Air Layering

Good Morning, everyone!

Will, I have said elsewhere in IBC about my airlayers, a prunus, a pomegranate, a bougainvillea and a hibiscus syriacus.
It's been since the end of October that I have cut already the pomegranate and prunus as they have got roots.
The hibiscus though has only one or two small white tiny roots, so I closed the plastic bag again and let it be. Do you think that next spring will continue the process of growing roots or the existing will die back during winter?

Thank you!

Good morning to you too. Some trees airlayer very easily, perhaps just a few weeks, and others can take much longer. Your Hibiscus has only issued a few roots, there is probably a lot of callousing though, which will be good protection through the Winter. Another growing season will give you enough root to separate next year. If the tree you are layering is in a pot, it is a good idea to rotate the pot for an even distribution of roots.

Thank you Will for your response!
The tree is in the ground.
Sok, I hope next year, God willing, I will have one new syriacus for me to train.

Climate will have a lot to do with whether this will work over winter or not. Sub tropicals in Athens are going to be much easier to root over the dormant period than Pines or Beech in freezing Britain or colder parts of the USA. Everyone needs to read up local information or experiment and find out what works for them in their zone. All of my many successful layers were started in late spring.

Alain Bertrand wrote:

will baddeley wrote:Even with little information, airlayering is only done while trees are growing. Spring and Summer.

I beg to differ. There are a few articles by japanese growers that advise to begin the airlayer at the end of winter, quite a few weeks before trees start growing and I have first and second hand experience that it does works. I have, though, not enough experience to compare success rates in each case.

Very little in it Alain. The end of Winter/ beginning of Spring. Trees are growing when the soil temp is above 9 degrees and although the buds are dormant still, the roots are growing.

Hi Will,
Like most things, it depends on where you live but I've read about the 9 degrees but also found an article that stated "The critical temperature for significant root growth is ≈ 6°C, which is close to the worldwide mean soil temperature at climatic tree lines".
Here in the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest (much like many parts of Europe) we’ve had root growth start at a soil temp. of 4 degrees and above).
I think the key is that the tree becomes way more active than it can show outwardly (swelling buds etc)….when the buds are swelling its been active for some time.

So give it a shot in late winter and keep us posted on your project.