pepperhead212
Master Chef
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.
I'll put the rosemary on a second post, since this has more than 8 photos.
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
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.
I'll put the rosemary on a second post, since this has more than 8 photos.
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