Air layering Question for Japanese Maples

Eaglion

Hi all,

This will be my first message here.

I bought a new Japanesse Maple last weekend. It is about 180 cm (6 feet) tall. I have bought it for is nebari and lower trunk. As the season do not allow me to work on it much, I am planning to divide the tree to several peieces by air layering.

The trunk ramifies to two main branches like "Y". The branch i want to keep has already been choped several times that it has a very good taper if left alone. The other trunk is very wide and it keeps its width almost to the top.

My question is;

Can I air layer several parts of the branch at the same time or should i have to do it from top to bottom one by one?

If i have to do it one by one it will take several seasons and i will loose control and form of the porposed trunk and the other branch. It is obvious that if i layer the branch from its bottom first to gain control of the proposed trunk early, the brach will not survive with its new roots. The separated part will be 7 cm (2.8 inch)thick and 150 cm (5 feet) tall.

Thanks in advance,

__________________
Taylan Benker
Eurosia Bonsai Club-Turkey
www.avrasyabonsai.com

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Joanie

I would consider removing the entire large branch, then in later years when it is removed, doing further air layers on it. You can go ahead and do multiple air layers on one branch, as long as there is enough foliage between layers, but why take that chance?

Joanie

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Eaglion

Thanks Joanie,

Do you believe, the new roots support the entire branch ( in this case, almost a tree) if i only layer from the bottom? Japanesse trees are very hard to find here and very expensive! The remaining trunk will still worth but I still do not want to risk the others.

The branch has more than enough folliage. It can be layered and choped to at least four parts and still all will look like a complete tree.

__________________
Taylan Benker
Eurosia Bonsai Club-Turkey
www.avrasyabonsai.com

Joanie

If I were going to airlayer the entire branch, and when it had roots in the airlayer if I were worried about whether the roots would support the foliage, I would trim the foliage somewhat when I removed the airlayer. That would be safe.

If there is a lot of foliage between the areas that you want to airlayer, you should be able to do multiple air layers on one branch. I have done two airlayers on one branch, one above the other, with lots of foliage in between. That did work.

If they are rare and expensive, I would tend to be more careful, and not push the tree too much. You can always take more layers later. If your summers are hot and dry, like ours are, the foliage will be stressed possibly before the roots are ready to seperate. If the foliage is stressed in the heat and dryness, you may be less successful with the multiple layers. Just something to consider.

Bonsai is about patience, and sometimes the plan for a tree is years in the making...

Joanie

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Eaglion

Hı Joanie,

Thanks for your second reply. Normally, the summers should be 30-35 C with high humidity. Because of this global warming, last few years were out of normal range. Last year it exceeded 45C with low humdity. This year it is still around 10C with heavy rain. We do not have a reliable prediction for this summer.

My main concern was not time but the safety of the tree. Based on your message, i will layer from the bottom and one from the middle.

I was planning to trim back the foliage in May. Should i postpone it to later date? ie; During potting the newly layered branches.

I have layered lots of trees before but this is my first Japanese maple. From what i had read so far they are a bir reluctant to rooting. So i am anxious as a newbee.

Thanks.

__________________
Taylan Benker
Eurosia Bonsai Club-Turkey
www.avrasyabonsai.com

Joanie

Don't trim the foliage on the area that you are going to airlayer, unless it really is dense. The more foliage, the faster the roots will develop. I have had excellent luck with Japanese maples. Is the tree in partial shade, or dappled shade? You'll want to protect the foliage from the hot sun when your summer starts.

Also, if you use clear plastic on the airlayer, you might want to cover it with something that isn't clear. I use black plastic, but if that will absorb too much heat it can kill the roots that you are trying to grow. Burlap would work. Or something like that. Then you can peek at the roots developing inside of the clear plastic without disturbing them.

Let us know how it goes! Does anyone else have suggestions for Eaglion?

Joanie

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Eaglion

Dear Joanie,

I guessed so.

It is in my covered balcony. Although balcony it is not sunny now, it will be in summer. I placed it at the corner between my training shelves that it will rest in partly shade during the sunny summer day.

I use clear plastic sheets to easly check rooting. After one month, I usualy cover them with a second layer of dark colored plastic. This avoids root tips to expose direct sun when they reach to the sheet border. We do not have shagnum moss here. So i make a mixture with turface, perlite and a small amount of Stockosorb gel. This mixture holds water in provides moisture for a very long time but do not cause and excessive water. This avoids sudden heat strikes to dry the roots even in the fleld layering which i can hardly check once a week.

Thanks for all the information.

__________________
Taylan Benker
Eurosia Bonsai Club-Turkey
www.avrasyabonsai.com

froufrou

Can use aluminium foil.

Eaglion

Nice idea. Never though of that. Thanks.

__________________
Taylan Benker
Eurosia Bonsai Club-Turkey
www.avrasyabonsai.com