How to Clone Fruit Trees – Air Layering (Marcotting)

What is Air Layering or Marcotting?

Producing more plants is known as propagation. One very effective way of doing this is by marcotting, also called air layering. Marcotting is a method of asexual propagation. The new plant is a clone of the original. This is not very difficult — it just takes practice. You can do it!

To make an air layer or marcott, simply select a vertical branch from a tree and girdle the branch. Next, be certain to scrape away all around the girdle to remove the cambium layer. Now apply rooting hormone gel, liquid, or powder. Wrap the branch in moist sphagnum moss or coarse coconut fiber. Take the sphagnum or coir and wrap securely with plastic wrap. The next step is to wrap aluminum foil around the moist sphagnum or coir.

Now take your potted air layered plant and move it to a bright but partly shaded area. You want filtered light to reach your plant. The light reaching the leaves helps the plant to develop roots at the upper region of the girdle.

Why Does It Produce Roots on the Branch at the Girdle?

The Transportation Superhighway: All of the food, water, and nutrients provided to plants moves via the phloem. This is an area of the tree beneath the bark of dicotyledonous trees (embryo with two cotyledons).

This vascular tissue transports carbohydrates and other compounds downwards from the leaves above the girdle to the lower parts of the plant. These carbohydrates are the result of photosynthesis. Those leaves are solar panels that produce sugar/carbs (energy).

The removal of the bark, cambium, and phloem stops carbohydrates from moving down the trunk past the girdling site. Water and minerals can still flow upwards via the xylem to the canopy, keeping the tree from dying. When an air layer is made, the xylem layer is not removed and the plant transports water and nutrients upwards.

When the girdled area is scraped thoroughly, it removes the actively growing cambium layer, preventing the regeneration of phloem. This keeps the wound from healing. Carbohydrates can still flow downward and collect at the base of the girdle. This accumulation of carbohydrates and hormones (auxins) at the girdling site is the key to a new plant developing from the branch.

So long as the sphagnum moss is maintained moist, dormant adventitious buds in the area at the top of the girdle will grow new roots. When the air layer has enough roots to sustain the shoot independently, the shoot is cut off to be potted and nursed carefully into a new tree.

But Wait — Doesn’t Girdling Kill Trees?

The moist sphagnum/coir keeps the branch from dying because a girdle can kill the entire tree if performed on the main trunk and allowed to dry out. As a matter of fact, a girdle or ring barking is used to kill trees by foresters and lumberjacks.

Girdling or Ring Barking is a slow death. One thing that could save the tree from death is the cambium layer. Leaving just a slight connection of the cambium in the girdle will allow the tree to regrow its bark, heal the wound, and survive. That is why when air layering, the cambium is thoroughly scraped away. A pair of channellock pliers works great!

For an Air Layer to Be Successful, Keep These in Mind

• Sphagnum moss or coir must be moist and not dry out.
• Branches that don’t get sun will not produce roots.
• Don’t use horizontal branches!
• Make sure you scraped away all the cambium.

Not all trees will air layer. Many will, but it can take a long time. For example, the Jabuticaba or Brazilian Grape Tree can be air layered but has been known to take a year or longer.

Good candidates for air layering/marcotting include: Lychees, Longans, Guava, Loquats, and Fig Trees.

Final Tips Before Potting Your Air Layer / Marcot

Check your air layer after five or six weeks to see if you have a good root system developed. Is it nice and moist? Spray some water if needed. Some trees can take three months or longer.

Cut your well-rooted branch from the parent tree. Be careful when planting the marcot. Some people remove the sphagnum and others don’t! They take as much off as possible and are cautious not to damage the new roots.

For me it seems to work either way and I hate risking damage to those roots. In case you do remove the sphagnum, let your marcot sit in a bucket of water for 15 minutes and remove the sphagnum — it’s easier that way. Removing the sphagnum may help prevent fungal diseases from attacking your young root ball. This also helps eliminate air pockets from the sphagnum moss.

Video Demonstrations

How to Air Layer a Tree – Part 1 (Baobab)
In this demonstration, air layering is performed on a Baobab tree that had no leaves at the time (the tree was still dormant). This is an experiment — without leaves the tree may have a poorer chance of producing roots or surviving because there are no leaves to absorb light and utilize photosynthesis to produce carbohydrates. The goal is that the tree will want to survive in response to the wound and push out leaves quickly.

How to Air Layer a Tree – Part 2 (Baobab)
Continuation of the Baobab air layering demonstration. The tree may also somehow absorb light via the bark (an interesting observation from the experiment).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is air layering or marcotting?

Air layering (also called marcotting) is a method of asexual propagation used to clone fruit trees. It involves girdling a vertical branch, removing the cambium, applying rooting hormone, and wrapping it with moist sphagnum moss or coir inside plastic and foil so new roots form on the branch while it is still attached to the parent tree.

How do you perform air layering on a tree?

Select a vertical branch and girdle it. Scrape away all the cambium layer around the girdle. Apply rooting hormone. Wrap the area with moist sphagnum moss or coarse coconut fiber, then securely wrap with plastic and aluminum foil. Place in a bright, partly shaded area with filtered light. Keep the moss moist until roots develop.

Why does girdling cause roots to form in air layering?

Girdling removes the bark, cambium, and phloem, which stops carbohydrates (produced by photosynthesis in the leaves) from moving downward past the girdle. These carbohydrates and hormones (auxins) accumulate at the girdling site. As long as the sphagnum moss stays moist, dormant adventitious buds above the girdle grow new roots.

Does girdling kill the tree or branch?

No — when done correctly on a branch with moist sphagnum moss, the branch survives. The xylem (which carries water and nutrients upward) remains intact. Thoroughly scraping away the cambium prevents the wound from healing and allows roots to form. Girdling the main trunk and letting it dry out can kill a tree, but proper air layering on a branch does not.

What materials do you need for air layering?

You need: a sharp tool or channellock pliers to girdle and scrape the cambium, rooting hormone (gel, liquid, or powder), moist sphagnum moss or coarse coconut fiber (coir), plastic wrap, and aluminum foil. Filtered light and consistent moisture are also essential.

Which fruit trees are good for air layering?

Lychees, Longans, Guava, Loquats, and Fig Trees are typically propagated successfully by air layering. Jabuticaba (Brazilian Grape Tree) can also be air layered but may take a year or longer.

How long does air layering take?

Check after 5–6 weeks for root development. Some trees root in a few weeks; others can take 3 months or longer. Jabuticaba is known to sometimes take a year or more. Keep the moss moist and the branch in filtered light throughout.

How do you pot and care for a new air layer (marcot)?

Once roots are well developed, cut the branch from the parent tree. Some people remove the sphagnum moss; others leave it. To remove it safely, soak the marcot in a bucket of water for 15 minutes. Plant carefully to avoid damaging roots. Removing the sphagnum can help prevent fungal issues and eliminate air pockets. Nurse the new plant gently until established.