Tree Air Layering Techniques

Tree Air Layering Techniques

Apple, maple, cherry, and orange trees, among others, can be propagated using air layering to create smaller clones of the original plant. The best way to get a ring of bark is to choose one of the younger branches and trim it off. Protect the bare wood from drying out by wrapping it in wet sphagnum moss and plastic wrap. Root development indicates it's OK to remove the branch and replant it in a container.

Getting Rid of Shingles

Spring is the best time to start air layering.When using air layering, it's ideal to do so throughout the summer when the roots have time to spread out. Postpone your visit until midspring, when the trees' buds are just starting to emerge.If you want to air-layer the tree without putting it under stress from the sun, do it on a cloudy day.

Later in the summer, you can also try air layering, though the roots might not thrive if the weather drops below freezing.

Pick a shoot from the previous growing season that is at least as thick as a pencil. Try to find upward-pointing branches that are at least one to two feet (30 to 61 cm) in length. Root production is enhanced by using recently developed branches rather than more mature ones, so pick those that have grown within the last year. If the branch isn't at least as thick as a pencil, it won't be able to support much growth and might die.

When air layering in the late summer, it's best to use seasonal growths.

Multiple tree branches can be air-layered together.

Clear a region of 3 inches (7.6 cm) surrounding a leaf node of all leaves and branches. Find a node on the branch where leaves join it approximately a foot (or 30 centimeters) from the end of the growth. Remove the leaves by hand until there is a space of about 3 inches (7.6 cm) between the node and the next set of leaves. Remove any unwanted branches or twigs with a gardening knife or pruning shears.

If you cut off all the leaves before you take the branch off the tree, it won't grow back.

Make two slits in the bark that run parallel to each other and wrap around the branch. Just below a leaf node, you can test for solid wood by pushing the blade of a gardening knife into the bark. Cut a ring into the bark of the branch by wrapping the knife around it. Bring the blade down the branch another 1 to 1 1/2 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) and cut another ring around its perimeter.

Avoid putting too much force on the knife blade, or you can sever the branch entirely.

Remove the outer layer of bark off the tree's branch. To begin peeling the bark, place the knife against the top cut and press the blade down toward the bottom cut. Carefully remove the section of bark by pinching it between your fingers and pulling it away from the branch. Take off more and more of the bark around the ring until you reach the underlying green or white wood.

You may need to make a vertical incision from the upper to lower ring for a more secure grip on the bark.

Wear gardening gloves if you know that tree sap will irritate your skin.

Use the knife to make a rough scraping motion on the bare wood. Knife blade should be flush with the ring top.Put the blade all the way to the base of the ring and pull to peel away the plant layer protecting the timber. As you make your way around the branch, scrape the wood up and down.

In order to prevent the bark from growing back, it is necessary to rub the wood, which eliminates a layer of cells called cambial tissue.

If you intend to air-layer several trees, disinfect your knife blade between cuts by dipping it in rubbing alcohol. By not moving plants around, you reduce the risk of contaminating healthy ones with pathogens.

Deepening One's Foundations

Saturate the bare wood with a rooting hormone. You should get a rooting hormone in liquid form, as this will make it much simpler to apply to the bare wood. To use the rooting hormone, soak a paintbrush and then squeeze out the excess. It's possible that the rooting hormone applied to the ring you cut around the branch will boost the rate at which roots will form.

Rooting hormone is available at most garden centers and on the Internet.

A rooting hormone is not essential to air layer trees, but it could hasten their development.

Soak some sphagnum moss in sterile water. Commonly used because of its ability to hold moisture, sphagnum moss is a popular rooting media. Grab a fistful of moss and let it sit in water for a couple of minutes. Squeeze the moss to remove excess water and remove it from the container.

Sphagnum moss can be purchased at any garden center.

The moss needs to be wrung out of as much water as possible to prevent decay and promote root development.

Sphagnum moss should be wrapped around any bare timbers. To hold the moss, divide the ball in half and keep one half in each hand. The moss should be pressed onto the top and bottom of the branch and should hang off the ring by about an inch and a half (2.5 cm). The moss needs to be squeezed so that it makes good contact with the wood and remains in place.

Slowly letting go of the moss will prevent it from tumbling off the branch. Don't let it go if it begins to slide, and if you need assistance, have someone else hold it for you while you get back to work.

Use any sort of plastic wrap or aluminum foil to encase the moss. The moss can be covered with a sheet of plastic cling wrap or aluminum foil, so rip out a piece from the roll that's big enough. Firmly press down on the wrap or foil to ensure good contact between the moss and the branch.Wrap the moss completely to retain moisture and encourage robust root development.

Unlike foil, plastic wrap makes it easy to observe the emergence of roots.

Use a dark color or opaque plastic wrap to shield the moss on the branch from drying out if it will be in direct sunlight for most of the day.

You should wait to remove the limb until the moss has grown enough roots to support it. Once a week, remove the foil covering or peer through the plastic wrap to inspect the moss for root development. Leave the wrap on the branch and continue caring for the tree as usual if no signs of damage are observed. You can safely remove the air covering from the tree once you've confirmed the presence of roots beyond the moss's outer edge.

Roots that are healthy will take around 6–8 weeks to fill in the moss, though this time frame might vary depending on factors like weather and tree variety.

If the sphagnum moss dries up while being wrapped, rewet it before checking for roots.

Putting Propagation on New Ground

Place potting soil in the bottom of a pot with drainage holes and fill the pot halfway. Pick a container that's twice as tall as the roots are in the air layer and as wide as the roots are at their widest point. Make sure there are openings in the bottom of the container to prevent the soil from becoming saturated.

• Select a tree-specific potting soil and fill the container about halfway.
• The soilless potting mix can be purchased from a garden center.
• Both clay and plastic pots can be used for seed starting.
• The new roots should be the cutoff point for the branch. 

Keep the branch from swaying by holding it above the moss with your nondominant hand. Squeeze the handles of a pair of pruning shears together and grip the branch just below the moss. Carefully lift the severed limb away from the tree, avoiding the roots.

Use a tree saw instead of pruning shears if you're having problems sawing through the limb.

Do not leave the roots wrapped in plastic or foil. Carefully pierce a hole in the plastic or foil with a gardening knife. If you don't want to hurt the roots, carefully unwrap them by hand. Get rid of as much of the wrapping or foil as you can without damaging the plant, but leave the moss on the roots.

Removing the moss from the roots may cause stress to the tree, limiting its growth.

The roots should be planted in the soil, and the pot should be filled with dirt again. The trimmed branch should be held vertically in the pot using the nondominant hand. To completely bury the moss, scoop extra potting mix around it using a trowel or shovel. Keep adding soil until there is a gap of at least 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) between the rim of the container and the soil surface.

Form a small mound of soil around the tree to keep it from becoming soggy and rotting at the roots.

Soak the soil to a depth of 2 inches (5.1 cm). Water the soil thoroughly with a can until it pools on top. Drain the water through the holes in the bottom of the pot and let the soil absorb it. Allow the water to seep deeper into the soil and reach the plant's roots by filling the pot until it puddles again. Verify that the soil is still moist 2 inches (5.1 cm) below the surface before turning off the water.

If the soil is dry about an inch and a half (2.5 cm) below the surface, water the tree.

The tree should be kept in a cool, dark spot away from the hot sun. You can avoid direct sunlight by putting the tree next to a north- or south-facing window. If you want to keep the soil from drying out and the tree from being damaged, make sure there are no drafts around it. The plant's root system needs time to adjust to the new growing medium, so leave it in the pot for now.

The plant will waste its energy on producing leaves and flowers rather than roots if the pot is kept outside in direct sunlight.

Next spring, when the ground is a little more forgiving, plant the new tree. In order for the plant's roots to establish themselves, give the container 4-5 months. Dig a hole in the ground that is twice as wide as the pot and at least six inches (15 cm) deeper than the pot when you're ready to transplant. Gently remove the tree from the pot and place it in the hole you've prepared. Keep watering the tree as usual to prevent any stress on the plant.

If you want the tree to grow straight, set up a vertical post next to it and secure the trunk to it.

Multiple channels of dispersal exist. Propagation can be done with either leaf or stem cuttings. Or you may try growing it from a rhizome, a tuber, or even in water.

Besides clippers, a sharp knife and protective gloves are required for plant propagation.

You might also require some of the following items, however: So, if you want to start a plant from a stem cutting, you'll require rooting powder.