This document provides step-by-step instructions for propagating fruit trees through air layering. Air layering involves making cuts in a branch to remove a strip of bark, wrapping the wound with moist soil or sand, and allowing roots to grow while still attached to the parent plant. It describes selecting a one-year-old branch in spring, removing a strip of bark, wrapping the area in a soil mixture, securing it tightly with plastic and string, and after 8-10 weeks cutting the rooted section from the parent plant to transplant. Air layering allows propagating fruit trees from existing plants and producing fruits identical to the mother plant.

1. Propagation
of Fruit
Bearing Trees
Prepared by: Rizza M. De Mesa
Teacher I

2. Propagation of Fruit Bearing
Trees by Air-Layering
AIR-LAYERING is one method of
propagating a fruit tree from an existing
one, which will bear fruits sooner, and the
fruits will taste same as the mother-
plant.
Most of the Citrus trees can be
propagated by air-layering. I have
successfully air-layered the sweet lemon
tree at our home garden and here are the
step-by-step instructions on how to do
air-layering.

3. Propagation of Fruit Bearing Trees by Air-Layering
– The following tools and
materials are required to do
air-layering
1. A sharp knife
2. Thick cotton thread
3. Clean plastic sheet
4. Hack saw blade (or) a
Pruning shears

4. Propagation of Fruit Bearing Trees by Air-Layering
– Select a branch of about one
year old and half an inch thick.
The branch should be healthy
and free from any pest attacks.
The best time to do air-
layering is when the plant
starts growing new leaves

5. Propagation of Fruit Bearing Trees by Air-Layering
–Make two clean cuts
around the branch
about one inch apart
with a sharp knife.

6. Propagation of Fruit Bearing Trees by Air-Layering
Peel off the bark between those two cuts.

7. Propagation of Fruit Bearing Trees by Air-Layering
– Make a ball of soil
mixed with tree moss or
soil mixed with sand
and wood ash around
the area where the bark
has been peeled off.
Here I have used soil
mixed with sand and

8. Propagation of Fruit Bearing Trees by Air-Layering
–Wrap the
soil using a
plastic sheet
of right size.

9. Propagation of Fruit Bearing Trees by Air-Layering
– Tie the ends tightly with
cotton thread, so that
no water or air can
enter.
– Now you have to wait
for about eight to ten
weeks, some times
more, before rooting
takes place.

10. Propagation of Fruit Bearing Trees by Air-Layering
–After about ten
weeks time, my air-
layered sweet lemon
tree branch has
grown roots. You can
see the white roots
through the plastic
sheet.

11. Propagation of Fruit Bearing Trees by Air-Layering
–Remove the
plastic sheet.
Now you can
see the roots
clearly.

12. Propagation of Fruit Bearing Trees by Air-Layering
– Cut the branch just below
the rooted portion with
pruning shears or with a
hack saw blade without
damaging the root ball. I
have used a hack saw blade
as the wood was very hard
to be cut with pruning
shears.

13. Propagation of Fruit Bearing Trees by Air-Layering
– Planted the rooted
branch in a pot. You can
plant it in the ground
also if space is available.
I got a new sweet lemon
tree which will start
bearing fruits about an
year from now.

14. Credits/Source:
–https://www.instructables.com/id/Pro
pagation-of-Fruit-Bearing-Trees-by-Air-
Layering/

15. Propagation of Fruit Bearing
Trees by Whip Grafting
Grafting is one of the oldest
methods of plant propagation
and is standard practice today for
various types of fruit trees. Whip
grafting is an easy technique for
the beginner, and has yielded
good results for me with apples,
apricots, plums and cherries.

16. Propagation of Fruit Bearing Trees
by Whip Grafting
–There are several other grafting techniques –
bud grafting
cleft grafting
bark grafting