Register  |   | 
 
Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > Need help on air layer
 
 


Reply
  Author   Comment  
xgrndpounder

Registered:
Posts: 810
Posted Reply with quote  #1 
Hi everybody,

I have a tree/plant that I rooted this year, I want to do an air layer on it next Spring if at all possible, I have a few questions?

#1 can I do that to a tree that is that young, it is about 4' right now and still growing fast.

#2 it has two limbs that are about 2' long now, but they are about pencil size (dia)growing straight up from the soil

#3 I could take one from the top main part it is about 5/8" thick.
I need to add, the nodes are about 3" apart???


Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Attached Images
jpeg IMG_0491_(Small).JPG (45.94 KB, 42 views)
Italiangirl74

Registered:
Posts: 628
Posted Reply with quote  #2 

Ciao Cecil, Is the branch brown or still green?  With brown it would be easier to remove bark so to cause a wound that you would put bag over and fill with dirt to airlayer. 


__________________
Maggie Maria zone 7
xgrndpounder

Registered:
Posts: 810
Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Hi Maggie

The entire tree is still real green!
Italiangirl74

Registered:
Posts: 628
Posted Reply with quote  #4 

I dont know cecil, In MY opinion, I would wait till it got brown, so you can make a good cut ( wound ).  This is just what I would do.  Ciao Cecil! 


__________________
Maggie Maria zone 7
Italiangirl74

Registered:
Posts: 628
Posted Reply with quote  #5 
P.S. Cecil,

I did have almost perfect luck this spring and summer rooting green cuttings off the trees while they were active,  maybe if you just slightly make little mark with sharp knife, dont go too deep, you may be able to pull off, like I said, the green CUTTINGS from my tree worked wonderfully.  Ciao
__________________
Maggie Maria zone 7
xgrndpounder

Registered:
Posts: 810
Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Maggie,

I was going to attempt it next Spring, maybe it would be brown by then, yes/no?
nelson20vt

Registered:
Posts: 313
Posted Reply with quote  #7 

Cecil im pretty sure all new growth turns brown after dormancy.
__________________
Toronto, Ontario
Zone 5B/6
xgrndpounder

Registered:
Posts: 810
Posted Reply with quote  #8 
That's what I was thinking, maybe it would be hardened off by next Spring
Dieseler

Registered:
Posts: 8,252
Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Hey there Cecil,
ya bet your shorts it will be brown color the stems thats is next spring.
I would wait till the plant starts budding out and then do the airlayer at that point .
But thats just me.
papayamon

Registered:
Posts: 284
Posted Reply with quote  #10 
and here i am, gonna cut every tree i have to about 2 inches off the ground this november :). i don't think i can air layer a nub in the spring.
__________________
mike
zone 8b, gainesville florida
xgrndpounder

Registered:
Posts: 810
Posted Reply with quote  #11 
Shorts?
Dieseler

Registered:
Posts: 8,252
Posted Reply with quote  #12 
Yes shorts , thats what we call pants that are short, shorts, cutoffs, you know when we have summer here? I now have to wear long pants ie: jeans because its to cool here. Can't drink my coffee out on the patio anymore either .
Cecil i you can airlayer that in spring yes .
I airlayered my first year ronde last month and the branch was green as money, same plant i showed picture of here on forum.
I severed it from parent after 4 weeks and put in cup for a full week and shipped it.
Best Health
xgrndpounder

Registered:
Posts: 810
Posted Reply with quote  #13 
That is good to know about plants having shorts!

I will TRY and remember that....

I'm glad your first air layer worked out for ya.
fyvfigs

Registered:
Posts: 72
Posted Reply with quote  #14 
I know what the books say, but I found that cutting the bark encouraged ROOT ROT! This occurs after transplanting them, of course.
Find my method here:
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=2942139&highlight=layering
It seems like everything happens at the nodes !
Also, if you have fig shrubs instead of trees, you can simply bury part of a low hanging  branch in the topsoil (I usually cover the buried part in plastic & weigh it down with a rock). I haven't checked mine yet, but with all the rain we've had, I expect good results. In fact, observing an older tree rooting on its own, thanks very much, gave me the idea for layering in the first place!
Good Luck,
Stephen in NW AR
__________________
Stephen V.
NW AR
xgrndpounder

Registered:
Posts: 810
Posted Reply with quote  #15 
Thanks Stephen,

This is great info. for myself and others!
Dieseler

Registered:
Posts: 8,252
Posted Reply with quote  #16 
Come to think of it i never did scratch the bark when doing airlayer .
Stephen yes i like the burying of low branch the best of all the options.
It to me is same as airlayer except no cup (easier)
What i do is dig trench , cut of all the leaves except at the tip of branch, lay it down and i use a metal coat hanger with a hook end and slide it down around branch to hold it there, cover everything except end with few leaves and keep it moist.
Never has failed me.
xgrndpounder

Registered:
Posts: 810
Posted Reply with quote  #17 
Martin,

The plant is in a 3 gal bucket, so just putting soil over it is out I would think!
Dieseler

Registered:
Posts: 8,252
Posted Reply with quote  #18 

No no i know Cecil i was just explaining how the process is  easily done, no i know you cant do it with yours. It works best if stem is at soil level coming out of main trunk.
gorgi

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 2,864
Posted Reply with quote  #19 

From my own experience, mature fig wood does air-layer
much, much, much  better/quicker than the green wood...

Another down-side about green-air-layering; once you think
that the twig is well rooted (it takes longer), and then 'cut' it
and pot it up, most likely the whole thing just 'rots' up.
I have recently lost such-things, due to my push to
reproduce a precious plant.

Yeah, stick to brown wood.
__________________
George, NJ_z7a.
xgrndpounder

Registered:
Posts: 810
Posted Reply with quote  #20 
Then I will wait until Spring of 011, assuming I don't kill it first with Love


Thanks All
gorgi

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 2,864
Posted Reply with quote  #21 

Late-spring/early-summer 2010 may be just fine....
__________________
George, NJ_z7a.
xgrndpounder

Registered:
Posts: 810
Posted Reply with quote  #22 
Ok George,


I will remember that.

As always THANKS
papayamon

Registered:
Posts: 284
Posted Reply with quote  #23 
it is a curious thing about the rooting properties of hardened wood. james robin sent me a hollier, and had to cut the top off to get it in the bag. it was hardened wood, and i cut that top into 3 pieces and stuck them in sand. all three rooted in a few days, and now i've got 4 trees.
__________________
mike
zone 8b, gainesville florida
fyvfigs

Registered:
Posts: 72
Posted Reply with quote  #24 
Guys:
really appreciate the brown wood observation!
With my beginner's luck, I hadn't really paid attention to that, but will from now on.
Stephen
__________________
Stephen V.
NW AR
xgrndpounder

Registered:
Posts: 810
Posted Reply with quote  #25 
Ain't this the Best Fig Forum on the Planet?
Dieseler

Registered:
Posts: 8,252
Posted Reply with quote  #26 
Herre is the plant that i used to do an airlayer on one of the lower branches sticking out that i mentioned in post # 12, it's less than a year old and a nice grower. That halloween ghostly image to left of plant is me taking picture and they say Television adds 10 pounds !!!     ; )
xgrndpounder

Registered:
Posts: 810
Posted Reply with quote  #27 
Nice healthy looking plant Martin!
Dieseler

Registered:
Posts: 8,252
Posted Reply with quote  #28 
Well it might look funny next season.
Reason that squirell i was talking about being around only darn 1 i think and its the same 1 as he is starting to mess with Butch my bigt dog except this time he entered the war zone MY YARD and was running on top of shed roof teasing my dogs then when Butch stood on hind legs against shed wall the squirell jusmp from my shed roof onto the neighbors shed roof as they are side by side.
Look i like animals but when it comes to my fig plants the likeing stops, i have my plants in shed with doors wide open to protect them form the cold winds and if i see him in there my plants will have a bunch of holy leaves from buck shot. Its not a problem here discharching shotgun as we here the noise all the time from the range thats very close by and my only neighbor next door always says, Mart i'm going away for a week you see any intruders shoot em.
xgrndpounder

Registered:
Posts: 810
Posted Reply with quote  #29 
Don't shoot him with buckshot use bird shot, less damage to the fig trees, better yet a 22 but ya better be a good shot, or neighbors might be the recipient!
Previous Topic | Next Topic
Print
Reply