Air layering clones your plant the easy way. Remove a complete ring of bark. Ideally, the cut should be made under a knot (under a leaf, or the scar of a fallen leaf).
If the sap flow is abundant, the bark should peel off easily. Lightly scrape the cambium layer. This will prevent the reconnection of the elaborate sap conductive tissues (phloem). Most air layering works without this prior step.
Therefore, it can be omitted, especially if the branch is thin otherwise it could break. The application of a rooting hormone can speed up root development, but again, it is not absolutely essential to the process.
The easiest way to apply a soil mix to the area is to use a prepared container. Check out my video on how to do it. Most soil mixes will work., No need to use, this method to water again so I tend to use a light, to medium mix pre-soaked.
Close the container with the lid. Adjusts. The best you can to close hermetically. You can add tape, or a rubber loop, to hold the lid in place. Wrap the container, with kitchen wrap.
This will hold moisture until the roots are fully developed. Adding water is not necessary. The length of time required to develop roots varies by species and time of year.
From 5-6; weeks to several months., I left, some, layers without; attention, for, several, months., They were never watered. The soil mixture is dry, but the roots are alive. The experience will allow you to know how many weeks are needed to develop roots in their conditions for each type of tree, fruit (, Eye, nor, all, will go well on their own roots) You can always remove the film open the cap and check.
If there are roots. Close and return, to apply the kitchen film. If the roots are not yet developed. In this situation, it may be necessary to pre-soak the root ball in water to rehydrate them.
With roots, just developed, it is not necessary (or convenient) to soak. You may have to remove some leaves to ensure a good balance between the leaf surface and the area of water absorption by the roots.
In the spring, when the plants are actively growing, it is the best season to do, layering, aerial, but they can be done, throughout, the whole year, as long as the plant is still growing.
In the spring/summer the bark peels off so well that sometimes I remove it in the knot area. This way I can use the knot (and its bud) to make, a patch graft and the layer will still work.
Another layer escaped me for several months. The container and the film kept the roots alive. In this case. I have placed the container close to the ground, after removing it. No, I have cut the branch.
Then. I have put more soil in the pot. Allowing roots to develop in the soil before cutting. This ball of the root was pre-soaked for a few minutes. Thanks for viewing. See my other videos.
