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Fruit & Orchards

Which rootstocks can be air-layered?

sautesmom Sacramento

14 years ago

I learned from this Forum (thanks!) that peach rootstocks cannot be started by air-layering, but what kind of rootstocks can? Plum? Pear? Apple?

Carla in Sac

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Comments (5)

brandon7 TN_zone7
14 years ago
All of these, including the peach, can be air-layered. Most woody plants can be air-layered. Whoever told you that peaches couldn't be, should have done a quick google search.
glenn_10 zone 4b/5a NewBrunswick,Can.
14 years ago
Rooting peach can be done, I did it as an experiment 2 years ago.Using 4.5% IBA hormone.I cut a 1 inch long section from the circumference of the branch(basically girdled it)and left a tiny sliver of bark(under 1/8 inch) to feed it until it formed roots. If I remember correctly I did it towards the end of July and by the end of September there were lots of long mature roots.
As for plum I don't have much experience with many of the named cultivars mentioned on this forum, but I can tell you that any of the plums I rooted did so quite easily so I think you shouldn't have any problems.
I played with a dwarfing apple stock last year but only got callus and no roots (started too late in the season).
Haven't tried pear as they are mostly grown on seedling stock around here, but I might just to experiment.
I too searched the internet and found info which stated something to the effect of "peach could not be rooted easily" so I just had to see it for myself and did so with success.
I think if you read into it a little deeper you'll find most things under certain conditions are possible but not practical.
I wish I could be of more assistance to you by putting some names out there but in my neck of the woods a standard is a seedling and a dwarf is a dwarf hehe.
Have fun with it and good luck.
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PW - Thanks for the kind words! also PPE - I received your recent message. I've been very busy with spring pruning/ repotting, which is why I haven't yet expressed my gratitude, but I will. Thank you - I was moved! Is there any downside to starting the layer via ringing method up to a year before I plan to prune + pot the propagule? There is no question things will move along much faster if the layering takes place with the plant outdoors, but you can start the layer a month or so before you expect to move it outdoors, which can be done A) when nights are reliably above 55*F, or B) by moving the plant in and out as temperatures allow (should be above 55*). Is it okay to keep it on over the winter? It depends on where the layer is located on the plant. Since you'll be cutting through the phloem tissue, you'll be cutting off flow of photosynthate from all foliage distal to the layer to roots. So, if the layer is on the main stem proximal to all foliage, there is a very good chance that the plant's root system could die; however, if you are layering the main stem distal to other branches on the stem, it wouldn't be a problem. It's best to start preparing for the layer in early to mid-spring and plan on separating the layer in mid to late summer. Faster is better because it decreases the probability of a fungal pathogen gumming up the plumbing before new roots have an opportunity to form a connection to the propagule's existing vasculature. Does layering on the main stem of a plant have any effect on the growth rate above? Yes. How much, depends on what fraction of the flow of photosynthate (food) is being cut off by the layer. If you have 10 branches below the layer on a main stem, it won't have much impact on growth rate. If you are air layering the main stem at a point proximal to all, the effect on growth rate would be greater. In any case, the reduction in growth rate should be temporal; this, because the layer also blocks the polar flow of auxin (it moves from shoots to roots only). With the flow of auxin reduced to almost nil, auxin's inhibitory effect on new lateral branching will be almost entirely eliminated (in apically dominant plants), so foliage on the new branches will start to provide a net return on energy outlay when the first of the new leaves are about 75% mature. Al
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olpea
14 years ago
Glenn10,

I've heard the same thing, peaches are difficult to air-layer. However, I'm thinking about playing around with it. Did you do it with year old wood, or new season growth? After you cut it in Sept. did you immediately plant it out in the orchard, or did you pot it up in a protected location for the winter?

Lastly how hot do your summers get? I'm wondering if our 90-100F days would cook the roots on the branch?
glenn_10 zone 4b/5a NewBrunswick,Can.
14 years ago
Olpea, The summer temps here run about 77F-86F........I would probably die in 90-100F as it maxed out here last summer at just over 90 and I thought that was too hot!Well the only thing you can do is try it,when I did it I actually wrapped the burlap with black electrical rubber tape(not the plastic stuff)to absorb more heat.So if you went clear it may work for you.
Back to the method,I girdled last seasons wood just at the base of the new shoot leaving an inch or less of old wood for callus and roots to develope.
I didn't do anything with them as it was just to see if it could be done,I did it on my "store bought " trees all of which are now dead from a major fluctuation in temp in January last year where it warmed up to low 40's for a week then plummeted to minus 25F in two days!But 9 seedlings survived out of about 20 or so and I will be attempting to propagate some hardy rootstock from these seedlings.
I'll keep you posted
olpea
14 years ago
Thanks Glenn,

Olpea

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