at work we have multiple very old rocky mountain junipers growing around the yard. ive decided to air layer 2 different trees where i found some nice bends. i started the air layer in late February and would make sure the sphagnum moss would stay moist weekly since we had some good heat. around april it cooled down a bit and i forgot / had no time to go check on them. today i made time to go out back and noticed a good amount of roots growing and luckily it was still moist. which brings me to my question.
i was listening to Bjorn Bjorholm's pod cast on you tube and he talks a little about air layer and he says we typically air layer around spring then the next spring (one year later) we cut and re pot the new tree.in other videos/ articles i read that it usually take 3 months for roots to grow then you cut and repot. i feel if i wait even another 3 more month the bag will be rot bound. do i wait one year or do i cut and repot when it has a significant amount of roots? roots are already visible around the plastic bag i used. the tree also has very good/ new growth on it.

I cut airlayers as soon as I have roots. I litterally have taken junipers with a single 5 cm root and potted them up. MOST important is aftercare. They are effectively large cuttings at that point. So they need to be potted up without hurint the roots, which for many people seems to be impossible (It comes down to wiring the plant into an empty pot, free from all the sides so it cannot move, then filling the pot up with substrate). Then placing it in a location with some early morning sun, no wind. And lots of moisture around the plant.

So.. Long answer short: you can separate once roots have formed. The more roots have formed, the less risk of it dying on you due to a careless act like forgetting about it, or tipping the pot over or moving the layer against the substrate.

on both air layers the new trunk is roughly 5-6ft long past the air layer location. i only plan on keeping it at about 2ft tall maybe shorter. do i chop the top and the air layer at the same time? or do i do one at a time. for example cut the air layer then chop the top once it recovers in its pot. or is it something i should have prepped prior to air layering.

I had the same debate with my new maple!
What did you decided? Me I’ll leave the cuts for early winter.

well guys, its sad to say one of the two air layers i was attempting at work got attacked. worst part is of course it had to be the one that has so far produced roots the fastest and was almost ready to be planted. roots were ripped off and everything, what ever it was made sure there was no chance of survival. lets pray the second one doesn't get attacked.

crent89 wrote:

well guys, its sad to say one of the two air layers i was attempting at work got attacked.

Attacked BY WHOM?

Clicio wrote:

Attacked BY WHOM?

there is a lot of coyotes and squirrels in the area so i have to assume it was one of them. the first week i did it i noticed one had a small hole from something chewing on it but didnt do any damage and now this time they really shredded it up. i going to wrap some kind of chicken wire on the other one so they dont get to it.