That is a great surprise and it is often amazing where these roots form to keep the tree going. I have had some really weird ones in the past too. Thanks for showing us because it also demonstrates the value in keeping an airlayer on over the winter if it hasnt yet rooted. In the past I have been too quick to give up rather than persist another 3 or 4 months :)
@@TonysBonsai yeah, sounds like a good solution too. Bonsai is a marathon not a sprint. Over time perhaps it'll get both treatments 👍. Keep up the good work
With luck this will develop more root for an even root system. Have a couple of ground layered trees I need to investigate in the coming weeks. I’m not convinced I am going to see the results I’m hoping for and roots developing where I wanted them… time will tell.
Yeah, that would be nice, but like you, I'm not convinced on this one. I think it will just keep pushing from that one root. It will be interesting to see how your ground layered trees have done
@@TonysBonsai I’m also encouraged that my air layered Paul’s Scarlet Hawthorn has buds swelling on it despite my impatience in air layering it and removing it with only a small amount of root. The critical time is as the leaves unfurl and it hasn’t got a sufficient functioning root system, causing the leaves to shrivel, dry out and die. Fingers crossed for that and that it makes it. It should be a lovely little tree if it does. What is left of the parent plant has plenty of roots but is really quite ugly. I feel a slew of update videos coming quite soon…
I love update videos. It's one of the reasons I make so many projects. Creative styling and update videos are great. Standard re-pots are just the worst. 🤣
Wow,,, That’s weird. Hopefully it survives and puts out some roots around the new cut. I tried my first air layers last spring without success. I’ll try again 😊 Thanks, keep growing
Tony definitely needs a soil scoop! As for the air layer - don’t ask me. This is better than my limited experience - I had one success with air layering out of maybe 6 attempts, all the others simply calloused over and died. People make it look easy!
Acer will spontaneously produce root at a site that is constantly moist without any intervention at all (especially if you have lots of foliage above the layer site). Raft style maples that are buried often do this. For this tree you could root graft which is a really good skill to acquire going forward.
Yes, I've yet to try any root grafting Paul. I think what puts me off is the quite ugly-looking roots I've seen in videos where they have root grafted.
That was a strange root formation and fingers crossed you grow some more from the new cut site. It's so joyful watching roots grow on air layers and creating free bonsai material. I collected 2 crepe myrtle and 4 murraya air layers this year..all growing well..love it.
Yeah I do love a free tree. Unfortunately, some builders who were working on my house managed to somehow snap this tree in half today. I'm guessing they watched my video and thought that the two trunks would place too much demand on that root system. Either that or they dropped a brick on it 🤣🤣
That's wild. At least though, it was the tree itself! I had an air layer that I thought successful and weeds had grown through it to give the illusion of roots. I had to trash it after i cut it off! I wonder how it will develop now that it is starting from such a bizarre start.
Bizarre but amazing little root system there tony,I did another air layer on my orange dream about 4 weeks ago,it's already fully leaved out too but not sure whether to put it out yet or not...
Definitely leave it mate. In my experience branches can fully leaf out and grow for months with zero roots. I would be checking the roots in another 4 or 6 weeks
Very interesting root growth there Tony. I know you did not do it on purpose, but in a propagation book I was reading it says to leave 1 side intact while you open the other and create root on jut 1 side. Then it says once it roots cut like you did and you will get radial root growth. So you tackled a method of air layering that you never ment to. Congrats on you success!
Hopefully that root will be able to feed the other side of the tree also! Next time you look at these roots next season if you still do t have move radial roots you can root graft some of the longer ones to the other areas of the trunk ❤️ Great video🎉
All good solid advice Candice, however the builders who were putting cavity wall insulation into my house the day after I shot this video somehow managed to break the tree into two. They never told me either and I gave them a tip too. I did wonder why they did loads of extra little jobs. 🤣🤣
@@TonysBonsai one previously cultivated and developed by Kimura’s Great, Great, Great Grandfather and collected in an area that no longer even exists on maps . . .
Different things could cause this I think. Possibly the lowest part of your air layer ring rooted, I have heard before(not experienced it, and not really belief this) that it is best to ring horizontally. Maybe because of cutting to deep or not deep enough. Most likely I would think the top of the mos must have been to dry at some point. These are only my thoughts. What are your thoughts on this Tony? Greets from Belgium
Hi Wouter. I'm really not at all sure on this one. The root appeared from well above the cut line, so I'm wondering if perhaps that is a place I removed a branch or a bud from, so that area had more hormones present?
I've had a very one sided layer on an Orange Dream and then made it worse by keeping the moss on so the roots stayed in the moss rather than growing out into the soil. I really cut the big rootmass back when I repotted it last month and hoping I get roots from the callous. Tree is leafing out though so hopefully it will be fine!
Interesting Chris. I am thinking that If I have no joy with getting any extra roots, I will attempt a ground layer with this next year. As it is it's no real use as a bonsai.
@@TonysBonsai no such thing as impossible material! ;) All good practice to see what we can get away with. I'm going to practice maple bud pinching on one of mine this year, tweezers at the ready!!
I think it'll live as long as you dont keep it too wet. I love this stuff, exploring to find the one root that an air layer produced is like bungee jumping to me.
Yes, I agree. Hopefully in the well draining soil, it will do well and I think it will have loads of roots in a few months. Where they all eminate from is another question though.
all that work just to nick the new roots when wiring it is best not to circle the tree from growing they twist the wire so there is always a path to ground.
So strange! Was this air layering over winter? I thought roots exposed to low air temps and high winds would get slaughtered by frosts? Seems like a bit of a risk to me if ALing valuable stock. I've just started doing my conifer ALs now to give them the best chance for roots to develop over spring/summer. Will wait for my deciduous trees to harden off their new growth before I do them too. All except for a couple of cotoneaster whose buds are beginning to burst, that I know I can AL at this time of year from past experience.
Hi Rhodri. I attempted this air layer last summer, but I investigated in the autumn, and nothing had appeared, so I re-cut the bark and left them over winter to see what happened. I need to air layer a tall common juniper. I'm thinking late April?
Interesting. Goes to show what we do is entirely unpredictable! 😅 Late April sounds good. Although maybe earlier still. I think the "official" line is "when actively growing". So, I'll usually kick off pretty soon (a week or two) after I see signs of active growth at the tips to make the most of the full length of growing season and so that I'm not making the cuts in warm weather when things can dry out very quickly. It's totally anecdotal, but I'm convinced that like grafting, the success of air layers is better when started in the colder weather of early spring rather than the heat of late-spring/summer where things dry out super quick. But again this probs varies from species to species.
Hi Jay. As Jacob said I made this one. I'm currently experimenting with some tool-grade stainless steel, and I'll be looking at possibly making a batch of bonsai knives like this for sale in the future.
That is a trip how it rooted. Never a dull moment at Tony's Bonsai. I remember the back hoe in your backyard, the excellent root over rock tutorials and the pig trough you modified into a planter for the raft and so many more memorable things..you're the one to watch! I mention you in my first bonsai video: czcams.com/video/Q5LMzlWUUgs/video.html
@@TonysBonsai Thanks, I think I killed the one cherry tree, It went through a lot and one missed watering sent it over the edge. We plan to move but I'll still look for some good specimens. We are looking at property that backs up to a forest and the Bald Cypress grows nearby so a Yamadori hunt will come soon..then I can make a proper Bonsai video..cheers!
Cheers Joe, it is certainly very odd, and today some builders who were fitting cavity wall insulation at mine somehow dameged it and it snapped in half, so it will never be a twin trunk now!
@@TonysBonsai That’s a pain Tony after the work you put in creating the twin trunks, funnily enough at some point I thought maybe it would be better off as a single trunk, the builders appear to have done that for you at no charge, builders aren’t known for their delicacy are they. All the best with what is left mate.
That is a great surprise and it is often amazing where these roots form to keep the tree going. I have had some really weird ones in the past too. Thanks for showing us because it also demonstrates the value in keeping an airlayer on over the winter if it hasnt yet rooted. In the past I have been too quick to give up rather than persist another 3 or 4 months :)
Hi XAv. You make a great point there about leaving our unsuccessful air layers on. It's not really any extra effort, and you just never know!
Looks like a perfect opportunity for root grafting next year perhaps
Yes, possibly Andy, although I'm thinking maybe a ground layer will be the answer?
@@TonysBonsai yeah, sounds like a good solution too. Bonsai is a marathon not a sprint. Over time perhaps it'll get both treatments 👍. Keep up the good work
With luck this will develop more root for an even root system.
Have a couple of ground layered trees I need to investigate in the coming weeks. I’m not convinced I am going to see the results I’m hoping for and roots developing where I wanted them… time will tell.
Yeah, that would be nice, but like you, I'm not convinced on this one. I think it will just keep pushing from that one root. It will be interesting to see how your ground layered trees have done
@@TonysBonsai I’m also encouraged that my air layered Paul’s Scarlet Hawthorn has buds swelling on it despite my impatience in air layering it and removing it with only a small amount of root. The critical time is as the leaves unfurl and it hasn’t got a sufficient functioning root system, causing the leaves to shrivel, dry out and die. Fingers crossed for that and that it makes it. It should be a lovely little tree if it does. What is left of the parent plant has plenty of roots but is really quite ugly. I feel a slew of update videos coming quite soon…
I love update videos. It's one of the reasons I make so many projects. Creative styling and update videos are great. Standard re-pots are just the worst. 🤣
Wow,,, That’s weird. Hopefully it survives and puts out some roots around the new cut. I tried my first air layers last spring without success. I’ll try again 😊 Thanks, keep growing
I often find my attempts just callous over.
Keep trying mate. It will be a great feeling when you finally get one to root.
Very interesting! I’m going to have a go at a few air layerings this spring. Good luck with your maple, I love your experiments!
Thanks Jill. Air layers are great fun, and with a bit of luck you'll get some lovely new trees.
Great Tony, I hope it survives and you get a lovely twin trunk maple out of it.
Alright Alex. It will be interesting to see what happens with this, and happy birthday mate.
Tony definitely needs a soil scoop!
As for the air layer - don’t ask me. This is better than my limited experience - I had one success with air layering out of maybe 6 attempts, all the others simply calloused over and died. People make it look easy!
🤣🤣You know what Jacob, you are right about the soil scoop. I keep saying to myself that I should get one, but then I keep forgetting
Acer will spontaneously produce root at a site that is constantly moist without any intervention at all (especially if you have lots of foliage above the layer site). Raft style maples that are buried often do this. For this tree you could root graft which is a really good skill to acquire going forward.
Yes, I've yet to try any root grafting Paul. I think what puts me off is the quite ugly-looking roots I've seen in videos where they have root grafted.
@@TonysBonsai thread usually produces good results for me.
That was a strange root formation and fingers crossed you grow some more from the new cut site. It's so joyful watching roots grow on air layers and creating free bonsai material. I collected 2 crepe myrtle and 4 murraya air layers this year..all growing well..love it.
Yeah I do love a free tree. Unfortunately, some builders who were working on my house managed to somehow snap this tree in half today.
I'm guessing they watched my video and thought that the two trunks would place too much demand on that root system. Either that or they dropped a brick on it 🤣🤣
It's quite possible new roots sprout out due to etiolation process. It's like making a thick cutring
yeah, that's what I'm hoping, although my instinct say that it will just keep relying on that one thick root
That's wild. At least though, it was the tree itself! I had an air layer that I thought successful and weeds had grown through it to give the illusion of roots. I had to trash it after i cut it off! I wonder how it will develop now that it is starting from such a bizarre start.
Sounds like you had a tanuki air layer mate! It's going to be really interesting seeing what happens to this tree and how the roots develop
Thx, I'll now always remember to check the roots first before cutting the branch off ^^
Yeah, always better to have a quick explore Matthias
Looks like it made a new tap root🤔 weird. Fingers crossed for the twin trunk design.
Yeah, it's really weird and I have no idea what it's going to do from here on
Bizarre but amazing little root system there tony,I did another air layer on my orange dream about 4 weeks ago,it's already fully leaved out too but not sure whether to put it out yet or not...
Definitely leave it mate. In my experience branches can fully leaf out and grow for months with zero roots. I would be checking the roots in another 4 or 6 weeks
Very interesting root growth there Tony. I know you did not do it on purpose, but in a propagation book I was reading it says to leave 1 side intact while you open the other and create root on jut 1 side. Then it says once it roots cut like you did and you will get radial root growth. So you tackled a method of air layering that you never ment to. Congrats on you success!
Very interesting. I've never heard of that, but we'll see on this tree how it works out
You did a good job on the cut back. Would have like choices. Good job Tony. How's the twin trunk?
Cheers Mark. A builder doing some work on my house dropped a brick on it and snapped it in two the very next day mate, so it's long dead!
Nature surprises from time to time
Indeed. We can try to control it, but mother nature always has the final say!
That was wierd Tony. Never seen that before. Have a great day you too
Cheers Chris. It was certainly a strange root. Have a good one dude!
Hopefully that root will be able to feed the other side of the tree also! Next time you look at these roots next season if you still do t have move radial roots you can root graft some of the longer ones to the other areas of the trunk ❤️
Great video🎉
All good solid advice Candice, however the builders who were putting cavity wall insulation into my house the day after I shot this video somehow managed to break the tree into two. They never told me either and I gave them a tip too. I did wonder why they did loads of extra little jobs. 🤣🤣
@@TonysBonsai 🤣🤣🙈🙈 Did you email them that they broke a Bonsai in half . . . an ancient tree worth thousands 🤣
🤣🤣Actually, now that I come to think of it, it was one my itoigawas styled by Kimura
@@TonysBonsai one previously cultivated and developed by Kimura’s Great, Great, Great Grandfather and collected in an area that no longer even exists on maps . . .
Nature does its things regardless of what we want it to do,,,
One of the facinations of bunsai making.....
Exactly! We can try to sculpt nature, but in the end she decides!
That’s strange. But might make a nice nebari mate.
Good show 👍👍
I think it's a possibility, but I think it will just end up being really weird!
Time will tell...
Grts
Kennet
Indeed, just have to wait and see on this one now
Different things could cause this I think. Possibly the lowest part of your air layer ring rooted, I have heard before(not experienced it, and not really belief this) that it is best to ring horizontally. Maybe because of cutting to deep or not deep enough. Most likely I would think the top of the mos must have been to dry at some point. These are only my thoughts. What are your thoughts on this Tony? Greets from Belgium
Hi Wouter. I'm really not at all sure on this one. The root appeared from well above the cut line, so I'm wondering if perhaps that is a place I removed a branch or a bud from, so that area had more hormones present?
I've had a very one sided layer on an Orange Dream and then made it worse by keeping the moss on so the roots stayed in the moss rather than growing out into the soil. I really cut the big rootmass back when I repotted it last month and hoping I get roots from the callous. Tree is leafing out though so hopefully it will be fine!
Interesting Chris. I am thinking that If I have no joy with getting any extra roots, I will attempt a ground layer with this next year. As it is it's no real use as a bonsai.
@@TonysBonsai no such thing as impossible material! ;) All good practice to see what we can get away with. I'm going to practice maple bud pinching on one of mine this year, tweezers at the ready!!
I've had airlayered maples survive with less root mate 😅
I think it'll live as long as you dont keep it too wet. I love this stuff, exploring to find the one root that an air layer produced is like bungee jumping to me.
Yes, I agree. Hopefully in the well draining soil, it will do well and I think it will have loads of roots in a few months. Where they all eminate from is another question though.
all that work just to nick the new roots when wiring it is best not to circle the tree from growing they twist the wire so there is always a path to ground.
Think your plan got a good chance to succeed, good luck! 😊
I'm going to update on this next week. It's now a single trunk. The builders somehow managed to break it into, but it should still make it I think!
@@TonysBonsai well that isn't a problem as I thought I would've made it single too. Cheers!
Moss looked super wet. I wonder if it was not enough air to root properly?
So strange! Was this air layering over winter? I thought roots exposed to low air temps and high winds would get slaughtered by frosts? Seems like a bit of a risk to me if ALing valuable stock.
I've just started doing my conifer ALs now to give them the best chance for roots to develop over spring/summer. Will wait for my deciduous trees to harden off their new growth before I do them too. All except for a couple of cotoneaster whose buds are beginning to burst, that I know I can AL at this time of year from past experience.
Hi Rhodri. I attempted this air layer last summer, but I investigated in the autumn, and nothing had appeared, so I re-cut the bark and left them over winter to see what happened. I need to air layer a tall common juniper. I'm thinking late April?
Interesting. Goes to show what we do is entirely unpredictable! 😅
Late April sounds good. Although maybe earlier still. I think the "official" line is "when actively growing". So, I'll usually kick off pretty soon (a week or two) after I see signs of active growth at the tips to make the most of the full length of growing season and so that I'm not making the cuts in warm weather when things can dry out very quickly.
It's totally anecdotal, but I'm convinced that like grafting, the success of air layers is better when started in the colder weather of early spring rather than the heat of late-spring/summer where things dry out super quick. But again this probs varies from species to species.
Thanks for that. I think i'll have a crack at a couple of air layers a bit earlier than I was planning then as that does make sense.
How bizarre.
Weird isn;t it.
could I ask where u got the knife from Tony. been looking for one
He makes them. We’re hoping one day he might have some for sale.
Hi Jay. As Jacob said I made this one. I'm currently experimenting with some tool-grade stainless steel, and I'll be looking at possibly making a batch of bonsai knives like this for sale in the future.
That is a trip how it rooted. Never a dull moment at Tony's Bonsai. I remember the back hoe in your backyard, the excellent root over rock tutorials and the pig trough you modified into a planter for the raft and so many more memorable things..you're the one to watch!
I mention you in my first bonsai video:
czcams.com/video/Q5LMzlWUUgs/video.html
I like to keep busy with my trees mate. I just checked out your video. Really good start!
@@TonysBonsai Thanks, I think I killed the one cherry tree, It went through a lot and one missed watering sent it over the edge. We plan to move but I'll still look for some good specimens. We are looking at property that backs up to a forest and the Bald Cypress grows nearby so a Yamadori hunt will come soon..then I can make a proper Bonsai video..cheers!
Now I'm getting jealous mate. Love bald cypress!
@Tonys Bonsai I know you do! Not sure how to ship trees but I shipped to London before and it took right around 3 weeks..hmmm..
when did you set that air layer up Tony?
It was weird. I did it late last summer, and in Autumn after 3 months there were no roots, so I re-cut it and left it for the winter.
Trust you to end up with a very odd air layer Tony that know-body else has had created, let’s hope it survives mate.
Cheers Joe, it is certainly very odd, and today some builders who were fitting cavity wall insulation at mine somehow dameged it and it snapped in half, so it will never be a twin trunk now!
@@TonysBonsai That’s a pain Tony after the work you put in creating the twin trunks, funnily enough at some point I thought maybe it would be better off as a single trunk, the builders appear to have done that for you at no charge, builders aren’t known for their delicacy are they. All the best with what is left mate.
Very interesting
Yeah this was pretty weird Fred
Foistski
Secoindski
Hi tony,did 12 successful air layers last year,but could not get one from goo blood with 4 attempts,weird.
I hear that red-leafed maples are really hard to air layer, so I'm not surprised, and going by mine I'm not sure they're worth it.