Gardening: Air Layering
Francis Tophill explores a Barbados sinkhole-turned-garden, demonstrating “air layering” propagation Inside The World's Rarest Magical Garden | Gardeners' World.
Air layering is a propagation technique where roots are encouraged to grow on a stem while it's still attached to the parent plant. This allows for faster growth compared to starting from seed. Tophill's demonstration in Barbados highlights how air layering can be used even in unique environments like sinkholes adapted into gardens. The technique involves stripping bark, applying rooting hormone, and wrapping the area with moist sphagnum moss and foil to encourage root growth. Air layering is not 100% necessary, but applying rooting hormone can help improve the process. Also, wrapping the aluminum foil around the air layer protects it from UV exposure. One potential issue with air layering is that the aluminum foil can attract birds. Birds may peck at the foil, causing the air layers to dry out and fail.
