Grafting Results
Some of you have asked to see results of the grafting done this spring. Here are a few photos to share:
This is a Red pine graft on Ponderosa. The Red pine is the bright green foliage in the center. There are only two grafts, and I've weakened the Ponderosa shoots somewhat. Perhaps by the end of next year I'll be able to take off all the Ponderosa, and then we'll have a Red pine.
The second graft on the same tree. Although the foliage is as long as the Ponderosa right now, it will reduce considerably in a smaller pot with less fertilizer. And then there is always the possibility of using the standard Black pine technique of cutting the candles, and then we have needles as short as we like.
A Rocky Mountain juniper grafted with Chinese juniper. The grafted foliage is the tight mass in the center, and the Rocky Mountain is the droopy foliage on the bottom. This was a cleft graft, with two scions. Approach grafting is also very common and actually easier for juniper.
6 Comments
Looks great very innovative! I think we will see more and more grafting black and red pine on ponderosa.
I’m curious what your take is and Mr. Suzuki’s take on grafting more traditional foliage(chinese juniper) onto our native junipers? I see you have trees with both, same as Boon. Some people feel very passionate one way or the other. Alhought the Japanese Masters I have heard from seem to prefer grafting on new foliage. I guess you tend to like what you are use to or something like that.
Could you pick what Native juniper foliage you like the best between California, Sierra, Rocky Mountain or Utah?
Jeremiah,
You’re right, grafting bonsai is a controversial subject and many of us get quite excited about it. Almost as badly as our issues regarding fertilizer. But I don’t think we need get our knickers in a twist about grafting. Some will, some won’t, and variety is a good thing in bonsai.
I like grafting. I’ll graft anything that has foliage so bad I lose sleep over it. Suzuki was very willing to graft as well. It’s an issue of controversy even with the masters over there, although grafted junipers have won top awards.
As for foliage, I like Rocky Mountain or Sierra (Western is another common name for J. occidentalis.) Much Rocky mountain foliage is junk, it grows dangly and those trees I’ll graft without much of a thought. But the foliage of the occasional Rocky will stand upright and be dense, and that foliage with some care regarding fertilizer and water can be tightened up even more eventually. Sierra has a nice foliage. It’s fatter, and that looks pretty good on either a really large tree or sometimes bunjin.
Hello Michael,
You hit the nail in the head. I would love to see the progressions.
Kind regards,
Jose Luis
Have you tried grafting Japanese White Pine on Ponderosa’s?
I have not grafted white onto ponderosa but it works well, I have seen it done successfully.
I’d love to see an update to the grafted ponderosas:)