Air Air-Layered / Cutting Rooted plants compared to Rootstocking ?

[Montray Davis]

Hello, and thanks for reading my thread.

As I delve deeper into gardening, I learn a tons and lots of it thanks to the awesome community here.

What I am currently experimenting with is air-layer/cutting vs fruit tree grafted to a rootstock. The question that I have is as follows: Are Air-Layered plants going to produce the same quantity and quality of fruit as the parent tree given that they are in the exact same growing conditions?

The thing that throws my mind for a juggle is wondering why so many people air-layer if it's not going to provide the same quantity and quality of fruit -- aside from cost. Or is cost the only reason to prefer air-layer/cutting over rootstock?

Any suggestions on what to expect with my air-layered fruit trees?

Thanks, I appreciate the help in advance.

 

[alp]

Air-layering is basically produce an EXACT clone of the mother plant. The exact clone might have some catch up to do as when chopped off the mother, it will lose the mother supplying MORE nutrients to the plants. It might take some time for the clone to establish and behave like its mother plant.

Are you air-layering onto to the same kind of soil on the ground or air-layering using sphagnum moss in a ball on a branch?

 

[Chuck]

Rootstocks require a graft and that in itself is a little more difficult than airlayering. And rootstock/grafting costs more. Grafts don't live as long as own root or airlayerd plants. From start to finish airlayering is usually a little faster although both will take about 2 years to produce.

 

[Montray Davis]

Air-layering is basically produce an EXACT clone of the mother plant. The exact clone might have some catch up to do as when chopped off the mother, it will lose the mother supplying MORE nutrients to the plants. It might take some time for the clone to establish and behave like its mother plant.

Are you air-layering onto to the same kind of soil on the ground or air-layering using sphagnum moss in a ball on a branch?

Thanks! I air-layered my Fig tree about a month and a half ago (by the way, still no visible roots???).

This is exactly what I was looking for. Appreciate the help bud.
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Rootstocks require a graft and that in itself is a little more difficult than airlayering. And rootstock/grafting costs more. Grafts don't live as long as own root or airlayerd plants. From start to finish airlayering is usually a little faster although both will take about 2 years to produce.

Thanks for your help as usual, Chuck!

 

[Chuck]

Thanks! I air-layered my Fig tree about a month and a half ago (by the way, still no visible roots???).

This is exactly what I was looking for. Appreciate the help bud.
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Thanks for your help as usual, Chuck!

Figs are MUCH easier to air layer in the spring when they are actively growing. A month and a half ago it was the beginning of winter. A good time to plant a fig but really a bad time for air layering.

 

[Montray Davis]

Figs are MUCH easier to air layer in the spring when they are actively growing. A month and a half ago it was the beginning of winter. A good time to plant a fig but really a bad time for air layering.

That's what I started to assume. The Tree as you stated, was pretty much going into dormancy when I air-layered it but I've since brought it inside (about a week or two ago) and it now has new growth. Can I expect roots soon ?

 

[Chuck]

That's what I started to assume. The Tree as you stated, was pretty much going into dormancy when I air-layered it but I've since brought it inside (about a week or two ago) and it now has new growth. Can I expect roots soon ?

Possibly, probably. The tree, although inside, is still and will stay in partial dormancy. Hours of sunlight is the driving factor.

 

[Montray Davis]

Possibly, probably. The tree, although inside, is still and will stay in partial dormancy. Hours of sunlight is the driving factor.

I have 5 grow lights which alternate on-off every 12 hours; so it's getting quite a bit of light I think. Not sure what the exact lumen and color spectrum is.

This is kind of off-topic but I'd rather just ask here than to create a new thread since we're talking about air-layers.

From your experience do Avocados take a long time to air-layer? I ask this because Avocado seeds are some of the longest seeds I have ever propagated and they seem to grow really slowly (at least at seedling stage). Does this same concept pretty much apply to Avocado cuttings/air-layers in comparison to other quicker seed-germinated trees? (Hope this makes sense)

 

[Chuck]

I have 5 grow lights which alternate on-off every 12 hours; so it's getting quite a bit of light I think. Not sure what the exact lumen and color spectrum is.

This is kind of off-topic but I'd rather just ask here than to create a new thread since we're talking about air-layers.

From your experience do Avocados take a long time to air-layer? I ask this because Avocado seeds are some of the longest seeds I have ever propagated and they seem to grow really slowly (at least at seedling stage). Does this same concept pretty much apply to Avocado cuttings/air-layers in comparison to other quicker seed-germinated trees? (Hope this makes sense)

I don't really know. I do know that it will take years to produce fruit though.

 

[Montray Davis]

I don't really know. I do know that it will take years to produce fruit though.

Thanks for all of the help !

 

[alp]

Montray: It is extremely easy to take fig cuttings. air-layering is actually not so easy in this case.

 

[Montray Davis]

Montray: It is extremely easy to take fig cuttings. air-layering is actually not so easy in this case.

Thanks! I should have asked this earlier and I would have just chopped the limb and rooted it that way .

I also took a cutting the same day and the cutting has a decent amount of roots now; so you're totally right.

I appreciate the help ^_^.

Do you know if Avocado cuttings take a long time? Air Layer? It appears that every single Avocado rooting YouTube video out there either 1) Doesn't have an update telling us results and length or 2) They died.

I assume Avocados are hard to root?

 

[Chuck]

They are not especially hard to root. The secret is to collect the correct type of cutting. When the avacado tree is in a strong growth pattern take the cuttings from NEW growth. About 6"-8" long and remove all but the top leaves. Make a couple of small cuts at the base, through the cambium layer, dip in rooting hormone and place in a damp perlite -peat mixture. They should root within a month

 

[Montray Davis]

They are not especially hard to root. The secret is to collect the correct type of cutting. When the avacado tree is in a strong growth pattern take the cuttings from NEW growth. About 6"-8" long and remove all but the top leaves. Make a couple of small cuts at the base, through the cambium layer, dip in rooting hormone and place in a damp perlite -peat mixture. They should root within a month

Thanks!

I think I'm going to go ahead and attempt a few cuttings after I get a new flush. I read somewhere that it took 6months so I was pretty discouraged with rooting Avocados. I don't mind waiting years for fruit since I have another mature tree but waiting 6months for a cutting would absolutely kill me inside. xD

 

[Chuck]

Thanks!

I think I'm going to go ahead and attempt a few cuttings after I get a new flush. I read somewhere that it took 6months so I was pretty discouraged with rooting Avocados. I don't mind waiting years for fruit since I have another mature tree but waiting 6months for a cutting would absolutely kill me inside. xD

In my experience an average of 2-3 weeks is common. I would place 5 or 6 in a 6" container. Then in 2 weeks I would GENTLY tug on a cutting. If there was any resistance then you have roots. The reason I said they would normally root within a month was that when a month was up they would either have rooted or they weren't going to. I would then place them underwater and GENTLY pour them out and if needed seperate them and repot.