Thanks Jim

During the past year I've read all of Brent's collection of
informative
write-ups, including Andy Walsh's discussions regarding
air-layering, in
addition to Andy's articles in the ABS Journal. I've also
researched
air-layering in our archives (thanks Carl) and visited the U of
Florida's
Cooperative Extension site and read their entire collection of
articles
regarding propagation. I've also read dozens of books about the
air-layering
process and still haven't been able to answer my original
question which was
..... how long (in length) should the donor branch be
throughout the summer
months, during the root development process ????? and .......
are more
leaves beneficial to root development while it's still attached
to the donor
tree ??


Don't cut back at all. The leaves are very busy making surgars,
etc. for the energy needed for those roots you hope to form under
that plastic wrap. And the tree itself is under a bit of stress.
Since the water comes up from the REAL roots and flows UNDER the
scraped-away layering area to serve the leaves, they won't wilt.
So, the more leaves (the merrier!) the more roots.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Only where
people have learned to appreciate and cherish the landscape and
its living cover will they treat it with the care and respect it
should have - Paul Bigelow Sears.

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