Can I air layer a branch that is 2-3" in diameter and 5 feet long?  This branch is in full flourish so should I trim some of the leaves?  Tree is currently showing a lot of figs, should I wait until after harvest?  This a "legacy" tree (50 yr old Celeste) that is going to be severely pruned to prevent further damage to a roof, hate to waste the branches.

Danny, I did that, but not sure I knew what I was doing, after a few weeks, I opened and found no roots but lots of pointing eyes (callus tissue) so I saw it off anyway and put in a garbage can with regular soil from my garden- it stayed there all winter and this spring it is sprouting- all I can think is the roots formed in the can- I am not looking, so crossing my fingers it worked.  you have to try- it is a lot easier than rooting the cutting detached from the momma tree.  Good luck.

Danny,
I have been successful in air layering large branches with minimal effort. The caliper at the girdle point was 2-3 inches and there was over 6 feet of multiple branches above each air layer (the pictured un-pruned air layer was the smallest). The air layers were cut from the tree in only 5-6 weeks due to predicted first frost.



My procedure is as follows:
1. Remove the bark at air layer point (girdle), 1 to 1-1/2 inch wide.
2. Wrap the wound (girdle) with moistened long fiber Sphagnum Moss (about 2 cups) and tie with string.
3. Place a plastic 1 gallon jug slit length wise with 2 "V" notches cut in the bottom center, upside down around moss.
4. Tape top of jug (bottom of air layer container) to the tree with electrical tape.
5. Fill the jug with moistened Peat Moss, tie container closed with string or wire and tape slit closed.
6. You could then wrap with saran wrap or plastic to seal ( I left it open to add water and allow for draining rain).

I did not use any rooting hormone and the leaves and fruit above the air layer were not disturbed (the figs were harvested).  Nothing else was needed to secure the jug to the branch and tree. The tape at the bottom and the 2 "V" notches at the top were sufficient.

Note: I mixed 1 cup of Dolemite Limestone to each 5 gallons of peat moss. The two "V" notches form a square around the branch exiting the top of the airlayer container. The square opening was much easier to create that a circle.
Good Luck.

Danny K...

When successful, and I'm sure, you will be, you'll have "instant" legacy-trees, at the fig-bearing age.

Good luck.

Frank