Air layering

[CrealCritter]

Red Delicious apple tree in awful shape. I air layered 3 good branches. It bore apples last year, they wernt small but not large either but they were delicious.

Then I cut out all the dead. I counted 68 rings on the base of the big dead branch. so I guess that makes this tree about 70 years old, if it were pruned low year one or two. I'm gonna say it was planted around 1950. There's not much left, but hopefully enough to air-layer again next year.

This year It flowered early and we got a late freeze, so it does have any fruit. I would have cut the left branch lower but you can see I have a air-layer from a trunk sucker started that I want to see if it takes root.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[CrealCritter]

I may try air layering my apple trees, and my elderberry. The apple trees are infected with tree borers. I may try fishing in the holes for the grubs, as well as squirting some Neem or similar product in the holes. But... I don't hold much hope for saving the trees. One tree has about 5 holes that are each about 1/3" diameter, the other tree has 3 holes. The elderberry has never thrived in it's location. Just kind of "hanging on". A fair amount of die back each year. I do believe they are fairly easy to root. I could always order some trees from a nursery, but I relish the challenge of starting my own.

Shrink wrap also works if you don't want to buy the root balls.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[CrealCritter]

Here's a air-layer off the downed peach that i'm pretty sure will make it since it's a new branch. Air-layering seems to work best on newer tender branches.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I'll not buy the balls. Most likely will use a water bottle. Slice it to go over the branch, stuff it with medium, then seal it closed.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Do you think plastic Easter eggs would work?

Can you air layer a lilac? I have one right up against my house and it needs to be moved but I'm afraid it will die when it's dug up. I'd like to try to save at least part of it.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I'm guessing that lilac would be easy to root. I have some dwarf lilacs under the bedroom window. It would be nice to propagate them. They are tiny, only about 3.5' tall, and they are extremely "branchy". Each of the flower clusters are about 4" long, and they bloom frequently.

I bet you could use the plastic Easter eggs, but... I'd be worried about them cracking when you split them. Perhaps drill them with a hot bit, then split them open? Or cut out a bit on the seams, on opposite sides.

 

[CrealCritter]

I thought this might be helpful.​

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This dude is obviously a lot more experienced than I am. There's a video contained in the link. It looks like he's using butter tubs. He's also using a liquid rooting hormone called CloneX.​

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Clone Your Fruit Trees The Easy Way With Air Layering…

Air layering is a method of propagating new trees and shrubs from stems still attached to the parent plant. In this video you'll be shown one of the easiest and most reliable air layer methods you will ever use to create a copy of a fruit tree. It clones your tree effectively (produces a true...

www.ecosnippets.com

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This lady is using aluminum foil. And more good info from a person, who is more experienced than I am ​

Air Layering

Question: What is air layering? Answer: Air layering is a propagation technique. A piece of the original plant is wounded and remains attached to the...

hgic.clemson.edu

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Jesus is Lord and Christ ​

 

[CrealCritter]

Do you think plastic Easter eggs would work?

Can you air layer a lilac? I have one right up against my house and it needs to be moved but I'm afraid it will die when it's dug up. I'd like to try to save at least part of it.

I think a lilac would work well, since it's a woody plant with bark. See my previous post. I added info from people more experienced than I am. The guy is using what looks like a butter tub and the lady is using aluminum foil.

I've also used shrink wrap (left over from a window insulation kit) before with success on roses (see post #1). With roses you have to remove the throns within the area where the bark is removed though. My wife loved.me long time for a beautiful cloned rose garden.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[CrealCritter]

I saved the worst for last. How this Golden Delicious tree is still alive is another complete mystery to me. My wife said "It's because God wants it be alive, so you can take some air-layers off of it". Did I mention just how much I love my wife? I think I have multiple times : .

Anyways, you can see why this is a rare tree. It requires the utmost care when pruning. You can just go a whack a big ole branch off anywhere. It'll need to be cut all the way back to the trunk so the cut will heal. Else as you can clearly see, it will rot quicker than you can say, jack be little.

When I was a child, I remember my mom core-ing golden delicious apples and baking them in the oven. I remember one baked Golden Delicious Apple was never enough.

It's an expensive... Now you can buy 2 golden delicious apple cuttings (for grafting) for $15.00 plus $6.00 shipping off eBay. Or you can buy a 4 to 5 foot sapling for $99.95 plus shipping. What once was very common, is now absolutely crazy expensive...

1x golden delicious apple + 1x Red Starkrimson delicious Apple cuttings | eBay

CUTTINGS MAY BE BOTH EASILY PLANTED AND GRAFTED. CUTTINGS DO NOT HAVE ROOTS WRAPPED IN THE PLASTIC FOLIO AND THE EDGES ARE WAXED IN ORDER TO PREVENT DEHYDRATION.

www.ebay.com

https://www.fast-growing-trees.com/products/yellowdelicious?variant=13940771356724&msclkid=1b8e297cd8ec1c96ad7b49e633407af0&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaignMT)+-+Shopping+-+Edible&utm_term=4580634171077911&utm_content=edibles

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[CrealCritter]

So I took 20 air-layers all together from 4 different fruit trees, peach and apple. I went back and wrapped each root ball in kitchen plastic wrap (cling wrap), to keep the peat moss from drying out. I also removed all the fruit from the air-layered branch, so the tree will direct it's energy twords new growth instead of growing fruit.

I just checked and all of my air layers have new growth from the branch tips. Not one is showing signs of stress. This is a really good sign.

Downed peach tree 1week old air-layer with new tip growth, looks good and healthy. Only 5 to 7 weeks left and I'll crack a couple root balls open and see what's going on, hopefully there will be roots.

Jesus is Lord and Christ