Fagus airlayering

My sister has a copper beech in her garden, approximately 45cm diameter trunk, and quite tall (maybe 20 m?). Now, I'm not proposing to top the tree and dig up the stump. The tree has thrown a number of branchlets down near the base (maybe 30 - 45 cm from the ground), and when I was there in summer, just before Christmas, I attempted to air-layer them (3 of them, around 12 - 20 mm dia). It is now autumn (fall), and a late start to that, too. Is it too late to try to remove these layers, or should I wait till spring? We have only in the last 2 weeks had leaves turning [Liquidambar going red] and falling, and apart from a couple of cool nights it has been mild. [My trees have actually had another growing season, once the excessive heat of summer died back!)

Do you see roots in the layers? If not, leave them on 'till spring. Also if not, were the layers kept constantly damp? Did you use a rooting hormone?

In the northern hemisphere, the best moment to air-layer beech is February, almost two months before buds open: the technique taht consists in peeling a ring of bark and then securing a copper wire at the top of the ring is very efficient. I read about it in an article from a Japanese bonsai magazine and i've tried it myself with 100% succes (on 3 trees only, but it worked ;-))

April 2006 (layering done in Feb. 2006) :



Early June 2007 :



(Yes, this was not the right period of the year to repot it, but I had to do it in june, for various reasons)

JimLewis wrote:Do you see roots in the layers? If not, leave them on 'till spring. Also if not, were the layers kept constantly damp? Did you use a rooting hormone?

Ah, well, you see, I outmanouvered myself there. My sister is about 2 hours' drive away, and I thought the best protection from the light was to black polythene taped firmly against the elements. The result of that was that I couldn't really see anything without undoing the whole lot, when I was there 2 weeks ago. Probably the best bet is to leave until spring.
Rooting hormone - suposedly 'goes off' within 6 weeks of opening the bottle, so I don't buy it. Usually I use a mild solution of manuka (NZ tea-tree) honey , 1 tsp in a cup of water. Anti-viral/anti-bacterial, and seems to have something that promotes root growth - plus it support local industry, 'though in a very minor way!!!