I started my first air layer on a VdB I purchased from a forum member about 5 weeks ago.  It was on a little branch very near ground level.  Everything looks good and I have it potted up but I need to know, should I clip some or most of the leaves off?  Or maybe even one of the branches?  It grew a lot while rooting, and I am not sure if the roots can handle all those leaves. 

 
 
   

Thanks for any help or advice!

Yeah, that does look like a lot of leaves, will see what the experts say. I read somewhere, not sure ???   You may cut a few in half instead...anyway will see what everyone says.

It'll be fine. If you have many large leaves, I clip all except the distal three or four leaves. 

Have you cut the air layer already?
If you can leave it until fall when the leaves fall off when it goes dormant.

Thanks, I think I need to trim the leaves.  pino - yes, it is potted up.

Phil,

If you haven't already, cut the leaves but leave the leaf stems on. They will fall off within a week.
Everything else looks good.

Congrats. 

Hi rafed,

Thanks - should I leave the top 3 leaves on each branch?

Hi drphil69,
I would have put it deeper in the dirt so that all 3 stems would been buried in the dirt.
I would have removed the leaves touching/being in the dirt.
You could leave the tree like that, just water + fertilizer to help the tree grow strong and quick. I wouldn't touch the leaves - because the tree has enough roots IMO ...

Thanks all for your advice.  The leaves were starting to wilt last night, so I took rafed and leon's suggestion to cut all but the distal 3 leaves. 

It looks strange with the leaf stems sticking out, but the remaining leaves look happy :-)

jds - since those stems grew so much, I have plans to air layer the 2 side branches when they're ready, probably next year unless they decide to grow like bonkers over the next month or so.  But I agree it would have made a nice bush had I done so!