I tried to air-layer my RDB and it looked like it didn't work, So I took all the soil and potting mix out, didn't want mold to establish. I am going to use a plastic bottle and not girdle it, will skim off a little of the bark. Will look to do this near the cleft.  So everyone has different success stories, let me know what pct of potting soil, dirt, perlite or ???? has worked for you.  I am just trying to avoid creating mold issues, Thanks in Advance.

I have been using ground peat moss and have been very happy.

I use about 70% pine bark fines and 30% potting soil containing perlite.

I've used Pro-Mix, Coco Coir and long-fibered SPM. Coir works well enough but root ball falls apart when it's time to pot up. Pro-Mix also works well, but find that I sometimes have to add water. SPM is great. Retains lots of moisture and root ball stays together nicely. Also makes for easy pot-up after separating. Never had a mold issue.

It is related to rooting a cutting, so you want similar conditions. You want something that holds moisture, but also allows air into the rooting zone. I use straight compost. Classically it is done with peat moss.

Mold is generally not an issue with an airlayer.

Girdling is not as important on figs, but very necessary on other plants. It interrupts the flow of nutrients (products of photosynthesis) so that they are used for rooting of the air layer rather than being transported to the plants roots. 

The beauty of the air-layer is that you take advantage of the photosynthetic energy of the leaves, and don't have to rely on the stored energy in the cutting.

Thanks Everyone, decided to do it my way.....LOL     Now Serious: I think the problem with my one air-layer problem, was that it had a lot of soil in it and so it was muddy. Air is important to avoid mold/rotting issues.

Good Luck Armando, you will enjoy success.

I'm new to the air layering thingy, but after watching some YouTube videos and read some threads on this forum, I decided to give it a try back in July. I used premium potting mix (comes mixed with perlite) and a mix of one-gallon containers and plastic bottles and surprise, surprise, all 6 air layers I tried were successful and are now nicely growing in their own pots.

I've had very good results using the following methods for air layering:

-Remove the leaves and figs (if any) from the branches that are about 3/4" thick.
-Score bark all the way around with a utility knife, razor knife, etc.  Then go up about 1" and score another line completely around the branch.  Then slice down the center and peel off the outer layer of bark.
-Next I put a Plastic 2 gallon ziplock-type bag over the branch by slicing the bottom and making the bag into a large sleeve.
-Tape or zip tie the bottom of the bag, fill with about 1 quart of soil, pull the top together and tape or zip tie the top.
-Next wrap the whole bag in a layer or two of aluminum foil to prevent the sunlight from burning the roots as they begin to grow.  After about 2 months, you should have a well enough root system established to cut the branch, remove the foil and plastic and pot/plant the new fig tree.

*Now to answer your question about soil, I typically like to use about 50% Miracle Grow or similar brand potting soil and 50% peat moss.  Make sure the soil mixture is saturated but not dripping wet when you place around the branch for your air layer.

See air-layering

Thanks Jon, that is exactly how I do mine except for the girdle. I guess I'm still learning. Thanks.

My favorite method is with long peat moss. I just use Saran Wrap and string to tie a large ball of it around the girdled branch. Tried with soil, but just made a mess on the ground. If u have a sturdy container, u can probably pack it with just about anything moist.

This is one way to do it. I didn't like how tall my Latarulla was getting and wanted a shorter shrub so I decided to try what I learned here from you fine folks. Put this on about 6 weeks ago and I will leave it for another 6 or maybe even until next spring.

Cheers

Thanks Jon, new the info was somewhere...LOL    Thanks Wayne, LLB,Eric and Otmani.... I like the Saran wrap with Peat Moss, will try one like that and another with a light potting mixture.......  Dan I am doing something similar, One of my VDB fig tree has RKN and so I put some rocks over the soil line and then put a pot on top like your picture, want to save this tree.   Again Thanks Everyone.

Hi Armando93223,
I use a pot and fill it with regular compost from the nurseries ( one with no remaining branches - just black dirt) .
I don't water a lot the airlayer - I water the fig tree and sometimes the dirt at the airlayer.
So you can't have problems with mold, since there is only little humidity.
It is getting late for airlayering. I generally do them on "sap up cycle" so that is in spring till end of July.
But, you're not in Zone7 , so you could attempt it .
A general rule is to be realistic and practical... Choose a two years old branch for airlayering . Leave the pot alone for two months - don't mess it up just out of curiosity.
Good luck !

@dfoster25 IMO you're too optimistic ... I would airlayer each branch coming out of the trunk separately . and then airlayer the Trunk .

people are making air layering harder than it needs to be. use a 1 gallon black nursery pot. cut straight up from one of the bottom holes to the top of the pot. find a low branch then stick the branch through the hole and seal the side of the pot back with tape/ staples/ wire or whatever. remove a little bark from 1 side of the limb and fill with basically any potting soil with a little sand. water daily on hot days 90-100F if in full sun and every other day with mild temps 70-80F if in full sun. in 3 months you have a 1 gallon plant. I've had 3ft plants from a 1 gallon air layer. sealing the top of the pots reduces watering but causes mold and rot and for me it's easier to water then lose a good branch on 1 of my trees. I have 100% success this way not one has been lost. Boris showed me this and it's worked on pomegranates, nanking cherries, figs, kiwi, chaste trees, and more. Thanks Boris! Good luck everyone. 

An update soon to follow. Finally see some roots poking out of the drain holes on the top pot. Almost a year to do this one. But it's a great tasting fig so it should be well worth it.

I apologize for the quality of the photos.  Took me a while to compress them down.  You'll notice the bird in the 5th picture.   Every-time a fig would get close to being ripe, I would lose it to the birds.  I had 30 really nice figs on this one and probably only ate 3.   Anyone wants to pick up the lower half for free, PM me.

   

 

   
 
 

Can I air layer my Desert King using one of the young branch came out this May ? 

Pacifica

yes.  :)

Thanks !

Can I use chicken manure as fertilizer for my Desert King ? When is a good time to put chicken manure and how ?

Thanks for the respond.

Pacifica

Aged chicken manure should be fine in moderation. IMO fresh chicken manure is too hot (high nitrogen) and should be avoided, especially in the heat of summer.

This spring my chickens had free range of my garden area where a mature fig tree is growing. They spent a lot of time working the mulch under the tree for insects and ultimately depositing a considerable amount of manure.

The results were the tree doubled in size to about 18' wide by 15' tall and only produced about two dozen main crop figs compared to last years 4 gallons. This was after a wet spring.

It did produce hundreds of breba figs, more than any time before, but aborted them all as it does every year. I wish I knew of a way to get the tree to hold its brebas.

Hi Jerry,

When is a good time to put chicken manure for my Desert King, I was told should be early spring right ? Is cow or mushroom manure also good for fig tree ? 

Tks

Pacifica, I feed in-ground trees, blackberries and roses on or near Valentines day. That is usually when I do any pruning.

I clean out the chicken yard and hen house in early winter. The manure is spread on the garden and tilled in in late February.

My trees growing in ground are fed with a little commercial fertilizer just thrown on the mulch and watered in. Plants growing in pots are fed with liquid fert every seven to ten days once they wake up in spring.