Peter Chan: "We must be crazy. We all are. All Bonsai people are crazy." Yes we are. 😆 You are a man of refreshing candor. Thank you for all this great content. Very much appreciated.
I saw a really good trick on instagram. You put the moss into a bag and tie the bag closed at both ends. Then you cut a slit in the bag so that it looks like Pac Man and slip the open part over the tree. Then you just use wire or a zip tip to hold the bag against the tree.
@@AdamG319 Even easier............ Start with just the plastic, no moss. Wrap it around the tree and tape or wire the bottom, leave it 'baggy' and not too tight. Stuff moss in from the top and when you've enough close off the top.
When he said “all bonsai people are crazy”😂 it reminded me cutting down a 15ft ficus down to 3ft and drag it outta the wood all because I really wanted a tall bonsai and the ficus had awesome roots
Thank you so very much for a very detailed instructions on air layering. I love watching and re-watching all your videos. I hope you won’t stop posting. Stay healthy, Thank you and God bless..
I air layered a Hornbeam few months ago following Peters video on Hornbeam masterclass and pleased to see when I checked it this morning it has a lot of roots in the bubble wrap so this is my first success in air layering.
Mr. Peter, thank you and Josh so much for showing this in such detail. I have read countless guides and never got it until I was able to watch your video. Thank you again so much
I may try a small pipe cutter to score the bark. The jaw opens on a screw. 2 whees like a glass cutter. For plumbing fit on a pipe, spin around to score the pipe. Then tighen and repeat till you cut totally thru. On a tree limb score only as deep as we need for the 20th airlayer boundaries.
Great timing Peter. From your previous videos I for the first time have air layered a large maple in my garden In five places. Hopefully ready in a few weeks. Good to see the aftercare needed. Thanks.
Two things I'm not sure about after watching this: 1) when is best to start and cut, pre-spring before new leaves/buds, or should one wait until some new leaves are already growing? 2) should you wet the sphagnum moss just before putting in the cone/bag, or pour water on it after it's in the bag, or not at all? Love all your videos and your unique and entertaining explanations @peterchan3100 😊
Wet. And the plastic must be sealed so it doesn’t dry out. Moss is best but I have had success even with peat or similar potting medium, as long as it’s wet.
I am a new subscriber to your channel and am so glad I found you. Not only are you full of information but also so calming to watch and listen to. I have been raising Japanese Acer Maple trees in pots and in the ground for over 15 years and love the idea of creating some bonsai. I will try your technique for air layering as soon as I can. One question I have for you is where can I find spaghum moss in such big bags. I’m in New York and can only find dried condensed spaghum moss in very small bags. It doesn’t look as green as what you are using. I will definitely need bigger bags. Look forward to watching all of your videos and continue learning from you. Thank you for what you do.
Intriguing you said not to scrap the cambium layer off I thought that was a requirement of the process to avoid bridging and may hinder root production. Only things I read and observed. I’m guessing taking a wider ring of bark may counteract that problem? Iv always scraped it and had good result most my failures are acers that said :p
Firstly, thank you for a bounty of reference material. I have begun to watch through, and surely I will continue to learn. I have been growing a magnolia grandiflora for a few years now, from sapling. It is going well, it is a ~13ft tree and it is spawn from one in the yard maybe 35-50ft. I am in a subtropical humid environment and it is shooting up with foliage up top and a long straight mainstem. It will have to stay potted as the yard does not have an appropriate place for another tree of this size. It has a few base shoots starting to grow and so after watching some of these videos I wondered if, wiring these new shoots, I could wire and coil the trunk to bring down the overall spatial height and ultimately shape the crown to bonsai this tree. The diameter of the trunk at this time is maybe inch and a half possibly more. A large wire would be necessary, and that's fine, I can give it the years it needs. I was thinking if I could soften the trunk somehow to produce a ~100 degree bend lateral to the ground, and then a flat (preferably drooping 270 degree coil with the opening being the "mini forest" of the shoots, with the crown eventually shaping to a desirable form. What I will be asking around is if there are any methods to facilitate this kind of manipulation. Can an airlayering inspired method be used to remove the bark on one side with a strip to hold the reaction wood to make the elbow? I could then seal off half the top of the pot and prop it sideways so the tree grows in the modified direction with wire assistance. Does this elbow need to be established first before I begin the loop of the trunk? Can a large debarking be done on the loop to soften it's shaping if I wrap it like an airlayering process to prevent moisture loss and if done in a sterile environment?
Love these videos. Question: does an air-layered plant live as long as a plant grown from seed? Is there a significant difference in the health of the tree?
I have a similar giant air layering in the works (Norway Maple), but I don't have a greenhouse. Any advice? Methinks I probably wouldn't be able to get Way with keeping that much length and foliage.
Brilliant source of information. I have had no success with tridents but excellent success with air layering shishigashira and mountain maples. The mountain maple has been in the moss ball in a pot for a year now so my question is will it be OK to plant it in soil now? I will try again with the trident next year. Thanks for the information.
Hi Peter I an collect sphagnum moss from my own property Does it have to be dried out first before use it . Does it have to be alive or dead Thank in anticipation
Thank you Peter for the great video. I just did my first air layer on my old red Japanese maple couple weeks ago, hoping it takes. Couple questions if you or someone else might answer. The spagnum moss was it damp or dry? Also when you put it in the pot with all spagnum moss do you water that daily or how do you know how much to water? Was the tray underneath to keep it wet? Also how long should you leave in the moss before putting in potting mix? Thank you again
Most people tend to soak the sphagnum moss then squeeze out the excess water before using it for air layerings, so its damp enough to attract new growth but not wet enough to rot the tree. Watering i would say a little less than with soil as it has a real affinity for water but just touching it will give you enough information. If its a really early layering, you could go and pot into soil later that year as long as the roots arent disturbed too much, other wise one year should be plenty :)
You mentioned heat for the air layering being beneficial several times. What is the ideal temperature for air layering? I'm in the high desert, where it reaches 100F+ in June (we hit 108F last week). IS there a point, temperature wise, that it's too hot/cold to air layer? Also, the sphagnum moss you have looks considerably different from what I have found here (Southeastern Arizona). Thank you SO MUCH for sharing knowledge!!!
I am THRILLED to be able to tell you that I just cut 8 air layerings off a Benj Ficus tree that was 12 feet tall, and only on was a "fail" because I cut too deep. Some of these are 2 inch diameter; and it only took 3 weeks to grow all these roots; I think that is a record for root growth from my previous 3 years of efforts. Some of these are 3 feet tall! And now I have to get them potted up. THANK YOU so much, for showing us all how to do air layering! I'm trying it - again - on my Jap maples, knowing that I previously cut them too deep. And I'm going to have some great bonsai prospects with all of the main trunks in my Ficus now cut back so deeply.
l appreciate your posts , interesting and informative. l am a fireman, set to retire at the end of this year , l have built a greenhouse on our property and l intend to immerse myself in this "hobby?" l think it will help me to relax with purpose. thank you again.
@@peterchan3100 Thank you for the response , l live outside NYC , but a trip to England is on our Bucket list , so ... perhaps . Thank you for the invitation, l am honored.
Please Peter can you say winter or spring not month (august or may) wen you tolk about airlayering? Because is more easy to understan to paeple living in the other hemispher...thaks so mucho!!!! I see you from Argentina ☺️🤗🤗😊😘😘😘
If you have a too long branch on a tree that you intend to air layer, does it make more sense to chop it short first (possibley a prior year) before air layering? or is it safer to make sure you have a successful air layering before investing too much hope and time? Further, should you wait a year for the air layering to recover and establish more roots before working on turning it into a bonsai?
I thought this rooting powder was applied to the area that was cut clear of bark. I'm glad I saw this tutorial. I must have been thinking about cloning. Air layering, cloning, grafting. There's so much to learn.😅
Can you air layer in two or more places on the same trunk/branch at the same time? Like that 25’ maple - could you have paced a second air layer ball on it last year, and gotten two new trees at the same time?
This video had perfect timing, planning on experimenting with air layerings the next spring season. Wanted to find out if anyone has ever air layered a trident maple and then used them for root grafting? Good or bad idea? And if not a bad idea can the grafting be done within the same year or is it better to wait for the next year or perhaps longer?
I have done layers on tridents, which work well. It probably is easier to just get a bunch of seeds, sow them and use the seedlings for grafting though.
Thanks so much for this! I started an air layering on a 17mm branch of a Lemon tree and within a month(today) it has thick roots visible. Unfortunately cannot post the photo here.
First thing first, new to air layering. And wanna do bonsai with lilac air layer clipping. Is it bad to put strait away in bonsai potting soil? Sorry for any bad spelling.
All other videos I've seen on air layering say to remove the cambium. This was the first to say not to remove it. Please confirm or elaborate. Thank you. I love your videos.
I'm glad Josh had his crocs in sports mode
Peter Chan: "We must be crazy. We all are. All Bonsai people are crazy." Yes we are. 😆
You are a man of refreshing candor. Thank you for all this great content. Very much appreciated.
I appreciate you saying this is the tricky part where you need three hands. I thought I was just bad at this, but you’ve made me feel more confident.
I saw a really good trick on instagram. You put the moss into a bag and tie the bag closed at both ends. Then you cut a slit in the bag so that it looks like Pac Man and slip the open part over the tree. Then you just use wire or a zip tip to hold the bag against the tree.
@@Watcher4187 I can’t picture it. If you could find it, I’d love to see it.
The funnel technique works well if you only have two hands available!
@@AdamG319 Even easier............
Start with just the plastic, no moss. Wrap it around the tree and tape or wire the bottom, leave it 'baggy' and not too tight.
Stuff moss in from the top and when you've enough close off the top.
Millions of dollars worth of knowledge in one thirty minute video! Amazing guys.
When he said “all bonsai people are crazy”😂 it reminded me cutting down a 15ft ficus down to 3ft and drag it outta the wood all because I really wanted a tall bonsai and the ficus had awesome roots
Thank you so very much for a very detailed instructions on air layering.
I love watching and re-watching all your videos. I hope you won’t stop posting.
Stay healthy, Thank you and God bless..
I went to a class at herons bonsai today and I would really recommend it. I had a lot of fun
I air layered a Hornbeam few months ago following Peters video on Hornbeam masterclass and pleased to see when I checked it this morning it has a lot of roots in the bubble wrap so this is my first success in air layering.
I did a big contorted hasle nut tree airlayer 6 weeks ago and i had same enjoyment seeing roots this morning
Pay attention to the after care. I lost a few successful air layers because I didn’t water enough after separated and potted
Dear Felco, I bought a pair of these pruners because of Peter's recommendation. :)
Please write to Felcos and tell them about me and the videos
Great video Peter more free trees. Thank you.
Simple hack to get free plant clones!
Crazy is a good thing. Doing what all others do, is insane. Kepp the videos comming 👍
Agreed
I thought the cabium must be scraped away completely before air-layering?! Is it differnt on maples?
thats exactly how i was schooled to do this
Brilliant video Peter and Josh, learnt how to and why airlayering is so good ! Thankyou!!!
Line of the day “ All bonsai people are crazy “ 😂 love it
Question: Are you soaking the moss to provide moisture? I'm not clear on how much water is used in the process. Thank you! 11:50
What a great video, your videos are very inspiring thanks so much for taking the time to video and post 🙏🕊️
Verry nice! Let's all air layer , plant trees and make the planet green again!
WHAT A BIG BOY! That was a satisfying video! Josh and Peter great teamwork.
I LOOOOVE watching your crew work! What a fantastic job you all do.
Thanks Peter I will try this one day locally in northwestern ontario. Harsh winters here.
Love to see your Art Work. Thanks for showing.
Mr. Peter, thank you and Josh so much for showing this in such detail. I have read countless guides and never got it until I was able to watch your video. Thank you again so much
I am speechless Mr. Chan. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I wish I lived closer to visit. I will just try to thank you once more.
This year I’m gonna try it with a peach tree. I’m excited.
This is so impressive, thank you for sharing your skills so many times with different plants. Keep going to suprise us many years.
I may try a small pipe cutter to score the bark. The jaw opens on a screw. 2 whees like a glass cutter. For plumbing fit on a pipe, spin around to score the pipe. Then tighen and repeat till you cut totally thru.
On a tree limb score only as deep as we need for the 20th airlayer boundaries.
A utility knife is all you need.
Thank you for access to your seamanly endless wealth of knowledge. I promise I will put it to practice. I have never been so happy doing anything.
I can relate to being bonsai crazy 😝 thanks for sharing such another great lesson 👍🏻
Peter it would be nice to do a follow up on the air layering.
Great video! Greetings from Vancouver, Canada!
thrilling to watch...thank-you!
This is amazing. I’ve so enjoyed watching you.
Josh is a master craft man
Wow, this blows my mind in a very positive way! Thank you Master Chan and Josh.
Very nice to watch and how you guys are working together so well! I really enjoyed this Video. Lovely - thank you
Amazing to see how you people make a big airlayering
Fun harvesting day it must have been😁, thx for sharing Peter.
Great timing Peter. From your previous videos I for the first time have air layered a large maple in my garden In five places. Hopefully ready in a few weeks. Good to see the aftercare needed. Thanks.
Brilliant job, I've lost count of the number of tines I've attempted air layering but have yet to have a success
Try it again after seeing the video
Keep it moist where you want roots, wrap it tight
Two things I'm not sure about after watching this: 1) when is best to start and cut, pre-spring before new leaves/buds, or should one wait until some new leaves are already growing? 2) should you wet the sphagnum moss just before putting in the cone/bag, or pour water on it after it's in the bag, or not at all?
Love all your videos and your unique and entertaining explanations @peterchan3100 😊
Thanks for this. One question... do you water the air layer at all? Or do you assume that the if you seal well enough that it will stay wet?
Morning Peter, quick question- do you wet the moss in the plastic wrap? Or does it naturally sweat?
Nice satisfying job on a glorious day. Thanks
Wet. And the plastic must be sealed so it doesn’t dry out.
Moss is best but I have had success even with peat or similar potting medium, as long as it’s wet.
That’s great! Thanks for your help.
Wonderful video sir thanks for your time and expertise!🙏
16:35 “We must be crazy. We all are. All bonsai people are crazy” awesome
Hallo Peter. Thanks for this Video. Kind regards from Germany to you and your staff. ******
I will visit you in England some day!
Regards from OSLO!
I am a new subscriber to your channel and am so glad I found you. Not only are you full of information but also so calming to watch and listen to. I have been raising Japanese Acer Maple trees in pots and in the ground for over 15 years and love the idea of creating some bonsai. I will try your technique for air layering as soon as I can.
One question I have for you is where can I find spaghum moss in such big bags. I’m in New York and can only find dried condensed spaghum moss in very small bags. It doesn’t look as green as what you are using.
I will definitely need bigger bags. Look forward to watching all of your videos and continue learning from you. Thank you for what you do.
We buy them from wholesalers who get it from New Zealand.
@@peterchan3100 thank you I will look into it
This is amazing, thanks for what you are doing, I'm now practising airlayering of my fruit trees in Italy, I hope their growing
New camera? quality looks a lot better than usual!
Still using my Iphone 13 Promax
I love that southern magnolia you got.
Intriguing you said not to scrap the cambium layer off I thought that was a requirement of the process to avoid bridging and may hinder root production. Only things I read and observed. I’m guessing taking a wider ring of bark may counteract that problem? Iv always scraped it and had good result most my failures are acers that said :p
exactly, everywhere i read said to remove 100% of the cambium. I'm not sure why he says not to...did you figure out why he says that?
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and love of the art.
Wow! I like that tree his flower is big.
That was a great video. Love seeing how big a layering you can take. I can't wait for winter to pass to have ago at this. Thank you for sharing
Great video Peter. I never did any air layering but it is a great way to produce new trees. I will be trying it out soon. Thanks for sharing.
I've had some successes with layers and cuttings because of Peter Chan! You the man Peter Chan!
Firstly, thank you for a bounty of reference material. I have begun to watch through, and surely I will continue to learn.
I have been growing a magnolia grandiflora for a few years now, from sapling. It is going well, it is a ~13ft tree and it is spawn from one in the yard maybe 35-50ft. I am in a subtropical humid environment and it is shooting up with foliage up top and a long straight mainstem. It will have to stay potted as the yard does not have an appropriate place for another tree of this size. It has a few base shoots starting to grow and so after watching some of these videos I wondered if, wiring these new shoots, I could wire and coil the trunk to bring down the overall spatial height and ultimately shape the crown to bonsai this tree.
The diameter of the trunk at this time is maybe inch and a half possibly more. A large wire would be necessary, and that's fine, I can give it the years it needs. I was thinking if I could soften the trunk somehow to produce a ~100 degree bend lateral to the ground, and then a flat (preferably drooping 270 degree coil with the opening being the "mini forest" of the shoots, with the crown eventually shaping to a desirable form.
What I will be asking around is if there are any methods to facilitate this kind of manipulation. Can an airlayering inspired method be used to remove the bark on one side with a strip to hold the reaction wood to make the elbow? I could then seal off half the top of the pot and prop it sideways so the tree grows in the modified direction with wire assistance. Does this elbow need to be established first before I begin the loop of the trunk? Can a large debarking be done on the loop to soften it's shaping if I wrap it like an airlayering process to prevent moisture loss and if done in a sterile environment?
Love these videos. Question: does an air-layered plant live as long as a plant grown from seed? Is there a significant difference in the health of the tree?
Thanks team. Well appreciated.
I have a similar giant air layering in the works (Norway Maple), but I don't have a greenhouse. Any advice?
Methinks I probably wouldn't be able to get Way with keeping that much length and foliage.
Thank you! I am so inspired to try this.
I learned a lot. Thanks for sharing.
Do you soak the moss in water before applying?
Brilliant source of information. I have had no success with tridents but excellent success with air layering shishigashira and mountain maples. The mountain maple has been in the moss ball in a pot for a year now so my question is will it be OK to plant it in soil now? I will try again with the trident next year. Thanks for the information.
Thanks for the video. It has been informative and helpful.
Do you need to mist the moss before applying? Or just apply right out of the box?
Hi Peter
I an collect sphagnum moss from my own property
Does it have to be dried out first before use it . Does it have to be alive or dead
Thank in anticipation
Thank you Peter for the great video. I just did my first air layer on my old red Japanese maple couple weeks ago, hoping it takes. Couple questions if you or someone else might answer. The spagnum moss was it damp or dry? Also when you put it in the pot with all spagnum moss do you water that daily or how do you know how much to water? Was the tray underneath to keep it wet? Also how long should you leave in the moss before putting in potting mix? Thank you again
Most people tend to soak the sphagnum moss then squeeze out the excess water before using it for air layerings, so its damp enough to attract new growth but not wet enough to rot the tree. Watering i would say a little less than with soil as it has a real affinity for water but just touching it will give you enough information. If its a really early layering, you could go and pot into soil later that year as long as the roots arent disturbed too much, other wise one year should be plenty :)
makes me want to try this at least once.
Well done gents and uncle P
Throughly enjoyed
You mentioned heat for the air layering being beneficial several times. What is the ideal temperature for air layering? I'm in the high desert, where it reaches 100F+ in June (we hit 108F last week). IS there a point, temperature wise, that it's too hot/cold to air layer?
Also, the sphagnum moss you have looks considerably different from what I have found here (Southeastern Arizona).
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing knowledge!!!
Try on junipers or ficus. They should work in high temperatures
@@peterchan3100 Thanks!!
I am THRILLED to be able to tell you that I just cut 8 air layerings off a Benj Ficus tree that was 12 feet tall, and only on was a "fail" because I cut too deep. Some of these are 2 inch diameter; and it only took 3 weeks to grow all these roots; I think that is a record for root growth from my previous 3 years of efforts. Some of these are 3 feet tall! And now I have to get them potted up. THANK YOU so much, for showing us all how to do air layering! I'm trying it - again - on my Jap maples, knowing that I previously cut them too deep. And I'm going to have some great bonsai prospects with all of the main trunks in my Ficus now cut back so deeply.
did you add water to the material before wrapping with plastic?
Alwais great information!!!
Sir,you are amazing........
Thank you so much.
You da tree man❤
Great presentation. I was wondering if coniferous trees like Japanese black pine and hinoki cypress respond well to airlayering?
l appreciate your posts , interesting and informative. l am a fireman, set to retire at the end of this year , l have built a greenhouse on our property and l intend to immerse myself in this "hobby?" l think it will help me to relax with purpose. thank you again.
congrats and blessings, the lord bless you
@@juand2463 Thank you.
Where do you live - if you get a chance, come and visit us.
@@peterchan3100 Thank you for the response , l live outside NYC , but a trip
to England is on our Bucket list , so ... perhaps . Thank you for the invitation, l am honored.
Is it not necessary to mixed some water with the moss sir.
Please Peter can you say winter or spring not month (august or may) wen you tolk about airlayering? Because is more easy to understan to paeple living in the other hemispher...thaks so mucho!!!! I see you from Argentina ☺️🤗🤗😊😘😘😘
❤️🌱Agatha you lucky one ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks Peter.
If you have a too long branch on a tree that you intend to air layer, does it make more sense to chop it short first (possibley a prior year) before air layering? or is it safer to make sure you have a successful air layering before investing too much hope and time?
Further, should you wait a year for the air layering to recover and establish more roots before working on turning it into a bonsai?
Do u moisten the moss
Hi Peter, i always take cable ties not wire for airlayering - much more easy.
I like reusable wire more. Less plastic.
I have a qeustion is the Moss wett or a bit damp or is it dry please let me no maybe i have a bit more succes thanks greetings from the netherlands
very damp but not soaking wet.
Peter. Do you wet the sphagnum moss when putting it around the cut. Before you wrap the bag.
You did not wet the moss?
I thought this rooting powder was applied to the area that was cut clear of bark. I'm glad I saw this tutorial. I must have been thinking about cloning. Air layering, cloning, grafting. There's so much to learn.😅
Can you air layer in two or more places on the same trunk/branch at the same time? Like that 25’ maple - could you have paced a second air layer ball on it last year, and gotten two new trees at the same time?
Yes you can
Wonderful video, thanks for sharing!
5:00 for the boys
AMAZING!
This video had perfect timing, planning on experimenting with air layerings the next spring season. Wanted to find out if anyone has ever air layered a trident maple and then used them for root grafting? Good or bad idea? And if not a bad idea can the grafting be done within the same year or is it better to wait for the next year or perhaps longer?
I have done layers on tridents, which work well. It probably is easier to just get a bunch of seeds, sow them and use the seedlings for grafting though.
@@GrowingBonsai ah ok, make sense, i was just concerned with differing genetics from the seed. But probably better. Thanks
Hi Mr Chann is that moss ball dry or is it wet already. Ernie smith from brisbane Australia
Must be already wet when you apply it to the branch. 👋 from Italy
Moss must be wet to work properly
@@peterchan3100 thank you Mr Chann. Ernie smith from brisbane Australia
Hi. Why do most people say that you must remove the phloem and cambium?
I've never had success with maples.
Dont get too technical - it will confuse you - just try it like how I showed you in this video.
Thanks so much for this! I started an air layering on a 17mm branch of a Lemon tree and within a month(today) it has thick roots visible. Unfortunately cannot post the photo here.
So air layerings should be done in the spring? Also can a smaller air layering survive a northern winter outside?
Depends how cold, but I guess it might be too cold if temps go below minus5C for prolonged periods
First thing first, new to air layering. And wanna do bonsai with lilac air layer clipping. Is it bad to put strait away in bonsai potting soil? Sorry for any bad spelling.
All other videos I've seen on air layering say to remove the cambium. This was the first to say not to remove it. Please confirm or elaborate. Thank you. I love your videos.
Follow what I have shown you. You can see the results.