A Twin Trunk Sierra Juniper

[Vance Wood]

This is the image I am talking about. It appears to be Shimpaku grafted to another Juniper this is the one I have the questions about.

The question being: Were all of the Shimpaku grafts taken from the samestock or if cuttings from the same tree? I have a reason for asking this. I don't care is you guys are so good you can graft a goats head to a cat, but, just the every day evidence of a staright forward Juniper to Juniper graft.

 

[Adair M]

Vance, that picture is all native Sierra Juniper foliage, except for the Ume twig grafted on. No Shimpaku in the picture.

 

[markyscott]

If it were my tree, I'd graft Ume on it like this:

View attachment 91335

NOW, you've got something special!

Excellent technique Adair. I'd be shocked if this doesn't take.

Scott

 

[Adair M]

When you get really good at grafting, you can do it from 3000 miles away!

 

[markyscott]

That picture is of the original Sierra foliage. The graft is the twig of Ume. That graft was placed up high in the foliage that will be jinned once the grafts (not pictured) take. They are about 12 inches lower down.

The Ume graft is an inside joke. A year ago at Boon's I grafted a Shimpaku scion onto a plum tree. I didn't think it would take. But apparently it has! Here's the picture:

View attachment 91353

So, today on Facebook, Boon posted a picture of Markyscott's Sierra juniper with the grafts, and I said "graft Ume on it", making a reference to my silly graft pictured above.

So, they did! We'll see if it takes.

Ok Adair - I have to fess up. I put the shimpaku scion on the plum tree when we were doing our grafting exercise. I put it on your branch and put you name on it as a little joke at your expense. Your mind is not going, just my little moment of fun.

Scott

 

[markyscott]

I am more curious about the scions used in the graft pictured on image 91335. Were these Shimp cuttings struck from the same stock?

Hi Vance. All the shimpaku grafted to this Sierra were Kishu cuttings struck from the same stock.

Scott

 

[Vance Wood]

Vance, that picture is all native Sierra Juniper foliage, except for the Ume twig grafted on. No Shimpaku in the picture.

I got the point, finally.

 

[thomas22]

I did a juniper approach graft last spring similar to yours and it looks fine now but I'm curious what makes you confident the three graphs are taking. Couldn't one or more be just living off the container soil. I'm not that confident mine will take so I was wondering if there was some special signs too look for that makes you think they are taking. Nice tree by the way and good luck.

 

[markyscott]

Hi Thomas22.

The signs that the grafts are taken are

1) swelling around the graft union
2) thickening of the branch above the union.

As the Kishu seedling has grown, it's trunk has thickened more above the graft than below it. So now there is a marked difference in the thickness above and below the graft. That observation alone would tell me the graft has taken. But that combined with the swelling around the union makes me pretty confident that we are in good shape.

Scott

 

[Tieball]

Hi Tieball. So it's been a busy few days and I'm just catching up. To let you knew, the choice was to cut back the top growth. As the grafts had clearly taken, it was time to force the tree to rely more on the grafted foliage. Also on the approach grafts we scraped through the cambium on two sides to weaken the connection to the seedlings roots. I had scraped before and also tied a wire around the trunk. As the seedling grows it will be eventually girdled. As soon as we get good extension, we'll sever the connection entirely. I'm sure this will happen next season. Scott

Thanks for the update Scott. Sounds like you have a sound plan....and good rewarding work ahead of you. Keep posting the photos. It is exciting to see the results of your work. Question: When you say "Also on the approach grafts we scraped through the cambium on two sides to weaken the connection to the seedlings roots". Is this a process that carried out below the graft point on the tree? ...like closer to the soil level of the seedling? Am I correct in thinking about it this way?.....I visualize scraping the seeding on the left and right sides but leave the front and back sides still intact. This scraping is on the part of the seedling that will eventually be removed.

You cut back the top growth...as the year progresses...let me know if that direction gets the results you plan on for the tree. I ask this because I have a Juniper, not as nice as yours, and will be trying grafts. Your comments help me think through what approach options I may take when the time comes. Thanks!

I still have a few winter months, a lot of snow, and even more cold chilly winds ahead of spring. My coldest a months are just starting. Seeing your work is making winter drag along just a little faster....thanks for helping to speed up the journey to spring.

 

[Adair M]

Yes, weaken the stem below the graft to make the scion latch on to the trunk more.

 

[thomas22]

Hi Thomas22.

The signs that the grafts are taken are

1) swelling around the graft union
2) thickening of the branch above the union.

As the Kishu seedling has grown, it's trunk has thickened more above the graft than below it. So now there is a marked difference in the thickness above and below the graft. That observation alone would tell me the graft has taken. But that combined with the swelling around the union makes me pretty confident that we are in good shape.

Scott

Awesome, I'm going to check my graft out tomorrow. Thanks

 

[Adair M]

Ok Adair - I have to fess up. I put the shimpaku scion on the plum tree when we were doing our grafting exercise. I put it on your branch and put you name on it as a little joke at your expense. Your mind is not going, just my little moment of fun.

Scott

Good one!

You know, I had thought of doing something like that and putting Gino's tag on it. But then I decided that would be mean. So, it's entirely possible that I could have done it! Lol!

 

[markyscott]

Thanks for the update Scott. Sounds like you have a sound plan....and good rewarding work ahead of you. Keep posting the photos. It is exciting to see the results of your work. Question: When you say "Also on the approach grafts we scraped through the cambium on two sides to weaken the connection to the seedlings roots". Is this a process that carried out below the graft point on the tree? ...like closer to the soil level of the seedling? Am I correct in thinking about it this way?.....I visualize scraping the seeding on the left and right sides but leave the front and back sides still intact. This scraping is on the part of the seedling that will eventually be removed.

You cut back the top growth...as the year progresses...let me know if that direction gets the results you plan on for the tree. I ask this because I have a Juniper, not as nice as yours, and will be trying grafts. Your comments help me think through what approach options I may take when the time comes. Thanks!

I still have a few winter months, a lot of snow, and even more cold chilly winds ahead of spring. My coldest a months are just starting. Seeing your work is making winter drag along just a little faster....thanks for helping to speed up the journey to spring.

Hi Tieball. That is correct. As the graft show signs of having taken, you need to begin to ween the seedling off its original roots. This reinforces the graft and makes it less of a shock when the graft is separated. So, between the graft union and the seedling roots, scrape away through the cambium on two sides of the seedlings trunk. I did this last year after the graft had been attached through 1 growing season. I also tied a 1mm aluminum wire tightly around the seedling trunk. It's swollen now, so the seedling trunk is nearly girdled between the union and the seedling roots. I scraped away more bark and cambium this time, so the seedlings connection to its original roots is very weak - through two thin strips of bark and the girdling wire.

So grafting will be about a two year process. Weening the seedlings off the roots will have taken place over about 1 1/2 years.

Scott

 

[markyscott]

It's been a year since I updated this thread. You'll be surprised to know that Adair's Ume graft did not take. The kishu grafts (at least most of them) are doing well. One of the grafts failed, but the other four appear to have taken. Here are a couple of pictures on the bench. The native Sierra foliage has extended well as has the grafted shimpaku foliage. As you recall, these grafts were set about 1 1/2 years ago. One of the apical grafts failed and was redone about 1 year ago. At the same time the connection to the roots on the remaining grafts were weakened by scraping the cambium below the graft union as well as girdling the shoot.



Scott

 

[markyscott]

Grafts looked fused so I separated them from the shimpaku roots. I redid the graft that failed with another kisu seedling. Here are some close ups of the grafts with the severed shimpaku whips. You can still see the girdling wire I put on one year ago. I also thinned and cut back the native Sierra juniper foliage.




Later this summer the stubs below the graft unions will be removed.

Scott

 

[markyscott]

No repot this year, but I did the soji. And here are some up to date pictures again from the alternate fronts. Second front will probably involve a change in planting angle. Both are good, but I'm leaning toward the second option.



Thoughts?

Scott

 

[Vance Wood]

Keep going, don't give up now.

 

[markyscott]

Keep going, don't give up now.

I think that's all the work on it for now, Vance. I could have probably gone ahead and wired the grafted shoots now, but I was concerned about disturbing the graft and they'll be just as wireable in a few months on. In the mean time we can talk about the future of the tree.

This is the planned new apex here:


As you can see, the goal is for a much shorter tree, focused on the interesting deadwood at the base of the trunk. From the alternate front, the apex could be built from this shoot.


Scott

 

[Tieball]

I will have to learn how to do this type of grafting. Thanks for keeping this thread active.