I started an air layer of my fig tree about two months ago and I checked it today and I finally saw roots! My question to you is this: when you pot the air layer do you strip any leaves or leave them intact? I used a pint size water bottle for the air layer since the stem is rather thin, but it has many leaves on it as well as side shoots. Tia,

Carmine

Long Island NY

I usually have pretty extensive roots by the time I remove my air layers and the air layers show no signs of stress when removed. If its a very thin branch that you are air layering you have plenty of time to let the roots develop further. Some people just cut the leaves in half. When you remove it just keep it out of direct sun until you get a sense of whether there are enough roots to support the amount of leaves you have.

Thanks so much for the quick response and info. I think I will wait a few more weeks until I see more root development before I separate it from the mother tree. Now I have to find a way to keep these Japanese beetles off my trees! They suddenly appeared last night crawling on my porch and this morning I pulled a doze off my figs and grape vines.

Hey carmine, those beetles are sluggish in the evening time; that's when you can just brush them off the leaves and into a jar. Also, traps are sold for this specific beetle which can catch thousands :)