Bonding JBP Seedlings

junmilo

Shohin
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Hi All,

So I have about (roughly) 400 regular/Mikawa JBP Seedlings that are just 4-5 month old and they have already pushed out 2nd flush of needles.

They are all currently in a tray (40 trays) where their roots are tangled together.

I am lazy and want to try something for fun. I want to bond them together and make them grow as maybe 10-20 trees.

My Question is: when is the best time to bond them together? anyone tried this before with seedlings? should I wait until 2nd year? I know that in Spring, I will have to take them out of the tray (too shallow) and place them in larger(deeper) trays...

Thanks for any input.

Sincerely,

JZ
 
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I saw a dozen JBP seedlings held together at ground level with an elastic band in a bonsai nursery in Korea . I presume to bond them and grow a multi trunk bonsai. I have 2 JBP a few years old and about 8 inches tall tied togeather with raffia (very tightly) . They were wired to shape and left in a pot for a year . They are now planted in the garden to fatten up ,all looking good so far but on gentle inspection at the top of the raffia not fused yet. Trident maples fuse very quickly.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
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I have not performed this type of fusion. Google bonsai fusion, it will lead you to several sites with good directions. This has been done with tridents, ficus, dawn redwood and other fast growing deciduous species. Rough bark species may be more reluctant, take longer to fuse. Even with tridents, complete fusion can take a decade.

Do Google, " fusion bonsai" and read, there's a couple detailed sites out there
 

jeanluc83

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I've never seen it done. That's not saying it's not possible though. Since you have lots to play with go for it.

Even with tridents, complete fusion can take a decade.

This could be the key. They may fuse but not in a reasonable amount of time. In ten years you would have a decent start on a ground grown pine.
 
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Also, for fusions, generally you want to use cuttings rather than seedlings as the genetic differences between the seedlings will display differing growth, foliage(needle) and bark characteristics. I tried some volunteer prunus and volunteer J. maple fusions and they just never worked well together even when they began to fuze. Pine would take a really long time to be disappointed I believe.
 

Lynn E

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New England Bonsai Garden had an interesting JBP composed of fused seedlings. Maybe sold now--I believe it was presented as an oddity [ my word not theirs ]. The tree was from the west coast I believe.
 

markyscott

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Johnny Uchida grew many black pine seedling clumps. I don’t recall seeing any fused, even after many years. But a collection of seedlings grown together can make a very respectable clump.

Scott
 
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