My buddy JD asked me to show how I air layered my trees using small 8oz plastic bottles.  Well, here goes...

I found these small cheap 8oz soda pop bottles.  They were 10 for a dollar.  Using a soldering iron, I melted a large hole in the bottom.  And using the dremel, I cut off the top.  Now you can either use scissors or use the dremel to cut the slit from the top of the bottle to the bottom.  I like using the dremel because you have to cut the bottle all the way pass the melted hole.  And the only way you can do this safely and quickly is with a dremel.  Then open the the bottle from the side like you are splitting an apple with your bare hands.  If you don't do this and if the plastic is hot, when it cools it will seal itself close. Now you have a small flexible bottle.  See pics below.

Next I locate a good spot to layer.  I remove a few leaves and scrap away a very little of the bark just enough till i see the green .  Next I wet the soil mixture.  For the mixture I use a very light airy mix called Pro-Mix BX.  I add some water and stir it up just enought to make it moist, NOT DRIPPING WET.  The mixture will be light and airy and moist.

Next I fill each bottle with the soil before placing it around the branch.  Next, gently wrap the soil mixture bottle around the branch and fill in more of the soil mixture until the bottle is full.  Then I apply 2 strips of clear mail wrap tape making sure the slit in the bottle is facing upwards.  Why?  Because whenever I water my trees or whenever it rains, I want the bottle to get some of that water, it won't get too wet.  Then last thing I do is stuff the top of the bottle with New Zealand moss.  This stuff is great!  It doesn't let too much water get inside and protects the branch too.  There is one picture showing that I started 4 weeks ago, and you can see the roots in there.  Tomorrow I plan on repoting it up into its own container.  This one with roots is a Chico Strawberry.  I ended up air layering Stella, Chico, Chico Strawberry, Improved Celeste, Celeste, Arteano, LSU Purple, Green Turkey and a few others I can't remember at the moment.  I like air layering.  It was fun and easy to do.  It is a sure good way to take a piece of your tree in case one dies from weather.  Thanks for watching, cheers

Very nice!  I'm stuck with scissors.  No dremmel, but glad this works with smaller bottles.  We drink a ton of gatorade here in the desert, so I'm sure that size bottle will work.  Thanks for the pics!
Suzi

My method is to use a small peat starter pot
I cut it from the hole in the bottom on an angle up the side.
I wrap a small zip lock bag that i cut the top off and slit to lay flat
around the branch that i have just girdled i staple the bag the bag together in place.
I than place the peat pot around the branch fill it with damp S M than wrap the plastic and staple together.
The peat pot is dark and when the roots break through the pot i know it is time to cut and transplant.
No need to wrap with foil.

Al
NJ Z6

Yes Suzi, I think gatorade bottles will work.  Al, I like the idea using the peat pots, especially the large ones.  But wouldn't all the peat fall out if you cut the netting?  I'm going to also try making a superoot pot out of some of my used large plastic bottles.  I think this will work too.  But I'm going to have to find a way to seal the top.

Dennis.
The long fiber P M does not fall apart.
When you take the poly bag off you have a peat pot intact with the  all the tender roots inside undisturbed. Depending on how long you let the pot hang on the branch there are only a few roots on the sides of the peat pot.

I like the peat pot ideal, one doesn't have to disturb the roots when planting. just plant the whole thing.

That is the idea behind this method.
I have found that bad transplanting and over watering = dead fig trees

Al
Z6 NJ

I can see where transplant shock could set in. And over watering trees with under developed roots to absorb it all. What causes transplant shock?  

OH!  I get it now!  I'm thinking of peat pellets that you add water to that expand when you add water.  What you're using are peat cups!  I need to try those.  I like the pictures of yours too.  Hmmmm. I'm gonna have to try it.

Hi Dennis,
i learned this similar method from Jon when he posted so i take no credit.
He once said they root easily when they come in contact with something moist.
Here are some pictures hope you dont mind) to add to your Marathon !

A 10oz water bottle cut in half, hole cut in bottom for stem, then each half filled with potting soig soil and brought together over stem and duck taped.
In picture you can see 1 half of 10oz bottle removed showing roots then potted for forum member to pick up.

Wow, those are some monster roots Martin!  Very nice!

Dennis, I have found the branches that come out from under the growing the soil line will have it's own roots.  It can be removed while the tree is dormant and root work is being done.

For those of you who have small air-pots, they make great air-layers, especially for larger limbs (see pics).  I put my normal growing mix in the air-pots.  When the limb comes off the parent tree, it goes into a larger container with the same growing mix.
    For thinner limbs, I use SM wrapped in plastic to keep the weight down.

~james

Dennis,

Thanks for this post! Your visuals, combined with what I have read and seen from Martin and Leon, got me outside yesterday to air layer with confidence. I have done it once before with success but it is always better with visual examples to accompany the English.

I have about 10 air layers that I would like to do. Given then long warm season here in Tallahassee, I have more than enough time to get good roots and for those roots to get modestly established in pots.

JD

Hi Dennis,

Are those roots sticking up out of the bottles, or is that that moss you mentioned?

When you scrape away some of the bark, in what size of an area do you do this?  For the whole part that will be inside the bottle?

Thanks,

noss

Noss, yeap those are root you see there.  I scrape away the brown layer of bark from the top of the bottle to the botom. thanks,

noss,

All you need is a one inch cut, or less, between two leaf nodes near the base of the stem.  The idea is to remove a strip of bark to encourage root growth.  Making a longer cut would have no better effect.  It looks like sphagnum moss sticking out of the top of the bottle, not roots.  The roots will be more white, and very noticeable, when they grow.

Hmmmm, I think I've proven that you really don't have to cut that much off to generate roots.  All I did was scrape away until I found green and it worked!  And yes as stated in my post I fill each bottle at the top with moss to keep out too much water and for support.

The third pic from left to right is the ONLY ONE pic showing roots.  The other pics show the air layering I did at the day of posting and do not have roots yet.

Andrew, all I did in this post is explain what I did and show the results which is what was requested of me.  We all have different ways of doing things, and this is my way of air layering.   thanks,

Dennis,

I was answering the question at the same time you were.  I didn't see your reply or mean to step on your toes.  And you're correct, to each his own way of doing things.  The end result is what we are all striving for.

thanks Andrew!  I agree.  Cheers

Has anyone tried air layering a branch with figs on it?
My new Kadota fig has two branches that I could air layer, one branch has four figs and the other has two.
Would the figs fall off or stay on?
Would it be too much stress for the branches?

Buster:
I think you're fine: I've got over a dozen a.l.'s going on my petit negri & I don't see any effect on the fruits at all.
[It doesn't have as many fruits as I would like but I've got 15 of them in my Hoop House locale & most are loaded].
So AIR-LAYER AWAY, I say.

Hi Dennis,

Thanks for the instructions of how you scrape the bark on the fig branch to air layer.  I have mostly seen air layering instructions that say to cut a girdle strip around the branch.

I'm wanting to try air-layering some thicker branches--A mega-air-layer!  Just for fun to see if it works.  Don't know why it wouldn't if my trees' trunks put out roots if the mulch is right up around them.

I will girdle a limb and scrape a limb and see what happens.  Please wish me luck?

Thanks,

noss

Noss,

There are some differences in the procedure for layering thicker (presumably longer, as well) limbs.  Unless you, remove the limb while the parent tree is dormant, you need more roots to sustain a larger top.  There are two strategies for this:

1. Use a larger container (don't use a ball of SM).  This is is the easier of the two.  The downside is monitoring root growth early on.
2. Start with a smaller layer then "pot up" after roots have started crowding the container.  This is a bit more effort but I think worth it.

Andrew,

I haven't left a layer on during dormancy.  I have found layered limbs are more susceptible to stress than other limbs.  The removed layer will continue to grow roots during dormancy, as long as the root zone is kept above ~50F.  So a limb that is removed just before dormancy doesn't need as much root mass as one taken off during active times.  Also, if you let the roots establish themselves in the container during the quiet time, it will be ready to grow in the spring.

"Left to heal" meant I removed the layer, and let the girdle heal itself.

~james