โŒ

Normal view

Received before yesterday Arakawa Bonsai

Chinese Elm air layering

2 September 2025 at 07:05

In 2025, I performed a ground layering technique. I removed the top layer of soil and made an incision around the bark. Two diverging roots are now clearly visible. I hope I scraped off all the cambium properly to prevent bridging. I applied Clonex to the cut site and covered everything with sphagnum, vermiculite, and other materials I had on hand.

It can be considered a partial success. So far, only one root has formed. I lightly pruned the tips and removed the original roots, hoping this will stimulate the development of new roots on other sides of the nebari. Iโ€™ll check again in the spring during the next repotting. Photos show the tree before the procedure, after removing the old roots, and a view from below.

This is a fairly demanding procedure for the plant. Before planting, I pruned and removed the largest branch at the apex. The tree was placed in a production pot with a well-draining, 100% inorganic substrate, and for the first two weeks, I kept it under a plastic bag to reduce transpiration. After a few weeks, the first shoots appeared. Now the root tips are visible in the drainage holes. Iโ€™m curious whether new roots will appear in other places around the base of the trunk by spring.

โŒ