Air layering

[CrealCritter]

I bought some of those air layering pods, they arrived yesterday. Going to try those, plus some assorted containers to air layer the lilac, a jasmine, and some of the branches off my avocado.

Does it matter if you use liquid or powder rooting hormone? Should I try both ways to test which one works better?

I've always used the powdered rooting hormone. Just make sure you apply it immediately after removing the bark, while the wound is still good and wet. I've not tried the liquid so really can't say how well works. Don't forget to post some pics

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I've never had luck with rooting hormone, and have found that any time I do have success, it is without any added "stuff". Perhaps I'm putting it on too thick... or my powder has been old.

 

[Britesea]

I've read you can use powdered willow bark as a rooting hormone

 

[CrealCritter]

I've read you can use powdered willow bark as a rooting hormone

I've also read, natural unprocessed honey also works as a rooting hormone. But that's just what I read on the internet, so who knows, if it's true or not??? I never tried it, so can't say if it works or not.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[CrealCritter]

I wanted to add... with all talk of different kinds of rooting hormone. I've had air-layering failures in the past, with powdered rooting hormone. But the worst that happened to the plant/tree was the the wound gulled over and self healed. Kind of like when a deer rubs a tree. The bark grows back to cover the wound all by itself. My failures didn't seem to stress the tree/plant and it went back to the business of growing.

I want to believe my past failures are from not applying the rooting hormone to the wound fast enough and also peat moss dried out because it wasn't packed in tight enough. However these are just my suspicious based on experience and common sense (not science).

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Well, 8 air layering pods applied. I will check them in 2-4 weeks. I couldn't find the rooting powder so it's just the damp moss stuff. I soaked it in a bucket and squeezed the water out then packed into the pods.

2 on the lilac:

2 on the jasmine:

1 on a guava:

And 3 on avocados:

The first avocado I started from seed several years ago, and it has a lot of low branches that need to come off to make it more tree shaped. The second avocado was also from seed but for some reason it grew two trunks up instead of one, so the smaller is hopefully going to be air layered.

I hope they make it! The branches I chose on the guava and avocados have to go, so it they don't succeed air layering I will just cut them off. The lilac is an attempt to save some of the plant before it gets removed. Same with the jasmine. Those two are too close to the house, and where we want to have a future addition to the house.

 

[CrealCritter]

Well, 8 air layering pods applied. I will check them in 2-4 weeks. I couldn't find the rooting powder so it's just the damp moss stuff. I soaked it in a bucket and squeezed the water out then packed into the pods.

2 on the lilac:
View attachment 15939View attachment 15938
2 on the jasmine:
View attachment 15937View attachment 15936
1 on a guava:
View attachment 15942
And 3 on avocados:
View attachment 15940View attachment 15941View attachment 15943
The first avocado I started from seed several years ago, and it has a lot of low branches that need to come off to make it more tree shaped. The second avocado was also from seed but for some reason it grew two trunks up instead of one, so the smaller is hopefully going to be air layered.

I hope they make it! The branches I chose on the guava and avocados have to go, so it they don't succeed air layering I will just cut them off. The lilac is an attempt to save some of the plant before it gets removed. Same with the jasmine. Those two are too close to the house, and where we want to have a future addition to the house.

Looks like you did a good job. How are the going along so far? New growth on the branch tips yet?

 

[CrealCritter]

I'm not sure what's going on with this large diameter branch air layer attempt. I'm guessing the clear sticky goo is sap? It's coming out of the top and of the root ball. The branch is still alive and looks healthy, has new growth on the tips.

Any ideas? I'll also research and see if I can find any clues or an answer.

Edit all I can find is it the result of boring insects or mechanical injury. Well it's most definitely the result of mechanical injury because I'm the one who created the mechanical injury. My only option is to leave it alone for 3 to 5 more weeks (untill I open for inspection) and hope the rooting hormone worked. This air-layer attempt is the only one on the tree with the clear goo so far.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Looks like you did a good job. How are the going along so far? New growth on the branch tips yet?

I will have to go look. I think there might be additional growth on the avocados, but also a few half brown leaves. I like that the avocado new leaves come in reddish, it's easier to see new vs old.

 

[CrealCritter]

Well it looks like I may have found a peach tree pattern and have to correct my previous statement of one branch with the clear goo. We have had a lot of rain over the past week. idk if that's a contributing factor or not but it's worth noting.

I now have 3 air-layer peach tree attempt branches with clear goo coming out of the top of the rooting balls. The commonality is they are all old branches. Meaning the bark has already turned gray. Not a new growth branch with reddish colored bark. Again my only real option is to leave the root balls alone until 3 to 5 more weeks and hope the rooting hormone worked. Just felt it was worth noting, since the results may help answer some questions in the future.

I'm kind of interested to see what becomes of my air-layering attempts. Nothing beats experience... But experience is a rather strange thing, you get it right after you needed.

Jesus is Lord and Christ