Greetings All

Just wanted to provide you all with a quick update on my late season air-layering semi-success here in Maryland. First a quick side story. Last year I started four airlayers on my in-ground Hardy Chicago using the old soda bottle and/ or milk jug technique. Three of four were very successful and went on to be nice trees this year. Seeing the rave reviews on the "root pots" I ordered up a set of the large ones to try this season. Received the root pots, one was broken on delivery, and set about in mid-August using them on my HC and Celeste.

I found the root pots themselves to be a bit brittle and hard plasticy, vice the softer plastic of a milk jug. The latches that secure the sides were very clumsy to use, as was the lid and it's tie down straps. In the end I ended up using black duct tape to firmly secure both the container's sides as well as the lid. In the end, they did fasten well to the tree branches that I wanted to airlayer, but I feel like they are overpriced for what you actually receive. I can't see them lasting year after year, that's for sure.

So, today I figured it was time to unveil the four air- layers. I was very disappointed on the ones started on the HC. I think my problem was that I didn't strip enough of the bark back. On close inspection, I could see the area that I had scraped had formed a nice callous over the wound, no roots.

Last but not least was the Celeste. I was really hoping that I had cut more bark back on this one, as it was one of the wife's favorite and she really hoped we'd have another tree next year. I was lucky and must have done this one correctly. I severed the Celeste airlayer, and before I opened the root pot, I could already see that it was filled with roots. Success.

Attached is a collage of the successful Celeste air-layer.

Bottom line, if you are on the line as far as to purchase root pot, or not, I think my vote would be to save your money fir other items you really need. Milk jugs and/ or soda containers work just as well.

I went back and found a picture of the Celeste air layer when I first started it on 19 August.

Thanks for the report on late season airlayers!  I had condidered doing airlayers around that time but assumed it wouldn't work.  I guess I should have given it a try.  For the  mid-season airlayers I've done (which all worked) I removed a ~ 1 inch section of bark about 2/3-3/4 of the way around the branch.  I think I'll try some early Spring airlayers i.e. set up the airlayers a week or two before bud-break.