2015 - Volume #BFS, Issue #15, Page #109
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New Way To Propagate Fruit Trees
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Air layering is a method of reproducing plants by inducing roots to form on the plant stem without cutting off the stem from the parent plant. It’s an excellent way to replicate an existing plant with less disturbance of the parent plant. Air layering can produce larger plants which readily mature much faster than growing them from seeds or cuttings.
The process works like this: remove a ring of bark from the stem and enclose the exposed stem with a moist potting soil or peat moss, then keep the stem moist until enough roots for transplant are formed.
Air layering with the Air Propagator clones trees, vines, and shrubs within 30 to 120 days while conventional methods can take as long as 2 to 3 years to bring them to maturity.
Some examples of suitable plants for air-layering include fruit trees (especially citrus), grape vines, blackberries, climbing roses, etc. Other suitable plants include azaleas, maple trees, and nut trees.
The Air Propagator is a plastic ball that comes in two halves, which are filled with the rooting medium and placed around the branch and secured with self-locking feature. As an option you can buy a unit with one half made of clear plastic, which allows you to see the root growth process without disturbing the root system. The unit comes in a small, medium, and large size and can be purchased individually or in a kit or bulk. The kit contains the Air Propagator shells, rooting medium, rooting hormone, zip ties and instructions.
“As the owner of Brad’s Backyard Nursery in Ridgeville Corners, Ohio, I’ve successfully used the system,” says Brad Miller. “It’s super simple and easy to use, and it takes a lot of labor and time out of the propagating process. I’ve successfully used the idea on peach and pear trees as well as Goji vines. This summer I’m using the Air Propagator on 20 different varieties of fruit and nut trees in my mini orchard.”
How-to videos are available on the company’s website. A set of 3 medium Air Propagators sells for $5.95 (growing media and root stimulator extra).
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Hong Park, Parkway Greenhouse, 13605 Memorial Parkway S.W., Huntsville, Ala. 35803 (ph 256 650-4644; cell 256 694-2169; www.airpropagator.com
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