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A special tree
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Author:  darreng [ 06 Jun 2020, 00:09 ]
Post subject:  Re: A special tree

Well, it's just a hunch really, I have several young larch growing on arihato style. Some are in sanicat, some are in compost. The ones in compost looked very similar to your air layer - yellowing needles - and I realised I was watering them as much as the sanicat ones. Eased off on watering frequency for the compost ones and they slowly start to look better.

Whether that will apply to an air layer - I don't know.

All my failed air layers were due to being kept too wet though. This year I've kept the moss exposed to the air at the top - like using a pot or not sealing the plastic at the top. Too early to say though...

Author:  daryl [ 06 Jun 2020, 08:21 ]
Post subject:  Re: A special tree

Great, thanks for that. I think I was over concerned that it would dry out in the hot weather so I watered it a lot. I’ll open the top for a while and keep an eye on it.

Author:  Paul B [Swindon] [ 06 Jun 2020, 12:29 ]
Post subject:  Re: A special tree

When I do a layer,, if I remember :132doh: I put a small piece of stick in the top and bottom, then tie to it. This allows a small amount of water in and also allows excess water to seep out so that the air layer isn't standing in water.

Author:  daryl [ 06 Jun 2020, 13:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: A special tree

This one is in a cut plastic flower pot and I had been squirting water in the top with a syringe until I saw it run out of the bottom but I think maybe that was too much. I'm going to open the top next time I'm outside but it's very cold and windy today.

Author:  Paul B [Swindon] [ 06 Jun 2020, 14:20 ]
Post subject:  Re: A special tree

I have never found that the flower pot method has worked for me. Always prefer a piece of clear plastic to hold the moss in place, tied top and bottom That way I can bind it tighter to the cut.

Everyone to their own method as long as it works.

Author:  daryl [ 06 Jun 2020, 14:41 ]
Post subject:  Re: A special tree

I tried plastic, Paul, but being a complete novice at any kind of air layering I found it impossible to hold everything in place and get enough moss into a rather limited space. So this is version 2 after I cut away a small branch that wouldn't be needed in the future and made room for a small pot. People always make it look, and sound, so easy when demonstrating on youtube on a nice, straight, easy to reach branch! In practice, even with my small fingers, I find it really fiddly and difficult to do. So I'm not really expecting this to work but will do whatever I can to give it the best chance. If it hadn't been for lockdown I would have found someone to help me :20help:

Author:  daryl [ 24 Jul 2020, 17:33 ]
Post subject:  Re: A special tree

It looks as if this has failed. All the leaves above the cut have dried up and fallen off. I will leave it on for now but I think it’s chances are almost zero.

On a happier note, the layer I put on a Chinese Elm has been a complete success and I was able to separate it and pot it up this afternoon :smallthumb:

Author:  johnbaz [ 25 Jul 2020, 23:38 ]
Post subject:  Re: A special tree

daryl wrote:
It looks as if this has failed. All the leaves above the cut have dried up and fallen off. I will leave it on for now but I think it’s chances are almost zero.

On a happier note, the layer I put on a Chinese Elm has been a complete success and I was able to separate it and pot it up this afternoon :smallthumb:



Sorry to hear about the Larch failing daryl :1crybaby:

I have rather a tall one that I was going to try air layering to reduce the height, I was going to chop it to a branch that's pointing uppards but then thought about the top making a nice Shohin, I read up about it, I think I asked questions on here too, It see,s they're very difficuly to get to root :roll:

This is the tree!

The thinner branch about halfway up and going to the left would be the new leader and the actual trunk heading off to the right could be the new tree!!
Image

A pic from when it didn't have muich growth should show clearer..
Image

An autumnal view of the tree!
Image


John :smallthumb:

Author:  daryl [ 26 Jul 2020, 11:11 ]
Post subject:  Re: A special tree

I would go ahead and try it, John. You've nothing to lose because that right hand branch needs to come off anyway.
I think my early mistake which greatly reduced it's chances (from poor to highly unlikely), was that I was over cautious about keeping the sphagnum damp and in fact I made it too wet. I tried to remedy that by opening the top of the wrap and absorbing some of the excess moisture out with paper towels but I think that probably disrupted the process even more.

At least you have the advantage of a good length of easy to get at branch to cut the layer nice and cleanly and get the wrap around securely.

Have you had success with layering other species?

Author:  darreng [ 26 Jul 2020, 11:12 ]
Post subject:  Re: A special tree

Sorry to hear about that Daryl. I also have a tourniquet layer that looks like it’s failing

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