hornbeam airlayer...

dancinzen

techniques on layering a korean hornbeam turcanzinoz in the bay area...i have this tree i want to airlayer i think it will improve the tree...

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BrianBay9

By Bay area, which bay do you mean? San Fancisco bay? Hudson Bay?


Brian

Tiberious

Lets start with San Francisco Bay, and go from there. (I have a hornbeam I want to air layer too, so excuse the shameless SF Bay Area promotion!)

BrianBay9

I've tried four hornbeam airlayers - in the San Fran bay area. I have only one success, although I think I know why. These were done by pretty standard techniques. Remove a ring of bark and cambium. I painted on a slurry of rooting hormone (didn't have any of the liquid form). Wrapped in wet moss, then wrapped the whole thing in clear plastic tied off at top and bottom.

The hornbeam airlayers seem to take much longer to form roots than my other decidious trees. On my failures, I assumed they must have had enough time (about 12 weeks), even though I couldn't see any roots, and had a look. They had formed those nice callous-like nodules of root tissue, but no roots per se. I rewrapped and left them longer, but they died.

My next attempt was a success. I let it go all summer, and well into the fall before messing with it at all (must have been six months). We have the luxury here in California of letting the layers go for a very long time since we don't get freezing weather. My experience with hornbeam suggests that standard techniques work, but much patience is required.

Brian

rockm

Korean hornbeam are notoriously weak at the roots. I wouldn't be too optimistic about a successful first time air layer...