RDB air layer

[Whiterk]

I started this air layer one month ago. I trimmed off all the lower leaves afterwards and I will keep it in partial shade and mist to help it with the shock.

[don_sanders]

Nice. Hope it works out well for you.

[COGardener]

Looks great! !!

[Sarahkt]

Nice work, congrats! It has a great headstart compared to a rooted cutting.

[Taverna78]

Looks great my friend !

[Darkman]

Sweet! I see how the roots appear to go straight out and then they go down following the shape of the bottle. Do you think that the air layers you and I did using the milk jug will have a better spread of roots?

[Whiterk]

Maybe we should go look... I'm curious to see how they turned out. All of my air layers have always been in small bottles with tight roots. I'm hoping the large jug has a larger mass of roots.

[Darkman]

Well we did and all, both ground contact and air layer, showed some roots forming. Maybe not as nice as Randalls but encouraging. I think mine need a few more weeks and then they will be ready.

[AmericanFigLover]

If your using a larger container I would leave it on longer to give the roots more time to spread.

[Darkman]

On the milk jug I cut it so that 25% of it hinges open for inspection. I hope it does create a better mass of roots. Well know soon.

[COGardener]

I started an air layer in a one gallon nursery pot in the beginning of may. I had hoped to remove in a fatty or two. However, May was cool and rainy song with the beginning of June. I cut the dude on the put yesterday, there are roots but not to the extent I had expected. I'm assuming from the cold month of May. So I'll give it another month and cut it off at the end of July.

[AmericanFigLover]

Can you put some ferts that encourage root growth in with the mix?

[Whiterk]

Cold weather definitely dictates growth. The only thing I ever use in the potting soil is root hormone but I forgot to use it with this air layer. I don't think I even girtled the wood. I just don't think anyone that tries can mess up an air layer.

[jmaler]

Do you wrap the gal jug in foil? I am about to do my first air layer.

[Whiterk]

Ideally, yes do something to block the light, my air layer on the RDB was with a clear plastic cup and it rooted perfectly fine. Just add dirt to the limb, you can't really go wrong no matter how you do it.

[COGardener]

I girdled my Sweet George all the way around. Then drilled a hole in the bottom of a 1 gallon nursery pot and slit the side. Put it around the stem, taped it shut and filled it with soil..... the branch I'm removing is doing fantastic, it's growing and has 6 figs on it. I started the air layer in May and will let go until the end of July. Then I'm chopping it off, up potting to a 4 gallon, watching it for a bit then off to it's new home.