I've never done it intentionally but they sure do layer naturally if the circumstances present themselves. Once they have enough roots so that they seem firmly attached to the soil (tug gently) you can separate them. Err on the side of giving more time, rather than less. Your working assumption seems reasonable - maybe someone else knows more specifically.

tug gently ???? .. lol ... i would call it pull lightly ... and if not satisfied... put it back and step on it.. to get it back in the soil ... yeah.. i know.. po-tate-o .... po-tat-o ... ...

you need enough roots.. to support however much green is beyond the roots ... so a couple little stubs arent going to be enough to support an 8 inch branch ...

whats the plan after you cut it.. pot it and baby it ... or just slam it in the ground?? ... or just cut it.. and leave it there for another year ..???

ken

Ken's very last statement seems most reasonable

but , once when I was pruning a smoke bush , it laid down roots by itself

I just crammed three in the ground.( back in wet soil )....they took off

ron

I wonder how many branches you need to layer to be successful

I was gonna layer the juniper exactly where it will be permanently. The mother juniper will be dug out once successfully layer and yes I agree cutting the layer off and leaving it there is what I’m gonna do. I‘m going to have it in my rock garden. Do I need to girdle the whole branch for the layering, just like how it is done for air layering?

Just the bottom. You still want the mother plant to feed the tip.

tj

You can use a rasp or the like on the bottom of the branch.

Completely girdle though? Or just like a light one inch wound enough? Or just strip the needles and will that automatically create the ‘wound’?

Oops sorry now I know what you meant by just the bottom. Thought you were referring to the bottom(base) of the branch to be sunk in the ground or something(I guess I didn’t read properly) but just wound the bottom you meant. Will do!

That is generally (to me) the easiest way to roughen up the tissue and get the t-cells going!

Do I absolutely must use a rasp or something specifically designed to cut wood like grafting knives or will pocketknife be good enough?

FWIW: I picked up a set of these from Harbor Freight.

They were very economical and seem sturdy enough. I even use them for woodworking.

You can get rasps like the ones used in the kitchen, for Autobody work.

But yours probably smell better. :-)

So Sara, doesn’t that make your lemon zest taste like pine? lol

I use something like this, but mine was much cheaper.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Small-Hand-Surform-File-Rasp-Blade-Plane-Body-Wood-Work-Tool/283744144628

tj

These a nice. One hand holding the branch, one hand on the rasp. :-)

Honestly, I've never used one for plants, only plaster of Paris and body putty. lol

Bill on reflection I think that the one that I use came from the hardware store!

Good to know.

At least we found out what the experts use. ;-)

I ended using one of my sharper pocketknives to make the wound and did pretty good.

So I planted this juniper and a day later I layered 3 branches on this high bed. I pinned them down with a landscape pin and they are probably like 2 inches deep. I hope the branches don't die on me

Hey update. 2.5 years later I ended up with 4 successful rooted layers and I transplanted them today. Technically they were already rooted last year Spring but I decided to only cut it off from the mother plant, get rid of the sick mother plant, and leave the separated layers in for another year. 2 of them ended up being bare rooted though because the soil was so loose. Hopefully that won’t kill it with it being in a rock garden of full blasting sun. I disregarded the spacings of the plants because I want to see which one survives and which ones don’t. If they all survive then I’ll take 3 out and plant them somewhere else.

2.5 years later I ended up with 4 successful rooted layers

===

I hope you win....

When you work in tree time....your odds go up....too many peeps would have expected to cut and move in a few months....

If you fail...next time cut branch and leave for one more year...one stress at a time....

Rig up some shade for july.august...

Ken

shade could be as easy at a couple stakes and some burlap... stuff i had around for winter protection ... in other words.. free and on site...

it would be placed to protect from direct sun during the heat of the day.. late afternoon ...

ken

Was trying to find a way to make shade for the plants, thanks.