)

2003 is a long time ago, but I don't recall doing anything out of the ordinary with this layer, except that I opted to use a semi-rigid container to hold the medium (sphagnum moss, in this case) rather than trying to wrap a wad of the stuff around the layer site. (Trying to describe the way I affixed the container to the tree is very difficult without photos... If you don't get it worked out, perhaps I can recreate the process in pictorial form at a later date.)

Take a very sharp knife (such as a snap-blade utility blade, or a scalpel or razor blade) and push the cutting edge (not the tip) into the bark at an angle of 90° to the branch/trunk. Apply pressure until you feel a 'pop' - this is the point where the cambium layer meets the xylem (it can take some time before you get the feel for this).
Repeat the process around the girth of the trunk until you have formed one complete ring. Do the same for the second ring, bearing in mind that the distance between the two rings should be approximately 1.5 - 2 times the width of the branch/trunk in question.
Once both rings are cut, use the tip of the knife to make a lengthwise cut which joins the two ring cuts - if you have made all cuts to the correct depth, you can use the knife tip to prise the bark open at this third cut. The band of bark should peel away readily, but may require some tidying up after the fact. The exposed xylem should be smooth and free of any bridging cambium fibres.
Apply rooting hormone (or not - I have largely given up on auxins when layering healthy Eucs), apply a generous amount of moist growing medium, water well, and secure against the elements. In the case of this particular layer, the takeaway container was the only protection from drying winds and sunlight. In other cases, plastic cling film, shopping bags, aluminium foil and/or black plastic may be used, but I prefer the rigidity and control offered by nursery pots and the like (I have a couple of Euc layers in progress, and I'll try to get pics later today to better illustrate how I do it)
Wait. Timing will vary from tree to tree, and will also depend largely upon the time of year. If the layer site becomes bridged by cambium, the layer may set few or no roots, and you will need to re-strip the wound and start afresh. Should the medium ever become dry, the layer will most probably fail.

So, the process is no different for the Eucs (and associated genera) than for other species, in my limited experience. As Eucs can grow virtually year-round given the right conditions, I would consider starting a layer any time when growth is present or about to begin.

I hope this helps.

Thanks.

Fly.