Airlayer, Post-separation Treatment

I am glad to announce my first ever successful airlayers on wild plum. I started my layers back in March. When I checked on them yesterday to make sure they didn't dry out i was pleased to see some lignifying roots poking through the sphagnum moss. I plan on leaving them for a couple more weeks before considering separating them. Once separated they will be placed in a green house until I see new growth.

So, to my question. Should I prune the top of the plant after separating the layer, or should I just leave the upper portion alone and only do some pruning next spring, when the buds are swelling?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Pictures would help.

Cordon wrote:Should I prune the top of the plant after separating the layer, or should I just leave the upper portion alone and only do some pruning next spring, when the buds are swelling?

My advice is to keep all the foliage and do no other work on it this season. You want all the root growth you can get after it is separated. Just pot it and stabilize the trunk. Probably keep it shaded from the afternoon sun for a while simply because those new roots may not be able to keep up in the beginning. Then when it goes dormant you can prune, if you wish, and next spring you can start treating it pretty much as you would any other of your trees (e.g., comb the roots, wire it into a pot, style it, etc. as you prudently wish to do).

It depends on how much foliage there is on top. Use your judgement...knowing that the new tree is now solely supported by the new roots w/o help from the mother plant.

Osoyoung,

You said that Cordon can prune when the tree goes dormant, and I was wondering if this also mean a dramatic trunk chop for an oak, american elm, and what I think is a Japanese pear?

Thanks Osoyoung, I was thinking that I'd just leave the top alone and reevaluate once the plants enter dormancy. All of the layers will require a very dramatic trunk chops, but those will wait until they show strong growth.

Cordon,

Did you use hormone and is there a lot of roots ?

Depending upon how much foliage the branch was supporting above the trunk girdle, leaving it all in place after separation could endanger the survival of the layer by placing too high a demand on too weak of a newly grown root system. After you separate the layer, try to balance the foliage and the newly grown roots with an err towards more root than foliage. When the layer is separated your primary concern is just getting it to survive on its own, if you want to grow more roots, just leave it on the tree a bit longer.

Case in point; I am currently layering an American Elm, there is about 9 feet worth of branches and foliage above the trunk girdle, leaving it all in place and not cutting that foliage back significantly when I separate the layer would be be foolish.

I would also recommend placing the layer in the shade rather then a greenhouse where transpiration rates will be increased. The tree can be transferred to the green house once vigor is re-established.

-Jay