Airlayer Technique.....

The tree I photographed is a Hornbeam.  It was air layered last July, but it failed to developed a sustainable root system where the tinfoil is.  I made the decision to re-do the air layer.

The process for an air layer was repeated:  The tree had formed a calus where the bark had been carved away.  The calus was carved away  so the the center wood of the tree was fresh.  The edges from the top girdling and the lower girdling were redone so that fresh green, cambium was showing.  The entire area was painted with rooting hormone,  the  area was wrapped with wet  spagham moss (also contains hormones)  Then the trunk was  wrapped with tin foil.  That is the silver bulge in the middle of the trunk.  
    This spring I will peel off the tin foil, and hope that the air layer took.  I have air layered several trees and been very successful making 2 trees out of one, thereby improving the top as well as the bottom.   I have watched the buds on the top 1/2 of the tree and noticed that they are beginning to swell....  that means that something is going right and the top is going to come of dormancy in a while.  It should also mean that there are roots under the tinfoil send water and nutrients upwards to feed that half of the tree.   I have my fingers crossed ........
     The bottom half of the tree will grow and new apex and continue to develop into a wonderful bonsai.  I decided to post this picture today because all of last years leaves have fallen off and you, as the observer, are able to the end result of the procedure very clearly.
      Today was rather warm and humid.....  spring isn't far away for us....