Air layer removal can kill the original plant

Last week, I removed an air layer from my Hoople Street croton. It was started in September and rooted slowly over the winter. Under the aluminum foil was a healthy root system but no new heads were emerging from the single stemmed mother plant. The air layer was potted up and is doing well but the mother plant has started to die back. Like the General Lawrence I mentioned before, this is the second time removing an air layer has proven deadly to the original plant. In both cases, the original plant was a single stem that had totally defoliated in January 2010. Has anyone else had this happen?

Ray

 

Hasn't happened to me because I always knew that it wasn't the safest thing to do. Never, it's an absolute risk you take of loosing your only plant.

 

Jeff, at some point you've got to air layer that leggy looking thing. It defoliated in January 2010 but put out about 10 new leaves last summer. Why wouldn't you try to get the thing a little bushier? It had seemed to fully recover from the freeze two years ago. This past winter it came through with flying colors. Once the air layer is on, you've got to remove it whether there's any new growth or not.

 

Ray - for one of a kind or hard to find crotons that need an air layer, I always apply the air layer when the plant is growing vigorously - like in the late spring. I figure that if you are going to traumatize the plant, do it while it is growing and growing and growing....

There's probably a better exploanation out there but this wuill have to do for now...

 

Jim Glock shared with us during his airlayering demonstration at the croton garden tour / meeting that Judy dusts the cut stem tip with rooting hormone as soon as airlayered plant is removed. I do not know if this has been proven to stimulate new leaf buds but, until it is disproved - I will utilize their method.