Air layering that rosemary, plus a curry tree and a lime tree!

pepperhead212 · #1

Last night and today I air layered my curry tree, the younger lime tree, and the rosemary. The rosemary I just did it to have a backup plant, like I always have on the back porch, in case of single digit temps the main plant doesn't survive, even when protected. I did this last season, and gave the plant to my gardening friend, and it is about 1½ ft tall already! She fell in love with it, even though she never really used it - not something used much in Indian cooking. I air layered the lime tree, because that old one (23 years old) wasn't doing that well (until I repotted it), and that, and the curry tree I figured I'd start some small plants, just to have the smaller ones for years, making them easier to move in and out! And maybe sell these large ones. When I did this before, the lime trees rooted in 7 months, the curry in 5 months, and the rosemary in 3 months.

In that rooting medium I made, I put about 50% coir, 25% vermiculite, and 25% granular diatomaceous earth, which I sterilized (sort of) by moistening it with boiling water, then cooling. Then I added a little micorrhyzae to it, along with a small amount of crumbled up mosquito dunk, to prevent fungus gnats. And I moistened it the rest of the way with some water, and a small amount of Clonex added. I'll see if this speeds if up any.

Here are the things I used to air layer the curry tree, lime tree, and rosemary, which is almost a tree! by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Can't see it really well, but the bark and layers below, were scraped off with a razor blade. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Starting the air layering propagation on the curry tree. The medium I made to use was half coir, and about a fourth each vermiculite and granular DE. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The stem on the lime tree, getting ready to air layer it, 7-30 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Lime tree stem, prepped for air layering. 7-30 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Here's the medium packed into root ball for air layering. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Here's the root ball on the lime tree, starting the air layering, on 7-30 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Prepped stem on rosemary, for air layering, showing the inch scraped clear. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

That prepped rosemary stem, with the two rooting liquids brushed on, before the root ball is clamped on. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Rosemary, starting the air layering, tying some of the stems together, since they are a little too flexible. by pepperhead212, on Flickr