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This means you can use air-layering for several purposes; reducing the length of a trunk, growing a
better Nebari (root flare or surface roots) or selecting a branch to be grown as a separate tree.
When? Layering should always be done during the spring, when the tree already started growing
after its winter rest.
How? There are two main techniques to air-layer a tree; the tourniquet method and the ring
method.
The tourniquet method involves tightly wrapping the trunk/branch with copper wire to block the stream of nutrients partially. When the trunk/branch grows thicker the stream of nutrients will decrease more and more, forcing it to grow new roots just above the wire. This method is used for rather slow growing trees that need more time to grow new roots; these will not survive the more aggressive ring method.
The ring method involves cutting away a ring of bark at the point on the trunk/branch where you would like new roots to grow. The portion above the ring will have to grow roots immediately in order to survive. The ring should be wide enough to prevent the tree from bridging the gap.
The tourniquet method
1. Wrap a piece of copper wire all the way around the trunk/branch right at the point where you like
new roots to grow. The wire should cut about halfway into the bark; the thicker the trunk/branch the
thicker the wire should be.
2. Dust some rooting hormone (available at Bonsai shops) around the ‘wound’ and now wrap a
good quantity of moss around the wound, covering it with some plastic (see photo 2).
The ring method
1. Use a sharp knife to cut two parallel slits at least 2 times the diameter of the branch around the
circumference of the branch.
2. Now remove the ring of bark between these two cuts right till the ‘shiny’ hardwood (see photo 1).
3. Make sure the ring is wide enough so the tree will not be able to gap the wound; also make sure
you have removed the bark all the way to the hard wood; the tree will not start growing roots unless it
has no other choice.
4. Dust some rooting hormone (available at Bonsai shops) around the ‘wound’ and now wrap a
good quantity of moss around the wound, covering it with some plastic (see photo 2).
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