How to Air Layer a Japanese Maples for Almost No Cost: A DIY Tree Propagation Guide

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Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 32

@honeyg3589 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for this extremely informative video - including descriptions of what goes wrong and how to potentially move forward.

@buildingmodern 6 ай бұрын

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video! In our most recent 2024 garden tour, you can see the Jordan air layer in the ground 😀

@cblankenship3018 Жыл бұрын

Watched a bunch of these. Yours is the best! Didn’t seal mine as well as you did, was my first try at this. Doing 4 on a Shishi…have another month to check the results. Don’t need five, but how exciting to try! Have been misting and getting a little water down through the top of my plastic and onto the a small amount of moss showing on the top seal. Idea was that this may help it to stay moist. May be a mistake as some air is also getting in through the top and bottom because my seal is not as complete as yours. Liked the zip ties I used, also like your total seal electric tape idea. May try both next time, and/or some extra hands for the tricky moss stuff then seal step. Thanks again for your great channel. Love seeing your joy in the small things in life and each other…that will carry you happily along on a long long amazing life journey. Just went to Hawaii for the first time at age 63. Spent a pile of $ touring and sitting on the beautiful beaches……got boring pretty quickly….could not wait to get back home to my “projects.” “Once in a lifetime” trip….means I ain’t going back there again! Free air miles keep piling up because I have way more fun at home. Probably will have enough to go to the moon someday…maybe that would be fun?

@buildingmodern Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! It's actually the seal that keeps the moss moist / not the water getting in (it works a little like terrarium, essentially, in this respect). You may want to add some electrical tape - there's likely no harm adding it after-the-fact. Oh! And we have taken ours off the tree now - we'll be sharing a 'air layer update' video in the next few weeks. 🥳 Ha, we kind of feel the same way about our trip we just took to Europe - we went for multiple weeks, it was an amazing once-in-a-lifetime kind of trip ... but, really, we might have been just as happy to be continuing working on our projects at home and making progress in our lives. I mean, it was nice, and we will remember it for years - but, I definitely see your point as well. (We're 40 in age here, for reference - still pretty young and lots to learn ahead) Now - a fun trip might be going to all the nurseries in Oregon! 🤣 (I joke, but also, kind of serious - it'd probably be tons of fun) Anyway, thanks so much for watching! Many more videos & projects to come!

@rjcmd 6 ай бұрын

really great demonstration of air layering, which was a mystery to me. Can't wait to try it on my bonsai

@buildingmodern 6 ай бұрын

Thanks! Be sure to wait until the leaves have hardened off before starting the air layer. They don’t always take 100% of the time, but we find they’re usually more successful than not. Good luck!!

@n2kois Жыл бұрын

WOW! Very informative and detailed instructions.

@buildingmodern Жыл бұрын

Thanks! We’re glad it’s useful to you 😁

@joanhaigh4522 6 күн бұрын

Excellent. Well described and slowly showing each step. Thank you. Is early summer best time? Or can you do later? Fall?

@buildingmodern 6 күн бұрын

The best time to start an air layer is after the initial spring flush of leaves has hardened off (when they’re no longer soft / that new spring color). The latest I’d start an air layer is probably July for a Japanese Maple as it takes 4-8 weeks for the roots to grow, and then you want them off of the plant before Fall. I wouldn’t recommend starting one after late July, and definitely not in the Fall. Fall is when the tree is taking nutrients back into the roots - definitely not a time to start an air layer. For conifers, air layers can take years to fully develop, so, that’s a bit different. I’d still start late Spring to early Summer, but it may have to stay on the tree a few seasons.

@stevevaughn2040 2 ай бұрын

Great video. You mentioned the time of year being good but I missed what that season is.

@buildingmodern 2 ай бұрын

It can vary depending on your zone. Essentially, about 3-5 weeks after the tree has leafed out is the best timeframe (once the leaves have hardened off / aren’t newly spring colors). The latest you’d want to start an air layer is about 8 weeks before Fall begins for you (when leaves start to change colors). For us, the best time to start an air layer is usually early to mid-May, June is still fine, early July is ok, but August or later can be a bit too late to start one. Hope this helps!

@randall6002 Жыл бұрын

Some great and interesting advice 👍

@buildingmodern Жыл бұрын

Thank you Randall!

@mariamacintyre7966 Жыл бұрын

Loved this! Wondering how well these specimens will do on their own roots as opposed to the grafted ones they come in.

@buildingmodern Жыл бұрын

Thanks! It really depends on the cultivar/specimen. For a Seiryu or other vigorous grower, fairly well. For a coral bark that are usually more prone to diseases, there’s a good chance they’ll be even more prone to these diseases (we have 5 Sango Kaku air layers, one of the five is showing signs of disease - and we’re in zone 8a. They’re more prone to this the farther north you go). Overall though, the new plant will likely do just fine. It may not be *as* vigorous of a grower vs had it been on an acer palmatum root stock, but it should still do just fine. Most bonsai Japanese maples that are a specific cultivar are started as air layers off of a parent tree, for example. Our thought though - if we were going to prune off the branch anyway, we may as well try to air layer it first. It doesn’t cost much to try - and we get a bonus new tree! If it doesn’t take or dies (we haven’t had one actually die on us yet, but still could happen), it was nearly free and nothing to be concerned about. 😁

@hongbinli5597 3 ай бұрын

Watched many airlayer videos, surprised to find there’s so many new information and tricks in this video! Great job! Thanks also wondering why Sagu Kako doesn’t do well on their own roots? Your own experience or information from someone else?

@buildingmodern 3 ай бұрын

Happy to share. Sango Kaku is prone to getting diseases - especially in more northern climates. In general, while it’s very vigorous, it’s prone to more diseases than most, especially when on its own roots. That said, several of our Sango Kaku air layers are doing just fine. Though, I’d still probably stick with a different cultivar in more northern climates. We’re in the south here, and they have mostly held up well. Our largest Sango Kaku, grafted, has had several branches die back lately though - and one air layer also was diseased. I’ve seen people having far worse experiences with them in zones 5a-6a though. Overall, they usually do very well (why they’re so common). Hope this helps!

@hongbinli5597 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing! My trees are still small, will keep monitoring. I also have one airlayered before that branch completely dieback, still survives. Zone 5-6

@BrianThibodeaux 4 ай бұрын

Great video, thanks.

@buildingmodern 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@dantang65 Жыл бұрын

very nice-thank's

@buildingmodern Жыл бұрын

Absolutely, thanks for watching!

@Rooster825 Жыл бұрын

Any update video/photos since this video?! Interested in seeing the result when the cover was removed and branch cut.

@buildingmodern Жыл бұрын

Yes! We have an update coming out this Saturday! 10am EST! 😁

@candyman5749 4 ай бұрын

I was wondering how this worked, at 37:13 you explained it quite well. What if I am air layering a branch and I am also approach grafting the same branch, which is feeding the branch nutrients (because it is still connected to its rootstock). Will this effect the air layering in a negative way?

@buildingmodern 4 ай бұрын

I’m not sure I’d go for both at the same time, as neither have a 100% success rate, and both may add stress to the other. I’m not sure why you’d both graft and air layer at the same time. Usually, you air layer to get a copy of the specific cultivar. Sorry, I can’t give a better answer. Personally, I’d avoid doing both on the same branch at the same time, though, there’s a chance it could be just fine (there’s also a chance it won’t).

@candyman5749 4 ай бұрын

@@buildingmodern I did both because I am impatient, and didn't think it through. Fortunately, I checked it today and I am starting to see roots popping out, and the grafting plant has buds sprouting. Maybe the two are helping each other out. I just hope it don't suddenly die when I cut them apart. (both plants are still attached to their own rootstock)

@candyman5749 4 ай бұрын

@@buildingmodern The air layering is looking successful, but the graft failed when I checked it earlier today. This is unusual, because approach grafts rarely fail.