Use the Air Layering Method to Propagate Plants Safely
Plant breeding can be random, especially for beginners. TikTok or Instagram tutorial videos make it so easy. While sometimes this is true, other times you are left with a worn-out parent (original) plant and nothing to show.
Depending on what you’re trying to propagate (more on that later), a method called “air layering” may be the solution to your propagation problems. Here’s what an air gap includes and when to use it.
What is an air layer?
Essentially, air layering is a way to propagate new plants from stems that are still attached to the parent plant. In other words, you don’t have to cut off the stem and the parent plant can still be intact. Because of this, air layering allows the plant to be propagated with minimal risk : this can be especially useful if you are working with a plant that is rare, expensive or of sentimental value.
How to ventilate a plant
There are several different air styling techniques, some of which are not necessarily suitable for beginners, but here is the general process:
- Find a branch or shoot that is about two or three years old . (It should be both flexible and strong, and show multiple signs of new growth.)
- Bend the branch back 1-2 inches or shoot at its base.
- Wrap wet sphagnum moss around the place where you folded back a branch or shoot.
- Secure the moss with floral ties or vegetable twine.
- Cover the entire bundle with plastic wrap.
There are more detailed instructions there, including from The Spruce , the Royal Horticultural Society and WhyFarmIt .
The best plants for air layering
Here are some examples of plants that reproduce well by air layering:
- Rhododendron
- Camellia
- Azalea
- Holly
- Magnolia
- roses
- forsythia
- Honeysuckle
- boxwood
- wax myrtle
- Horse Philodendron
- Magnolia
- hazel
- Jasmine
- Lilac
If you are working with outdoor plants, it is best to propagate them by air layering in the spring or fall .