Trying my first air layer. Any advice?

[Rtreid]

To all you master propagators,

I have a branch on my long an that needs to be removed so I thought I  would try my first air layer. I've read most of what has been posted here (like the difficulty in removing all the cambium in longans) but I was wondering if there are any other tips people would like to share.

One question I have is should I wait until the weather warms up a fair bit (like June or July) before I attempt to air layer or will it be ok in the cool California spring.

Thanks,
Richard

[HawaiiFruitGrower]

use a knife to cut a 2 inch long area on the branch where you want the roots to form, make sure the cuts are good and deep and go all the way around, what i tend to do is make two circle on the branch then make a cut right in the middle then i can peel the bark off. After this is done you want to kind of shave the bark to make sure the cambium layer is all gone and if not, the branch will try to heal itself back and you will get no roots. Then you can take some sphagnum moss that is semi soaked with water make sure to squeeze out excess water because you dont want it to be dripping wet! I usually put a sheet of ceram wrap then the foil so it makes checking for roots really easy! Then in about 3 months the ball should be full of roots!

[fruitlovers]

To all you master propagators,

I have a branch on my long an that needs to be removed so I thought I  would try my first air layer. I've read most of what has been posted here (like the difficulty in removing all the cambium in longans) but I was wondering if there are any other tips people would like to share.

One question I have is should I wait until the weather warms up a fair bit (like June or July) before I attempt to air layer or will it be ok in the cool California spring.

Thanks,
Richard

Yes it's better in your location to wait for weather to warm up. You want to put the air layers on when plant is in very active growth cycle. For longans i suggest waiting one week after you make the notch to put the sphagnum moss on. Longans have a way of bridging the cut otherwise and not rooting. Mark the notch with some surveyor tape so you can easily find them later to do the air layer.

[Rtreid]

Thanks for the tips. I think I'll wait until June when the tree starts its active growth for the summer.

[fyliu]

For lychees and longans the bark discolors pretty quickly so I just wait a few seconds to see where the leftover bark is and whittle it down some more. A short screwdriver or new key would be helpful to dig out the bark from those grooves. Sometimes it'll bridge even after you whittle away a quarter inch deep around the branch.

I didn't do this but some books recommend leaving the cut out to dry for a week before covering it. In theory it should be better but I always get nervous about it.

I'm not sure if this helps but it could be useful to refer to. http://crfgsandiego.org/Documents/Air-Layering%20Simplified.pdf

[fruitlovers]

For lychees and longans the bark discolors pretty quickly so I just wait a few seconds to see where the leftover bark is and whittle it down some more. A short screwdriver or new key would be helpful to dig out the bark from those grooves. Sometimes it'll bridge even after you whittle away a quarter inch deep around the branch.

I didn't do this but some books recommend leaving the cut out to dry for a week before covering it. In theory it should be better but I always get nervous about it.

I'm not sure if this helps but it could be useful to refer to. http://crfgsandiego.org/Documents/Air-Layering%20Simplified.pdf

Yeah you would think it would make the branch dry out and die if you don't put the ball of moss on right away. But that ain't the case.

[Jackfruitwhisperer69]

Hi Richard,
Here's some vids on how to air layer, Lychee...but, the same principle can be implemented

Air Layering Lychee by Pete Part 1 Palm Beach Rare Fruit Council

Air Layering Lychee by Pete Part Two Rare Fruit Council Palm Beach

Air Layering Lychee