Blaauws grafted on San Jose

[keri-wms]

I pruned off the lower of two “nebari levels” on a San Jose Juniper and thought what a shame - so I snipped off a scion of Blaauws and did a simple cleft graft. Nothing to lose in trying! I lined up the side with the shoot given that junipers only think in straight lines, so we’ll see...

 

[Blksmth88]

Very cool! Is there a reason for wrapping the whole thing instead of just the graft point?

 

[keri-wms]

Very cool! Is there a reason for wrapping the whole thing instead of just the graft point?

To stop the understock drying out/dying back was the (vague) thinking!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Looks promising

 

[MichaelS]

Good luck, but generally we leave some green on the stock to feed it. There's is nothing to draw up water.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Good luck, but generally we leave some green on the stock to feed it. There's is nothing to draw up water.

I didn't think about this, but this is very true. Usually a small branch or something is kept on the under stock to keep drawing water while the scion and the understock fuse.

Also, as an aside. Most junipers root fairly easily from cuttings, your scion is about the right size for a cutting.

The up side of this experiment is every advanced bonsai will encounter situation where grafting is the best solution to a problem. It is best to do some grafting and get comfortable with the procedure, and get to the point where you have a 75% success rate or better, before you attempt to do grafting on a valuable tree. So projects like this are essential, we all got to learn grafting. I only have one grafting project of mine that was successful, I ought to check up on it, haven't really looked at it this year.

Learning how to graft is GOOD.

 

[keri-wms]

I realise normally we leave some under-stock green on conifers….BUT 1. I think there’s a good chance it’ll heal and fire up in time to save the scion given that juniper cuttings can live months (years?!) in a humid environment without roots and 2. well basically I had a nice San Jose root base that was otherwise due to be binned. Nothing to lose!

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I realise normally we leave some under-stock green on conifers….BUT 1. I think there’s a good chance it’ll heal and fire up in time to save the scion given that juniper cuttings can live months (years?!) in a humid environment without roots and 2. well basically I had a nice San Jose root base that was otherwise due to be binned. Nothing to lose!

I'm not sure, but I think there are a lot of people in the US who are unfamiliar with Blaauws as a shimpaku cultivar. I had never encountered it before on the West Coast of the US. When I first saw it in an NC nursery, I wasn't certain was I was looking at.

I will be interested to see your success with grafting tape around a juniper scion - similar to what you would do with a pine graft. Because I can get juniper cuttings to root in a humid (greenhouse) environment without additional protection, I'm not sure it is necessary. However I have no experience and am interested in your results.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Most junipers root fairly easily from cuttings, your scion is about the right size for a cutting.

Blaauw is an exception. I found them very difficult to root. Even as air layers, I've had one out of six air layers that produced roots in a two year timespan. One still left on the mother tree, but still without roots after 2 years.
I think it has something to do with their naturally low auxin levels. This makes them attractive because they puff up naturally without pruning.

But very difficult to propagate.. From the 50 or so cuttings, I haven't had a single one produce roots.

Literature states that they're the most difficult variety of junipers to propagate. The people describing techniques have 20% success rates as their maximum, though it's difficult to find more than 5 sources and most of them are pretty ancient (pre 2000's).

Since the cultivar has been developed in my country, I've been trying to find out who's propagating them and what their technique is. But it seems like it's a well kept trade secret.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

In conifer grafts Ive always seen left at least one season original foliage above the graft to pull the sap, maybe what keri made works or not, maybe it doesnt dry but it doesnt grow in a long time beign counterproductive. you can make another similar graft but leaving san jose foliage and see how does

Regards Blauuw, I think the cultivar came from japanese kishu, and yes its known to be one of the hardest junipers to root so makes sense grafting

 

[keri-wms]

Oddly enough I get the majority of cuttings from my Blauuws to root! Slow though. But ZERO from my (particular) imported itoigawa! San Jose is like 95% root in all sizes up to an inch thick.

I’ve done normal style grafting of Blauuws and Itoigawa to San Jose, and Itoigawa to Blauuws, this is just an experiment. Roots are often pretty twisted and natural shapes I find so it would be nice to make use of them.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Any uppdatte xD

 

[keri-wms]

Any uppdatte xD

Yup! Still green at least….actually comparing photos there’s some growth, fingers crossed

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Nice, seems that it wants to grow a and probably a success, would be cool to do one like that and another classic grafting leaving understock foliage to see if they grow at same rate or there is any difference