I have a trident maple bonsai that's about 20" tall, with first branches about 8" above soil. I want to air-layer and am comfortable with the process. My question: I want to do two air-layers, one to separate the top 7", and the second to shorten the base to the first branches to about 6". Can I do BOTH air-layers on same trunk at one time, or must I do them in successive years. Thanks for input.
One usually doesn't do two air-layers on the same trunk or branch, but if there are branches between the two, it is possible. A very good article on the subject can be found here : http://www.espritsdegoshin.fr/bonsai-pratique/cours-pratiques-de-bonsai/53-marcotte.html It's in French, but if the lingo is a pb, you can use Google online translation. Acer buergerianum is very easy to air-layer. I did it several times, you can see the photos of one of theses experiences here : http://ak2.apinc.org/bdB/wakka.php?wiki=AcerBuerger02 On this one, I put a copper wire tighly around where I wanted to do the air-layer the year before, but it isn't really necessary, it just helps by forming a ring where there are more cells from which new roots will appear. It took only two months for roots to form, considering that I did the air-layer very late in the season (June 23rd, 2008) So I ended up with three trees for the price of one, the base being trained to form a bonsaï. And : you can ask more specific questions about bonsaï cultivation on this excellent forum : Internet Bonsai Club (in English!)
