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| Hello everyone I'd like some advice please about air layering a hawthorn as this is my first attempt. The parent tree is about 6' high at the bottom of the garden. A few months ago (October) I did an air layer about 4' up from the ground where the trunk is about 3/4 " thick. I cut away an inch wide band of bark down to the cambium layer (I think) and then used a split flower pot to hold wet sphagnum up to the cut. The outside was then wrapped in clingfilm to keep everything in place. I have checked a couple of times just to ensure that the moss is still wet but apart from that I haven't looked at all. Today I decided to take away the moss and look for roots as the tree above and below the cut is forming buds but there was nothing to be seen. Am I being impatient or do I need to do something else? I thought that as there are signs of growth above it that something must be happening but apparently not! Any suggestions? Daryl
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SENSEI?
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| Heyup Daryl. The layer was done when the tree wasn't actively growing and if you repeat it now, removing any bark from the site altogether it may have a better chance of success. If you use cuttings compost in the split pot it will provide a ready-made block to plant on later. I would start again from scratch now if no signs of roots are showing. I write this in view of my own experience of doing an air layer at the end of September.. it had to be left on for the full year before being likely to be self supporting.
My name is Don and I'm a bonsaiholic. スタイミー
My imaginary friend Givitago takes over when I'm not sure of myself in print. He's not a complete fool - several bits are missing.
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| Thanks Stymie. What should I be cutting and where? This is a photo of it unwrapped. Could you explain what I need to do next - do you mean make a new cut top and bottom or cut deeper into the wood? Sorry, this is new territory for me and I want to get it right this time! 
Daryl
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SENSEI?
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| I don't see how much further up the branches are Daryl so you might opt to do the business higher up to get the right balance of a first branch 1/4 to 1/3 up the total height. Make the cuts 1½ as far apart as the trunk diameter and cut right through to the white wood. You may not have gone as deep as that before. Don't forget to keep the rooting medium moist all the time. I've put some lines at the possible site. 
My name is Don and I'm a bonsaiholic. スタイミー
My imaginary friend Givitago takes over when I'm not sure of myself in print. He's not a complete fool - several bits are missing.
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| So if I do a new cut a bit higher up then do I need to keep the first one wrapped so that the moisture can still flow?
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It wouldn't do any harm Daryl but I've an idea that you didn't remove all the bark before and its still got a flow under there. Are the branches much higher than the top of the photo?
My name is Don and I'm a bonsaiholic. スタイミー
My imaginary friend Givitago takes over when I'm not sure of myself in print. He's not a complete fool - several bits are missing.
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| I did cut in quite deep I thought but I'm always a bit cautious with things so maybe I wasn't brave enough. The branches are about 6" above this point so I could comfortably do another cut about an inch higher up without loosing the effect I wanted above. It isn't anything very special, I just wanted to try the technique so I'm not too worried about the height. There's another potential tree below this point too so if I lose the top one I can try again further down. I'll take a picture of the whole thing next time I at home in daylight.
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| Hello again Bonsai gardeners The sun is shining beautifully today but so low in the sky that it was still hard to get a good photo so this is the best of about 6 that I took 
Its a bit hard to see because of the background but if anyone could recommend where to try another layer cut I'd appreciate it. For an idea of scale the plastic wrap round the moss is about 4"-5" inches tall.  Daryl
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Okay Daryl, lets hope that you are successful this time. I would suggest that an opaque wrapping is put over the one shown to exclude light. When roots encounter light they either stop or turn back inwards. You will be able to remove this from time to time to inspect the progress without disturbing any roots. Be sure to inject water if the layer appears to be drying out.
My name is Don and I'm a bonsaiholic. スタイミー
My imaginary friend Givitago takes over when I'm not sure of myself in print. He's not a complete fool - several bits are missing.
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| I did have a flower pot round it with the cling film on the outside but as I thought I needed to recut it I haven't put the pot back. So should I re-cut in the same place or try again somewhere else? Daryl
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