Sometimes I throw caution to the wind and just try things. Last year 2020 I decided to drop a 2 liter bottle over a long Jefferson limb coming up from the trunk about 3” above the soil level. The limb was 3-4’ tall without branches. I filled it with some well used potting soil and checked it again in late summer. It had roots and was now about 8’ high. The cap end of the bottle was fused with the hazel trunk. Finally I decided to use my lopping shears to cut the bottle and the trunk at the same time. I took the 8’ air layer over to a tree and tied it up straight. I thought it would suffer from the transition but hazels are tough. I took the entire 8’ tree and planted it at my new orchard location. Then I cut the trunk off at 6’ and cleft grafted Theta on the right and Yamhill on the left. Theta was clearly the winner and it grew back to about 8’.
Correction. Yamhill on the left.
Good work, Bill. I’m currently working on new and better ways of killing off my air layer attempts. Next year will be better!!
good job Bill! ive got 1 of my 5 hybrid hazels that is covered in 1in. nuts right now that i would like to propagate. the others are only 1/2in. or so . from what ive read this seems to be the easiest way. never done one. any tips to it?
Thanks Mark.
This is a previous post on air layering but this is not the same one in the above example.
Thanks for the links, Bill. As we all know from long experience, the devil is in the details. I’ve let at least one dry out, and separated another too soon. I’m expecting to start one this coming spring - and this time I think I’ll know what to watch out for.
I’m just trying to get a few apricots! So I’ve got graft going on a prune plum and plan to bud or chip onto a nanking cherry seedling that volunteered in the garden.