Large air layers done with the easy rubbermaid method i mentioned in my last post.
After cutting larger air layers i like to bag them using these large clear trash bags after having sprayed the inside of the bag with a water hose. I think this helps the plant transition and it does not transpire any. I will leave them like this for several weeks up to a month or so and gradually let in air by poking holes in the bag and eventually untying it and taking it off. Never put in full sun, these are in a shaded area.

This bagging or "sweating" method can also be used to stimulate a tree to break its lateral buds without trimming the apical or terminal buds. This helps the tree to branch out and get bushier if desired. The two smaller pots in the last photo are of two Sierra fig trees recently purchased that got too hot in one gallon pots at the nursery. They had dropped a lot of leaves and the ones remaining were very dry and brittle and were not pushing any new growth... After only a few days in the bags they are pushing new leaf growth and more lateral buds are opening. I highly recommend this for any trees that have been slow to grow or havent responded much to fertilizer. 


     

They look good, I have 2 ice crystal air layers in "oxygen tents" as we speak but they need another week.

question about layering. I have an Italian Black that has fruit right, probably will start ripening in a couple weeks. I want to airlayer the top for another plant. Should I wait until the crop is done or can I start the airlayer while the fruit is still ripening?

Very nice, Justin!  Thanks for the great explanation.


Gene,

My instincts would be to let the fruit ripen or pluck them off before air layering.  I remove all but a few leaves when I air layer.  Maybe someone will chime in with more experience.

Gene,

If the parent tree is well established, you can start a layer while it is producing fruit. Time your layer so the fruit is gone before you separate the offspring.

Justin,

I am wondering if the tents are necessary in Houston. When I lived in Clear Lake, I did not have any humidity chambers since the ambient humidity was so high. I even had roots extend beyond the walls of my air pruning pots.

To my experience...sweating is a MUST to make sure the plants don't get dehydrated at all during the settling. I's keep them on for at least 2 weeks.

Hi all,
I have a greenhouse for the tomatoes - to start them earlier.
As it is empty since mid-may, I did put some pots with some sticks that I have pinched ( green growth of 4-8 cm of length).
The five sticks went to a water pot for a month, and two weeks ago, they went to pots of compost in the greenhouse.
I had one outside, and it started wilting. Back in the greenhouse now, the leaves did perk up ...
I may have 5 more "Dalmatie" trees ... Who knows ?
So yes, humidity is important especially for the green growth.
If those pots make it, I'll open a topic for this propagation method . If some of you ,pinchers , want to give it a try ... Do it now while the stems are still full green !
- Between 4 and 8 centimeters of fresh growth
- so some 4 leaves
- remove the bottom 3 leaves
- put in water for a month
- change water each week
- when root-bumps show up after 4 weeks, put in a pot in compost in a greenhouse for humidity.
- Put recipients of water in the greenhouse for more humidity .

"Sweating" isn't totally necessary in high humidity climates like here in Houston. You wouldn't need to do it on smaller air layers with a good root to shoot ratio. I do it on my very large air layers because the root to shoot ratio is lower and i dont want the plant to struggle with uptake etc.

I have done several of these air layers on branches loaded with figs and when they are bagged they do not drop the figs. Without bagging them most would drop some or all of the fruit in my experience.