Once again I failed at propagation!!!  I started this air layer at the end of Sept.  I a sure it failed because I didn't score and peel the bark.  Haste made waste of my time :(

And just so everyone doesn't totally lose their faith in my ability to grow things, I included some  pictures of other things in my garden ;)

Awww well all is not lost if you wouldve scored the bark and it didnt make it chances are from the cut up it wouldve died 

I guess I'll try again in the spring.  I did the apex since it is going to be pruned off anyway - start a new tree!  The top of the tree still has figs on it, maybe one will be ready tomorrow!

i made that mistake with an air layer before, removed an inch ring all the way around the branch. it didnt root and from the ring up died. now i just scratch one side lightly with a knife. if it doesnt root it will scare over and be ok. atleast thats how its worked for me thus far. but i prefer cuttings to the air layer method. if i had more and larger trees i would most likly do more air layering. good luck and hope it works out better for you in the future. but atleast its still alive.

Dave

Yes Dave if you just score one side it will scar over in my case they always do but why do you like cuttings better then air layering ? with air layering you have an instant tree of almost any size I air layered two 4 ft unknowns last season and got almost 50 figs between the two granted they werent the best figs (roots/nutrients) but regardless there in 5 gallon pots and loving life if I ever have a chance to air layer I do   PS they where from 25+ year old trees 

Dave, here is a picture of the whole tree.

I have cut about a 3/4 ring of bark off every time, and it has not been an issue. The point of girdling is to force the nutrients and energy coming from the leaves (photosynthesis) to stop at the girdle and form roots.

Jon, that is around the complete circumference right? 

When would be a good time for me to do it?  Before or after it breaks dormancy?  What if it doesn't go dormant?  Everything around here is changing color and losing leaves.  Miss Figgy is taking her time!  Maybe 3 leaves that are on the lower inside of the tree are starting to yellow.

I am not into air layering simply because i dont have many trees and the ones i have are still young. i have 8 trees 5 kinds and the oldest is a 3 year old brown turkey. i dont really have anything to airlayer at this point. i am wanting to put a small orchard in my yard about 35 trees in all and fifteen kinds. once i get there i am sure i will be an air layering fool ;)

very nice tree. Jo-ann

And Jon thanks a million for turning me on to this site.

I'm not Jon, but I think spring / summer is best for air layers!  My grandpa got so mad at this lemon tree he had because it wouldn't produce lemons, and he girdled it almost all the way around!  Fruit!!  Lots of it!!  From that day forward!

Good luck Jo-Ann

Suzi

LOL you (fool) yes its awesome to have a tree so fast.

I agree trees fast are awsome. have airlayerd my cherry tree a time or 2 to give to my friend down the road. hes and elderly chap that honestly didnt have the time for a small tree to to get fruiting. i got into figs 3 years ago. always was told they grew in the desert in some far off land. boy there is alot of misconception out there about these tasty little treats. once i found out i could grow one here i did and fell in love. i add a few more over a couple years then after doing some research i came across Jon's email so i contacted him asking about what figs would grow in my area, and if he knew where i could get cuttings. and he promptly responded with a link to the what figs grow at my location thred. this was yesterday. i registerd and am now here with you fine people haveing a ball :)

And i like cuttings because they are a cheep way to get trees. theres this guy said he just registerd today. he only has a single celest and is looking for cuttings. i am sending him some brown turkey and purple magnolia, he's just going to take care of the postage. i aint asking nothing for em good feeling to help someone out.

JoAnn, you did not fail at all.. I see the little eyes.. if you touch the bark of the trunk you will feel the different of the crusty skin where it started pushing for roots... if i were you and you want that airlayer you should score  just below the area where the little white callous formed, the scoring, need not be bigger than a 1/2" of removed bark all the way around, and put that soil or moss back in place.  did you see the video I posted? the plastic around needs to be very tight, pushing the matter (moss or soil) against the trunk...but not too tight...take a fork and make a few holes in the plastic on the under portion of if water from rain gets in, it has a place to run off rather than sogg up the area.   and whoola, you will have a new tree in the spring... you can do now. I have some out there.. it works... try again, the callous are formed. I see them.  if you touch, you should feel the difference...the tree already put some work into the callous, so, just help it put out the rest of the way!  Good luck there.

I just mailed 5 people cuttings a day ago free of charge I like to help also well I traded 2 of the 5 

Feels good dont it. I dont have much but am willing to share and looking to expand. hands are tied until tax time though. x-mass comming up and three kidoes. The VA is a joke guess it always has been. nothing more to say on that topic.

Get some local unknowns everyone loves a surprise just drive around im sure you will find something growing over someones fence into a parking lot or sidewalk etc just cut some off....And yes it does feel good I like helping out fellow members

Joann, one of the benefits of air layering (as opposed to rooting cuttings) is the ability to take advantage of the power of photosynthesis. When there are leaves on the tree, they provide energy in excess of what is in the twig itself. This additional energy (which can be input as long as there are leaves) drives faster and easier rooting of the air layer. So the time to do it is when the plant is active and has a nice "shock" of leaves. If there are no leaves, then you are relying on the stored energy in the twig, just like when you root a dormant cutting. So start your air-layers in late spring and through the summer - anytime you have probably 8 or so good weeks of growing season left.

When doing this with other plants, it often takes most of the season to get them to root. Figs are easier/quicker.

Finally, it is OK to have some lack of success. Everyone has that issue, even after years of doing something. We have all been there. Sometimes, even when you do everything right things still do not turn out. So don't beat yourself up too bad. Learn and then get back on the horse.

Suzi,  you can look for the literature, but girdling, or partial girdling has been used with many fruiting plants to increase fruit set and productivity. So I am not surprised that it worked on the lemon tree.

most people up here dont even know what a fig is. as far as i know im the only one with 100 miles thats growing any. probly wrong about that. but you cant find fig trees for sale up here in the box stores, greenhouses, lows home depo. my only acsess has been ebay and a few friends from further south that got me my first cuttings. i have a friend from brazil that is going back for a visit in feb. she said she has a huge fig tree in her back yard that has huge fruit she said she would bring me some cuttings back. she dont know what kind they are. and they probly wont grow in my area but i will give a few a try and probly give the rest away to someone that can do more with them than i can. i grow alot of things bananas, citrus, rare pepino melon fruit that hase to be in the house over winter so i need figs that can stay outside. found a few on that list Jon emailed me the link to and i researched whats on my wish list. and theey look like winners to me. ill get there, might have to wait until the planting season as i sell plants like the pepino and small citrus online. but its all been a fun learning experience. and quickly turnning into an addiction.

I am Brazilian and am devouring everything I can in Portuguese and here is what I can tell you... Yes! huge figs due to the weather (tropical) and fertil soils naturally.  I lived there 28 years, love figs and only knew of 2 varieties there "roxo de valinhos" and "pingo de mel". Well, Valinhos is a city interior of Sao Paulo, where the air and ground is suitable for the roxo "purple", and this is a variant of the Brown Turkey!  Bingo... hope she does not get in trouble with the border patrol for bringing you Brown Turkey you can get here!   I have a very large fig producing tree, similar to the roxo de valinhos... and the pingo de mel is the Kadota. you can get them here also!    Trading with people here is a lot of fun, and you will get something that grows in your area.


see page 2: roxo de valinhos (brown turkey) and Pingo de Mel (kadota)

http://www.fag.edu.br/professores/jlbortolossi/Fruticultura/A%20Cultura%20da%20Figueira.pdf

Don't worry -  will not give up, quit, throw in the towel or whatever.  I will propagate.

Even though the tree is still green and we have had temps in the 70s, the air layering season is over for me.  However!!  I will to that same branch in the spring!!  I will also prune other branches at the appropriate time to send out some cuttings!

Not a failed air-layer. A learning experience.

Charles - You are correct!  I will continue learning.

We ALL will Jo-Ann we never stop.

Greetings All After reading so many postings on air layering here in the forum all summer long, I decided to make a few myself on my in-ground Hardy Chicago that produced well over 100 nice figs this year. It was already "late" in the year (Sept) but i figured i had nothing to lose. I started two air layers right at the base of approximately 3 foot branches that were growing straight up from the main stalk/ center.

Procedures followed as follows:

--- Took an xacto knife and girdled entirely around each stalk.
--- wrapped wet sphagnum moss around the stalk/girdled area
--- took a liter size soda bottle and milk container and sliced the length to fit around the length of the stalk
--- stuffed the container completely full with wet sphagnum moss
--- wrapped with duct tape, leaving room at top to add water
--- watered off and on from early Sept to mid October
--- cut the stalks before H. Sandy blew through - discovered nice root balls on both
--- planted root balls in 1 gal pots
--- plants placed in our sun room at about 65F, with nice top bud growth
--- I plan to move them into cooler, cold garage now that they seem established.

This was my first attempt at air-layering, and everything worked as presented in various postings here in the forum.

Regards to all.

Finally getting around to adding some pictures. (Dec  1 2012)

Index of Pictures:
First one - shows the tree in late October with my air-layers at the base of the limbs.
Second picture - air layer after removal from main tree, bottle wrapped in black landscaping wrap.
Third picture - clearly shows the well defined root structure!
Fourth picture - even better idea of the well defined root ball
Fifth picture - better idea of the entire size of this air-layer, a good 3' tall, not bad for a new plant.
Last but not least - a picture of this tree, in full "fruit" in August... "The Mother Tree"