Failed acer air layer

Kylezo

Hello everyone. I recently had 2 air layers on a red barked cultivar of acer palmatum. Both air layers failed and I ahven't got a clue why. I asked the maple experts at my local bonsai club but nobody really had an answer.

I set the layers about a month and a half ago. I used sphagnum moss and Rootone powdered root hormone. I think that they may have rotted from being too wet (although I watered them only a few times). Here is a picture of one branch - not one tiny nub of a root present anywhere on either attempt.








The leaves began turning crispy on one branch about a week before the other one, and they both slowly died. Here is a picture of the leaves.






Any insight?

Thank you!

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bonsaikc

Check my answer at KoB.

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FlyBri

KoB? What is this KoB? Can we get a link?

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watchndsky

Must admit - I didnt know what KoB was either.....but some sleuthing revealed....

http://knowledgeofbonsai.org/forum/...php?p=6299#6299

Can I ask why it wasnt posted here? Is that a completely different forum or connected somehow etc?

gregb

I think the length of the strip you peeled was too much--about twice as long as was needed. If you used good sphagnum moss, it is a natural fungicide that should not have encouraged fungal growth. Make sure you wipe your tools off real well with rubbing alcohol before you cut into the bark and keep your work area as clean as possible.

Keep trying until you have success. Be sure to chop the moss if it isn't already; makes it easier to remove it from the roots when the layer takes. Good luck

bonsaial1

Airlayering maples takes some special precautions to be 100%. First of all like Greg B said make sure you wipe all tools down with hexol before doing any work. Hexol can be purchased at any drug store over the counter. It is an antiseptic and pine based so it is harmless to plants.

This branch looks like it suffered from virticillium wilt before it even had a chance. There is no callous and it looks like it may have dried out and weakened and then the infection started which took it for good. Make sure you remove the branch and burn it so it does not infect the rest of the tree. You won't over water a layer. They won't rot. The bark must be kept moist at all times to root. It can't get dry at all after the rooting starts or they will dry off in a matter of hours and die. Keep vigilent.

Coral bark maples are sort of finiky anyway so don't feel too bad that your layer did not take. On your second try you might want to cut a plastic pot that can be attached with wire around the branch and fill it with pure sand mixed with well chopped sphagnum moss. This will ensure that it won't dry out before callousing starts. No callous no roots.

Wishing you better luck next time, Al

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Kylezo

Thanks for the replies, fellas. I think I let it dry out immediately and that's when it got infected, then I watered it a lot more.

I did use a plastic pot for my next air layer wheich I put on a normal green acer palmatum. I will try another layer on this cultivar but I will be much more careful next time. I definitely want to get one of these 'in' the ground!

I made sure to sanitize and clean my tools using hexol and rubbing alcohol. I used a plastic pot filled with chopped sphagnum moss and horticultural sand. We'll see what heppens!