For the love of Prunus mume...

[Pitoon]

So I’m seriously working with Prunus mume, currently working with 22 cultivars. I’m doing some personal research on the best rootstock for grafting onto as well as which cultivars will root best by cuttings. Here’s a quick look on grafting a bud onto rootstock. If this bud survives and joins the rootstock the top will be removed. This low graft will be undisguisable after several years. You will never know it was grafted as the union will blend in seamlessly. This is the key to getting quality grafted mume stock for pre-bonsai.

This is Prunus mume ‘Kanko bai’ being grafted. Hopefully in several years I will be known for producing top notch grafted mume and having the sweetest smelling yard at the end of winter .

 

[badatusernames]

best of luck!

 

[Pitoon]

best of luck!

Thanks! 5 days of straight grafting....i still have a few left to do.

 

[meushi]

Iijama-san normally grafts on yabai rootstock, as those are the most vigorous varieties. I don't know if there's a mistranslation in the article, but the article states that he grafts more delicate white flower varieties on top of a strong red flowered yabai. The way the process is explained is that he starts with yabai seedlings or cuttings in small pot, does an initial root work then grows them in the ground. In the second year, he replants them at a slant and does a low graft. He covers the graft with soil, to maintain high humidity. Once the grafts have taken, he does an initial selection to only keep the best grafts (based on the nebari quality) and discards the rest. The selected trees are then replanted with generous spacing and field grown for up to 40 years (for the large specimens). The generous spacing is required to let in as much light as possible. He produces around 300 such starter trees every year.

His 'secret sauce' has two components:

• his growing field only has one foot of high quality soil (almost akadama) before hitting the bedrock. This lets him grow the trees freely without replanting for the entire period of time, so the top growth never slows down
• at the end of the field growing period, he digs the trees in November then cuts all the long roots and branches. The trees are then buried in the same field until March before being potted. This speeds up recovery

I currently have one ume coming from his garden, a small 'koshu aojiku'.

 

[Canada Bonsai]

I’m doing some personal research on the best rootstock for grafting onto

White yabai (which is the equivalent of saying 'standard Acer palmatum'). Yabai is just the 'wild' variety.

which cultivars will root best by cuttings

I tried to do this for 2 years, and had considerable success but it turned out to be a misguided approach. During the last 2-3 years I also spent a lot of time (and money!) finding and sending translators to dedicated Ume growers and pre-bonsai nurseries specializing in Ume (I did this because i am interested in Ume both for bonsai and for fruit-products -- hence the logo). Exactly none of them are producing any of the cultivars via cutting.

Rather, they all produce cuttings of their yabai (i.e. 'standard Prunus mume), which are also extremely easy to do (I get +90% success rate from May to July here in Canada, and I use the first and second flush with success).

This low graft will be undisguisable after several years. You will never know it was grafted as the union will blend in seamlessly. This is the key to getting quality grafted mume stock for pre-bonsai.

In Japan, low grafts of ornamental cultivars are common for the garden nursery trade. However, this is rarely done for bonsai except to meet particular needs in the market. The reason for this is that many of the cultivars tend to be very slow growing, and they can also have different growing habits. Therefore, it is much more common to grow out a trunk and primary branches using yabai (i.e. 'standard Prunus mume'), and then--and only if necessary--one can graft the cultivar onto the secondary or ideally the tertiary branches. (As Bjorn has explained (and i've tested it), you can go from a grafted scion to Kokufu-ready ramification in just 5-6 years).

As a fellow pre-bonsai grower, this is where the challenge comes: everybody wants the cultivars, so we are in effect forced to perform these 'low grafts' in order to able to propagate and sell these cultivars. In an ideal world, those people should be growing those cultivars into bushy scion-donors, while simultaneously training a 'standard Prunus mume' into the bonsai that will eventually receive those cultivar-scions. However, you and I both know that most people will just take the cultivar and start training it as a bonsai....

 

[Pitoon]

White yabai (which is the equivalent of saying 'standard Acer palmatum'). Yabai is just the 'wild' variety.



I tried to do this for 2 years, and had considerable success but it turned out to be a misguided approach. During the last 2-3 years I also spent a lot of time (and money!) finding and sending translators to dedicated Ume growers and pre-bonsai nurseries specializing in Ume (I did this because i am interested in Ume both for bonsai and for fruit-products -- hence the logo). Exactly none of them are producing any of the cultivars via cutting.

Rather, they all produce cuttings of their yabai (i.e. 'standard Prunus mume), which are also extremely easy to do (I get +90% success rate from May to July here in Canada, and I use the first and second flush with success).



In Japan, low grafts of ornamental cultivars are common for the garden nursery trade. However, this is rarely done for bonsai except to meet particular needs in the market. The reason for this is that many of the cultivars tend to be very slow growing, and they can also have different growing habits. Therefore, it is much more common to grow out a trunk and primary branches using yabai (i.e. 'standard Prunus mume'), and then--and only if necessary--one can graft the cultivar onto the secondary or ideally the tertiary branches. (As Bjorn has explained (and i've tested it), you can go from a grafted scion to Kokufu-ready ramification in just 5-6 years).

As a fellow pre-bonsai grower, this is where the challenge comes: everybody wants the cultivars, so we are in effect forced to perform these 'low grafts' in order to able to propagate and sell these cultivars. In an ideal world, those people should be growing those cultivars into bushy scion-donors, while simultaneously training a 'standard Prunus mume' into the bonsai that will eventually receive those cultivar-scions. However, you and I both know that most people will just take the cultivar and start training it as a bonsai....

Great info to share! You probably know by now that my main interests is propagation. As much as I love bonsai, propagation sits just one step above it. My curiosity fuels the project to know which cultivars will root by cuttings. Mume is already somewhat more of a difficult species to asexually propagate. Knowing which ones that will could be helpful info to know later down the road.

Sometimes you have to follow what the market demands or you will be stuck with a bunch of plants. Grafts down low is an eyesore in the bonsai world. Which is why I want to see how long it will take for the low grafts to disappear. I'm guessing 2 or 3 seasons being conservative. I really wish I had the flat land to put trees into the ground......maybe one day it will happen.

 

[Canada Bonsai]

Which is why I want to see how long it will take for the low grafts to disappear. I'm guessing 2 or 3 seasons being conservative.

I think Ume is probably the species where this matters the least (see attached).

Variation in bark texture and color are also working against you (see last image).

2-3 seasons is very unrealistic for 'disappear'. I think you're off by an order of magnitude. (Then again, I don't see the point of this objective when working with Ume for either fruit, bonsai, landscapes/gardens, or even 'just for propagation')

 

[Paradox]

I spoke with Brett Walston last week.
He has had crop failure on several of his mume cultivars this year (including the variety I was trying to order from him. )

He is to the point he is starting rethink whether they are worth dealing with.

 

[Pitoon]

I think Ume is probably the species where this matters the least (see attached).

Variation in bark texture and color are also working against you (see last image).

2-3 seasons is very unrealistic for 'disappear'. I think you're off by an order of magnitude. (Then again, I don't see the point of this objective when working with Ume for either fruit, bonsai, landscapes/gardens, or even 'just for propagation')

I'll keep the thread alive long enough to see if the grafts will disappear and how long it will take. I also grafted onto 3 different prunus rootstock and each species barks up fairly well. This is another experiment on the rootstock acceptability with the mume bud/scion.

The graft is not my concern actually as the bark will eventually come on both the rootstock and the growth of the grafted bud. But it's good to know when the transition will happen and how it will look afterwards. As far as the bark matching, that is a question that will take time to answer. My guess would be possibly the same lines as grafting JWP onto JBP rootstock. They both bark up but you can slightly see the union as the bark differs between the species. But not as drastic as a JM 'Arakawa' grafted onto a normal green JM.

I am at the infant stage just trying to get an understanding on the species mume. What works and what doesn't, and of course collecting as many cultivars as I can.

 

[Pitoon]

I spoke with Brett Walston last week.
He has had crop failure on several of his mume cultivars this year (including the variety I was trying to order from him. )

He is to the point he is starting rethink whether they are worth dealing with.

This is my whole reasoning onto doing this, besides the fact I really like the tree. His mume crop fails almost every year producing only a small amount.

 

[Trueblackpercula]

Thank you for sharing as I am looking forward to seeing progress. I have one mume and would love to graft white flowers to it as it’s suppose to be pink. I really like the double colors and if this works for you I too will be trying.
Best of luck
Michael

 

[Pitoon]

After several years of looking and asking for cuttings with no luck. I found one 'Contorta'......the last one actually of decent size in a 5 gal nursery pot. I left 4 rootstock to graft this cultivar and I'm really hoping they accept the buds. The growth habit on this one is so unique. I've seen pictures online, but when you see it in person you can really appreciate them.

As for the grafts on the other rootstock. Some buds have started to join the rootstock as they are swelling and actually separated the grafting tape which is a good sign. End of August all grafting tape will be removed to inspect which buds took and which did not. Those that took will get cut back to force them to break. Those that didn't take will be retried next year.

 

[Pitoon]

Here is one bud that has joined, this one is 'omoi-no-mama'. Good specimens produce multi colored flowers of pink and white.

Noticed how it broke the grafting tape and has begun to swell. The callus below is a good sign.

 

[Trueblackpercula]

This is amazing. If you want to send me a private message as I would love to graft this white to my tree with the details. I think this is the perfect time to graft

 

[Canada Bonsai]

I think this is the perfect time to graft

best time to graft is in spring, when the scions are still dormant and the receiving tree is starting to wake up

scion grafting is much easier than bud/chip grafting.

 

[Pitoon]

Certain grafts are better at certain times of the year. Whip and tongue grafting is good for spring and summer (dormant and active), while chip/bud and t-budding is good in summer when the tree is active and the sap is flowing.

All depends what you are trying to do and what you have available to work with.

 

[Pitoon]

Here is a 'Okitsu akabana' bud that also broke the grafting tape. This bud has joined the rootstock. End of August I will cut back and force this bud to break.

'Okitsu akabana' produce pink double flowers.

 

[Pitoon]

Four single grafts of 'Contorta'......I hope they take.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I have not been growing Ume. I have done bud grafting on crab apples. Based on my apple experience:

I would NOT cut back THIS year. August is already late in the year to force new growth. *note, I'm in a cooler zone than you. I would wait until after spring growth has begun. Then prune back. So I would wait until 2022 to eliminate the understock growth.

But that is based on my apple experience.

 

[Pitoon]

I have not been growing Ume. I have done bud grafting on crab apples. Based on my apple experience:

I would NOT cut back THIS year. August is already late in the year to force new growth. *note, I'm in a cooler zone than you. I would wait until after spring growth has begun. Then prune back. So I would wait until 2022 to eliminate the understock growth.

But that is based on my apple experience.

I did think about this as well. If I have multiple buds that took on several trees I may do half now and the other half next spring just to see the results. September here is still pretty warm. If I cut back they will have one decent month worth of growth. All the grafted trees will be protected under the hoop house so they will be safe from frost and freezing over.