Garden Center Pine Hunt

[Klytus]

I was off to yet another Garden Center today,as ever i was looking for ungrafted Pines and other conifers.
I couldn't find any other conifers of the right size or shape so i didn't even bother with them and instead concentrated on the Pines.
What did i find?
Mugo in mops and other forms,Bosnian in the mini and regular ,Mini Strobus,Scots in the fastigiate and the Watereri,Nigra in it's black prince incarnation,all grafted and in the case of Strobus ridiculously so with an abrupt change from shaggy bark to smooth.

I don't know but i speculate Mugo and Sylvestris are used for stocks in Britain and into Europe,the Scots Scion onto Scots Stock certainly seemed the best.

So from the regular garden centre we in the British Isles are limited to grafted Scots cultivars,unless bulbous trunks come into fashion.

Hohum,out of the 40 or so plants i whitled it down to a Sylvestris 'Chantry Blue',the only one the had was a masterpiece of invisible grafting or else i have a nasty suprise below the unexcavated soil.

 

[rockm]

Um, pines are conifers....

 

[Klytus]

You're right.

Watching these grafts is like observing the battle of the bulge,i hope Mr Farr can clue me in with his Japanese trunk thickening.

I seem to remember from years ago that one stuck the trunk with a pin repeatedly,like tattooing it would raise a weal but unlike human skin it would remain.