Anyone done a thread graft on a Hornbeam?

[Jason]

I'm finally getting some "specimen" trees from my growing beds. (by that I mean trees thick enough to pot up) I have a Korean Hornbeam that I've had in the ground for around 10 years (2 states, several moves). Today I dug it and put it in a training pot. It has had root work done about every 3 years or so. After removing all it's leaves from last year, so I could look at it's bones, I noted a large internode on the trunk where I'd like a branch. I haven't really pruned it, so there are lots of whips I could use to thread graft. Has anyone had success with this species? Is your grafting attempt obvious with the smoother bark? And whats up with the leaves on this species that never fall off? I'm new to these guys in a pot.

(I'll try to post a few picks tomorrow.)

 

[Paulpash]

Carpinus are very tolerant of root and branch pruning and will backbud easily. They can be thread grafted successfully like most deciduous species but you'd be unlucky not to get a break in a good place if it's growing strongly and pruned at the right time. Try to get your entry hole somewhere inconspicuous in the back if possible and if you can don't try to drill all the way through a heavy trunk - the wood is very hard (they ain't called Ironwood for nothing!). Wire the exit shoot to shape, shoots older than 1 year get difficult to bend.

 

[Poink88]

Re: drilling;
- use a sharp bit
- drill in (or start) where you want the graft is (threaded branch's exit)
- use a smaller pilot hole first if possible...if you do, drill in with the proper size from both ends and meet somewhere in the middle...do not let the bit exit if possible. Exit hole is usually damaged and torn by the bit.
- practice on a other trees first if what I am saying doesn't make sense. It will after.

Good luck!

 

[berobinson82]

I've never done it, but here is a blog post about it for encouragement:

http://lakeshorebonsai.wordpress.com/tag/thread-graft/

Please let us know how it goes?

 

[Jason]

Pictures just because....

This is a bad picture but the only one I have of the tree growing out. This is after removing a sacrifice about 5 years ago. This was after the tree had been in the ground for about 5 years. The wound is still there. While I got some size with growing this tree out, I found this species a bit pokey compared to my maples, etc.

 

[Jason]

Yesterday, fresh out of the Willamette Valley clay...

 

[Jason]

Defoliated....

 

[Jason]

The trunk section above the first group of branches needs a branch or two. The second picture has a quarter on the trunk for size comparison.




Maybe I should have left it in the ground another 10 years. Not my best tree but better than the whip it started out as.