So, I finally did an air layer on my Black Mission fig and it took!! Today i looked at it and it has so many tiny figs!!!

My question: Should I go ahead and cut my airlayer even with the figs on it and, will the figs mature on the airlayer?

Thanks in advance for your great advice!
Meg

How old is the mother tree that you airlayered. .

Do not worry, the air layer will drop the figs after you cut it if it cannot support them. The plants know what to do to survive most of the time.

Richie, the tree is about 3 years old. It may be a little older but Im not sure.

Igor, so figs dont always drop off? I mean, an airlayer can hold the figs then? Not that it will...

Meg,
The air layer has nutrition just like the rest of the tree. I did this on one of my trees before. I ate the figs first then cut the air layer.

Sas, I thought about that too. There are a lot of tiny figs and, after waiting like FOREVER for a fresh fig...well, i was not sure if i should risk it. Im not in a rush for the airlayer. I guess it will just keep rooting if i dont cut it?

A couple of years ago I unintentionally left the air layer on my tree all summer long. It fruited and after I picked the figs I finally cut it. Make sure you keep your soil moist enough otherwise the new roots might dry up or the branch might die. As a general rule I do not like to expose the roots if the fig tree is not dormant. When repotting, I never disturb the rootball.

The goal of an air-layer is a well rooted plant, not fruit. Remove the fruit. Led the plant focus on the task at had - roots.

I agree, remove the fruit, or wait until fall to airlayer.

Hi,
If the airlayer is spoken for, remove the figs as they will slow the airlayer.
If you would have started it later, there was less problem.
Now it is still early, so I would focus on roots.
You could of course harvest the figs first - in July or August - and then remove the airlayer ... But, you'll have to remove the maincrop figs that will form by then ...
So either way, you're going to remove figlets ...
If you wait till end of the season, the airlayer will get root bound and when removed, it will be in shock with roots that probably won't be able to support the top growth.
Good luck, whatever you choose to do !

While I agree with all the comments, I will note that last summer I set two airlayers in may, cut them in July, and both had a couple main crop figs when cut that ripened later in the season, with no detriment to the airlayered plant.

Hmmm, great advice from everyone & differentoptions depending on what my immediate goal is.

Jon: i agree that the goal is to have a well-rooted plant & not necesarily figs. I've never had an airlayer & the figlettes were a surprise that I had not considered.

Sas: I used peat moss on the airlayer but I understand that keeping the roots well moistened is important.

Johnnyq627: yes, i see that I need to make a decision and I'm leaning toward waiting until fall for the airlayer.

JDFrance: either way...

Rafaelissimmo: I am weighing it out...wow, your figs matured?!

Thanks, all. I really appreciate your responses. I'll have to decide on a plan of action...ugh

I have a related question:

10 weeks ago I started an airlayer on a relatively thick branch (around 1" diameter). I completely removed the cambium around 1.5" long in the branch and used a rooting compound. Put a 1 liter bottle around it with good soil and moisture. It seems to remain moist and I only needed to add water twice and it got a little from the few rains that we've had in Northern California. Until two weeks ago, I still did not see any signs of roots developing at all. I slit cut the cambium almost all the way around with a razor blade a little below the air layer, hoping to encourage roots by depriving any nutrition somehow still going through ..... It did not help and I still don't see any roots. A few days ago, I went more drastic and cut deep V notches ~3/8" , all the way around the branch just below the air layer. I expected the branch to either grow roots, or to die off for lack of Nutrition. What is really weird is that I am getting neither of these. The branch still looks healthy so I am completely perplexed what is happening.

This is by far the thickest branch I tried to air layer or root. It was starting to encroach on the sidewalk so I had to remove it anyway so I tried to take a chance with air layer.

Do the experts on the board recommend waiting for roots or should I just cut it and plant it in a large pot and pray for roots

[QUOTE=SimonS]I have a related question:

10 weeks ago I started an airlayer on a relatively thick branch (around 1" diameter). I completely removed the cambium around 1.5" long in the branch and used a rooting compound. Put a 1 liter bottle around it with good soil and moisture. It seems to remain moist and I only needed to add water twice and it got a little from the few rains that we've had in Northern California. Until two weeks ago, I still did not see any signs of roots developing at all. I slit cut the cambium almost all the way around with a razor blade a little below the air layer, hoping to encourage roots by depriving any nutrition somehow still going through ..... It did not help and I still don't see any roots. A few days ago, I went more drastic and cut deep V notches ~3/8" , all the way around the branch just below the air layer. I expected the branch to either grow roots, or to die off for lack of Nutrition. What is really weird is that I am getting neither of these. The branch still looks healthy so I am completely perplexed what is happening.

This is by far the thickest branch I tried to air layer or root. It was starting to encroach on the sidewalk so I had to remove it anyway so I tried to take a chance with air layer.

Do the experts on the board recommend waiting for roots or should I just cut it and plant it in a large pot and pray for roots[/QUOTE]

If you cut it off without roots the branch is going to die. I think you are being impatient. It's only mid April. Not really hot yet. If the media is moist it should root soon. Quit hacking on it and wait until it roots.

@ Simon,
Although you hung the layer 10 weeks ago the clock only starts ticking once it
begins to leaf out.The leaf is providing the rooting energy.For large layers I usually allow
8-10 weeks after first flush.Here's one I placed on 3rd or 4th year wood mid March.
That's a #5 and I expect the pot to be full mid/late May.

 
@Meg,
I think you're in SoCa. so you can remove it now.The embryo's should not tax the layer and it should be solid in a #1 within 30 days.By the time the figs become an issue it should be comfortably settling into a #5.You want the layer off the tree and settled in as early in the season as you can.

Thanks Tyro and Fignutty

The consensus is for me to be more patient, a trait that I admit to be lacking

@Tyro, Your comment is very counterintuitive but makes complete sense when I think about it: The energy to root is coming from the leaves downward as opposed to from the roots upward

Looking forward to seeing some roots in the coming weeks 

 

Thanks, Tyro. I feel inspired and motivated by all of the great responses. Thanks everyone. I wasa bit worried. I will post pics.

Meg,

Best practice once you've removed it and potted it,put it in a humidity bin
for a while.Santa Ana's are not your friend.<G>

Tyro, the winds are picking up. The problem is that this airlayer is about 4-5 ft. Hey but maybe i can use my humidifyer in my greenhouse?! I should post pics first. This tree grew fast!

4-5 feet?I doubt your root ball is large enough to support that top growth.Post some photo's.

Yes, I thought the same thing.  I will take pics tonight and post.  Thanks, Tyro.

This is just the top of one branch that had figs...

Okay...so i always have difficulty adding pics because theyre alwsys more than 1mb...arrrg

Trying to adf photos...finally got one picture to fit! Its a sliver though. I think you can see the pot...

Meg,

Run them through here and specify "less than a meg".

http://www.picresize.com/

Thx Tyro. Maybe i dit it right but im using my phone so not easy...i think i got the right
http://i.picresize.com/UjFW

Well, the pic looked ok when i did it but the link seems to show a huge picture. Clearly in doing something wrong. I try uploading tomorrow from my pc.

Yeah,don't know what you did,but if you hit "direct link" in the upper right corner,that's probably what we want to see.

You'll have to reset that one into a larger container Meg.Just remove the existing and reset into at least a
gallon,preferably a #3 or larger.You haven't damaged anything,you'll just have to wait for it to fill the new
container.8-10 weeks.

Tyro, I see how you did your airlayer...it looks like its in a 5 gallon container. It makes sense now. Thx for the tech help as well.
Meg