What Factors Influence The Success Of Air Layers In Bonsai?

Air layering is a pretty simple technique that will allow you to multiply how many trees you have and it can be a great way to start some new bonsais, but a lot of people struggle to see success when they try it.

While it is a simple technique, there are plenty of different factors that can influence the success, which I will go through below.

Really if you can make sure you get everything I discuss below right, you should always end up with a with a healthy air layer that is full of strong roots.  

The Species You Are Air Layering Matters

A lot of the success you see with air layers will come down to the species you are using. It is just a reality of life that some species are easier to root than others.

Some species are also just faster growing than others and can quickly produce roots and they will make your life very easy, other species will get there, just a little more begrudgingly.

There are also some species that will just not air layer, so of course if you are using one of these, you will only see failure; they are never going to work no matter what you do.  

The Individual Tree Matters

While the species will play its role in your success, so will the individual tree. The stronger and healthier your tree is, the more likely it is going to produce a lot of roots for you.

Also if you think about how air layers work, the individual tree is going to influence this greatly. When you make your cuts, you are basically blocking the flow of energy going down into the roots …so the energy builds up where you have cut and makes new roots.

If you make an air layer on a tree that has like 5 leaves above it …how much energy do you think this can produce and send down the tree? Probably not a lot, especially if you compare it with an air layer that 5 branches above it, with each branch having 500 leaves on it.

The stronger and healthier your tree is, the more energy it can send down to your cut site to make more roots, so choose your material carefully as it can really make a difference to how successful you are.

The Time Of Year That You Start Your Air Layer Matters

You need to also make sure you do your air layer at the right time of year. You want the tree to be growing so that the second you make your cut, energy is already arriving at the wound and the healing and production of new roots is starting immediately.

You also want the tree to be growing in general. If the tree is dormant …no energy is getting produced to create the new roots for you.

You want to start your air layers in spring, usually once the first flush of new growth has hardened off. You can probably get away with doing it at other times of the year, but if you want the best and fastest results, then do it at this time. This will give you the most success.

Most Of The Success Of An Air Layer Comes Down To You

Really the results you see from an air layer come down to you and how well you have done things.

Everything I have discussed above comes down to the tree …well of course you could still say these things are also down you, such as selecting a species that is suitable or doing things at the right time, but I will discuss now is your actual technique of the air layer.

It may look simple, but it is an easy technique to mess up, and this will affect the results you get.

How Well You Made Your Air Layer Matters

The biggest factor in your success really comes down to how well you make your air layer. When you ring the bark and make you cuts, it is vital you do this properly.

If you do not cut all the way through and break the connection to the main roots of the tree …your air layer will never work.

If you make a clean cut and you can stop the flow of energy going down, then you are going to quickly get a build up of energy at the cut site and it will callus and cause new roots to grow.

Where You Make The Air Layer Matters

I would also say that where you decide to make the air layer matters, you want to make sure that the area you are trying to remove is strong and healthy enough and has plenty of foliage.

The more foliage the branch has, the more energy that will be pushed down the branch to produce roots, so you will see more success with a healthier stronger branch.

How Well You Applied The Moss Matters

A small detail that is often messed up is the application of the sphagnum moss.

You need to use a decent size ball of moss and it needs to be actually be touching the cut point. If you can get this right, you will see success.

Too often this is poorly applied and there can be an air gap between the cut and the moss. This can cause the cut to dry out, or if any new roots do form, they might dry out.

It may only be a few millimetres of space, but it can make a difference in the end result.

How Long You Wait To Remove The Air Layer Matters

Your patience is going to be tested when you make an air layer and if you cut it off too early things can end in failure.

You really need to just wait until your root ball is jam packed with roots. The more roots you can see, the more you know it will be able to support its self when you remove it from the main tree.

I see too many people rush this and lack patience and they remove the air layer when there just isn’t enough roots to support the new tree. Be patient and you will see more success.

Your Aftercare For You Air Layer Matters

Your aftercare is also a factor in the success of the air layer. Really you want to remove the air layer and disturb the roots as little as possible, which means don’t touch them, just plant it up.

I see too many people trying to arrange the roots or remove the moss, which is too dangerous. The new roots are very delicate and they really don’t need you manhandling them.

Plant the whole thing up and give it proper aftercare. Keep it sheltered from wind and strong sun for the first couple of weeks and pay closer attention to its watering needs. You have to remember that you have just removed its main support system and it is now only got its new delicate roots to rely on, so it will panic for a while and need to adjust.

The smoother you can make this transition for the tree, the happier it will, so do not neglect your aftercare.

Conclusion

As you can see there are a lot of factors that can influence the success of your air layer, but there is nothing that is out of your control.

All these factors are small and easy to get right, so as long as you just follow everything correctly, you will have a great success.

I have done a lot of air layers and I have only a few failures, and that was all down to one of these factors and not doing things correctly. If you take your time and get things right, you should only see success and be on your way to starting a new bonsai.    

(You can read more about – How Is Air Layering Different From Other Bonsai Techniques?)