Cork Bark Japanese Black Pine

[eugen_onegin]

I would love to know more about these cultivars.

From what I've read so far, almost all cork barks are grafted onto regular black pine roots. I'm assuming the idea is that the black pine roots allow for more vigorous growth and tend to be more resilient.

Is there a reasons I haven't seen very many that have been air layered off their graft unions?

Again, I have the itch and I'm craving to know everything about the cork bark varieties.

Bonsainuters, you have the floor...

 

[fredtruck]

There are a number of cork bark black pines that can be rooted from cuttings, such as hachi-gen, mi nishiki and akame for example. This list is not complete.

For information that is amazingly complete, I recommend Brian Van Fleet's pdf file, Cork Bark Black Pines. I am not sure how to get this at this time, but Brian is a very active participant here.

Apparently some corkers can be air layered. The name of the topic is Nishiki Air Layer.

 

[Cmanz]

I second Fredtruck about Brian's pdf. Also look into Evergreen Gardenworks. Brent Waltson has some great info in his articles. Brent also sells a few cutting grown cultivars now and then. I think the reason that most nishiki, and any cultivar for that matter is that grafting is easy. Air layering and growing pines from cutting are difficult and labor intensive.

Good luck on the quest for info.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

In my limited experience, air layering of pines in general and cork bark forms specifically is hit and miss. My success rate is about 80% over 5 attempts. My success rate with Japanese white pine is 0% over 3 attempts.

If the air layer site is less than 5 years old, and has not started "corking up" the chances of success are much better. Older wood is very reluctant to make roots.

Commercial grafters can get a 75% or better "take rate". And a single specimen can provide many scions for grafting, so grafting is the commercial preference.

A cork bark pine on its own roots either from cutting or air layer, because of the time and effort required will be at least 3 times the price of a similar size and age graft. IF you can find them. Evergreen Gardenworks is the "go to source" for mail order, own root cork bark pines. His trees are excellent.

 

[eugen_onegin]

Found a link to Brian's excellent report on Cork Barks.

http://www.readbag.com/nebaribonsai-nebari-bonsai-112109-projects-files-cork-bark-black-pines-121909

 

[fredtruck]

I can't recommend Brian's book enough. A classic.

 

[eugen_onegin]

FYI, after googling Cork bark pines I found a lot of good archived articles and forum threads.

On another note, I've read repeatedly that creating cuttings of cork bark pines is extremely difficult. Has anyone experienced success creating cutting grown corkers? If so, do tell your secret.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Go to Evergreen Gardenworks website http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/

search through the blog link somewhere on the site. When they say difficult "they" mean you need a heated bed - where the soil temp is kept about 80-85 F, an automated mist system that provides a fog of mist over the cuttings anytime the humidity drops below 85%, often in a greenhouse this might be every 15 minutes, and then even with this set up, successful rooting might happen with maybe 25% of the cuttings of a known to be "easy" to root JBP. The more reluctant to root cultivars would have success rates below 10%. It is a tricky set up to create, but once you have a working set up, the process is simple. Age of the wood for cuttings and time of year they are struck is also critical. A lot of variables to work out.

I have had zero success just sticking a cutting in a pot on my bench in part shade. I did have one cutting lived for 2 years but it never formed roots. Rooting pines is a tricky business, more "black art" than not. Once in a while you might get lucky, but the safe bet would be to not bet a mortgage payment based on success.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

If you really want to propagate cork bark japanese black pines, it would be best to learn to do your own low into the root zone grafts, and to air layer.