Air Layering A Japanese Maple

Jay

Stephen,
I think the method is pretty much the same regardless of the 'size' of the branch. It is easier to do on smaller branches, but sometimes if the size is real small, it is easier to just remove the branch and try to do a cutting. Cuttings are more iffy but do require less effort. Also if either does not work you could find a small seedling locally.

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A Bonsai student living with his trees at N 44.37 W 77.49...
Think before you act... then think again... no good comes from rushing

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stephentoddpope

ok, thanks, and 1 more question, do i have to have peat moss, or will any bushy fluffy moss do, cause i have a bunch of fluffy green moss around the house

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"A Bonsai! A Bonsai! My kingdom for a Bonsai!"

William Shakespeare

Jay

Stephen, I have never used peat moss... I use Spagnum moss, not the same thing!!! As for other options, I'm sure there are, I just do not know them!

__________________
A Bonsai student living with his trees at N 44.37 W 77.49...
Think before you act... then think again... no good comes from rushing

stephentoddpope

what is spagnum moss, where can you get it, is it expensive?

__________________
"A Bonsai! A Bonsai! My kingdom for a Bonsai!"

William Shakespeare

stephentoddpope

you can probably tell that i've never done an airlayer before

__________________
"A Bonsai! A Bonsai! My kingdom for a Bonsai!"

William Shakespeare

Carl_Bergstrom

stephentoddpope,

You can get spagnum moss at most any nursery. Typically costs about two bucks for a packet with enough to do dozens of airlayers.

Or if you don't have spagnum moss, I'm told that straight perlite works as well, though you'd probably want to secure that in a pot around the airlayer site.

I wouldn't try garden-collected moss.

The other thing is that you might find it difficult to do an airlayer on anything smaller than a pencil. Anything smaller than that, I'd probably try taking cuttings instead.

Cheers,
OMC

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In love with trees

stephentoddpope

pencil thick is just thinner than what i want, thanks, i will try to get some when i can, would i have to wait till the end of summer to take it off with the smaller, or will it be ready faster on a smaller layer?

__________________
"A Bonsai! A Bonsai! My kingdom for a Bonsai!"

William Shakespeare

Carl_Bergstrom

I'd guess that tree species, general vigor of the upper part (four leaves may be too little, though I don't know that for sure), growing environment, fertiziler regime, and other factors will have more impact on the time-to-rooting than will the size of the airlayer. (Not to say that you can do a 12" stump as fast as a 1" one, just that these other factors matter more than the difference betwen 1/2" and 1".)

Cheers
OMC

__________________
In love with trees

stephentoddpope

ok, so i just need to start the layer in spring and take it off at the beginning of fall

__________________
"A Bonsai! A Bonsai! My kingdom for a Bonsai!"

William Shakespeare