My New JBP may need a few grafts?

[Adair M]

Plan on having to graft on new secondary branches. It's very unlikely to backbud on those old branches.

In fact, you could go ahead and use some of the branches you trimmed off to use for scions!

 

[Drew]

The shoots have already been put in the bin and taken away Adair.

I wanted to wait a year to see how the tree responds this growing season. I also wanted to get a little more info from more experienced people about potetional grafting sites on the branches before I went ahead. @markyscott has posted a grafting post which is very detailed which I will also follow when the time comes.

 

[Drew]

So an update on this one. The spring candles are now opening and the tree has back budded surprisingly well. As you can see there is a few large spring candles maybe 15cm long but the majority are around 5 to 10cm long.

You guys think considering I got this in a weak state that it would be ok to cut candles this year?

 

[Adair M]

As long as there are needles remaining

If you're going to do it, now is the time. Those little back buds I see, leave alone!

 

[Drew]

Ok so decandling done on this one. I've left the little buds on the inner branches alone and left bigger stubs on the largest candles I cut.

Before and After shots:

 

[Drew]

After this years decandling this is budding back nicely, no less than three buds at each cut site.

I have however noticed allot of ants climbing up and down the trunk (I guess they are after the sap?) is this anything to be concerned about? does anyone else come across this issue and if so what do you do to fix it?

 

[Adair M]

In late fall, after the new needles have hardened off, reduce the new shoots to two at each terminal. And pull the old needles.

You can start fertilizing again now.

 

[Drew]

Ok @Adair M will do. When you say pull the old needles do you mean ALL the old needles or do you leave some?

And how about the ants, is it anything to worry about?

 

[Adair M]

All, except for the really weak interior ones.

Ants may be harvesting aphids on the tree. I'd get rid of them if I could. Aphids, too, if there are any.

 

[Drew]

Update - This was the half rootball repot 25th March 2018:

 

[Drew]

Finished

 

[Drew]

And here are the spring candles 24th May 2018. I cut a few of the longer candles but left the others as they looked a bit weak, it was re-potted in the spring and didn't want to push my luck too much:




After

 

[Drew]

And here it is 28th October. Will need to be thinned out the winter and will be doing the scion grafts this spring:

 

[Drew]

So I've been thinking weather to keep the main bottom right branch on this one, what are your thoughts?

Once I have hopefully grafted a few buds closer to the trunk:



And without the bottom right branch:



So which do you guys prefer? I may just graft the branch anyway... I can always remove it later???

 

[Potawatomi13]

Keep. Work so far is good. Grafting will do little good if just to die off for same reason(shade).

 

[Drew]

Keep. Work so far is good. Grafting will do little good if just to die off for same reason(shade).

Yeah I thought about them getting shaded out. Ill be cutting the branches above the grafting sites back for the scions which will help to stop this happening i hope, I'll also keep the needle mass on the branches above the grafts thinner as well... I can't see any other way to get the foliage back closer to the trunk on this tree?

 

[Adair M]

Yeah I thought about them getting shaded out. Ill be cutting the branches above the grafting sites back for the scions which will help to stop this happening i hope, I'll also keep the needle mass on the branches above the grafts thinner as well... I can't see any other way to get the foliage back closer to the trunk on this tree?

Drew, you’re doing it right. Potawatomi’s advice is totally wrong. Here is a picture of one of my JBP with lots of upper branches and healthy lower branches:



The key is to place branches so that they are not directly on top of each other, and manage the foliage via needle pulling and bud thinning to “balance” the growth so that the pads on top still allow sunlight to pierce the canopy.

 

[Drew]

So last night I went ahead and attached a few grafts:

 

[Drew]

I found it alot more difficult to see the cambium layer on these old branches than my younger practice material last year! and also found it alot harder to cut the flat into the branches that had loads of old flaky bark on them. the flaps I was cutting where also quite brittle and even cracked off on me once or twice when I was trying to open the cut up to see inside. I also didn't really know which part of the branch was best to attach a branch as they all had quite a bit of movement in them and some old branch scare sites.

Here is an unsuccessful flat cut, I probably chose the wrong part of the branch as well:


Where on a branch like this would you attached grafts???


Also instead of 'attempting to' lie the scion along the exposed cambium which I'm guessing was the light brown layer on the outside of the wood would it take it you lay in across the exposed cambium?



Lying along the cambium:


Lying across the cambium:

 

[Adair M]

On old branches like that, I usually place grafts on top of the stock branch, rather than on the sides.

And yes, I cross the scion across the stock cambium. Not at as much of an angle as you showed, but by crossing, you know there’s a point of contact. It’s really hard to position the cambium layers so that they exactly line up straight.

To ease the problem of the flaps breaking off, make a shallow slice on the stock, then move your knife back, and make another slice, then move it back a bit more and make the final, deeper cut where you’re going to place the scion. That eases the pressure a bit, and makes it easier to insert the scion.