Hinoki air layering in July?

Hi all!

I am very new - to bonsai as a whole as well as to this forum, recently finding myself a refugee while bonsaitalk is down

I recently got back in to caring for trees after having moved halfway across the country and finding the variety of trees in Toronto (6A zone) much wider.

We moved in to a house that had been built four years previous, so I'm going to assume that the hinoki cypress out back was put in around the same time. It's about 8-10ft tall right now, and has thrown out some large branches horizontally. I don't think the previous owners did much of any pruning on the tree though, as much of the inside foliage is dying off, leaving the tree rather tall and wide, but lanky in between.

So I've been thinking about doing an air layering on some of the lower branches - I have picked up some moss, rooting powder, bags, etc - but am wondering if it is too late in the year to try? I'm not incredibly familiar with hinoki cypress.

What do you think?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

I'd give it a try. Do a branch on the side where it gets most sun, if possible. Make sure it doesn't dry out. I use an inkjet cartridge refill syringe to pump water into the bag every few days once it starts rooting. If there are not enough obvious roots before winter, give it a thorough watering and then insulate with a few layers of bubble wrap and it should overwinter fine. Another full growing season will ensure you have roots good enough to seperate the tree near the end of the season.

If it is Hinoki, it was either already a large old specimen when planted or is much older than the property. Mine was a bonsai but has been liberated and has been growing for 12 years in a growing bed and is only 5 feet tall.

I dunno. He lives in Toronto and it's an awful short growing season up there. Maybe Reiner can pitch in with some advice?

Or, Sic might want to track down one of the Tronto Bonsai Society members (there's a website) and ask their advice. He also might want to join.

Thanks folks!

I made my cuts and wrap this morning and hope it will work out. I chose a low-lying branch, approximately 1" thick and used a grove knife to take rings and peel off the bark. I found the green layer minimal, above a relatively thicker, sort of stringy cambium, but stripped the bark all the way down to the sapwood, which looked rather translucent and glossy. Was this the correct depth to go to?

As for the local club, I am indeed planning to get in touch with them, however it seems they are on a hiatus from official gatherings, so I will have to wait until September.