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| Photo Credit: Daniel Overcash |
| Make a 1 ½-inch wound to start the air layering process. |
When it comes to vegetative propagation, I naturally think of taking a plant cutting and rooting it in the ground or in some other media. But air layering is different: It’s done aboveground while the propagule (a bud, tuber, root or shoot) is still attached to the parent plant.
As strange as the method sounds, this way of propagation has actually been practiced for centuries – although it’s not too common because of the time it takes to “grow” a cutting. Typically the best time to air layer is in early spring on the past year’s growth. Many times the cuttings are ready by fall, but some cuttings may take two growing seasons to root. You may need a lot of patience with this technique, but for those hard-to-root plants, air layering is a highly effective way to reproduce plants. What’s more, it’s not too difficult! All you need is a little patience, a little work and a few simple supplies: - A sharp knife
- Sphagnum moss (or potting soil in a pinch)
- Plastic wrap (the kind from your kitchen)
- 2 rubber bands cut in half
- Aluminum foil
- Rooting hormone (optional)
Once you’ve got everything handy, just proceed in a step-wise fashion: Step 1: After selecting the branch you want to propagate from, come down 12 inches from the tip of the branch and make two parallel cuts 1 ½ inches apart with a sharp knife. Don’t cut through the branch! Just cut deeply enough so the outside bark peels off. (What you’re going for is an exposed wound.) Step 2 (optional): If you’d like, add a little rooting hormone to the wound to speed up the rooting process. | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Daniel Overcash | | Wrap the wound with sphagnum moss or soil, and cover it with plastic wrap. |
Step 3: Wrap the wound with moist sphagnum moss (or potting soil), then cover it with plastic wrap to form an airtight pouch. (Note: This is the hardest step – and it can be amusing just trying to keep the moss from falling off the limb while getting the plastic wrap securely around it. To make the task a bit easier, I like to place the moss or potting soil in the plastic wrap first, then wrap both around the wound at the same time.)
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