Root Grafting with Privet?

gergwebber

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I have collected a Ligustrum ovalifolium from an old hedge, and need to create new/better nebari. I was leaning towards a few approach grafts, but do not have easy access to L. ovalifolium material. But I can easily obtain no end of L. lucidum seedlings that are robust and healthy.... I am very tempted to use them, but not sure if there are better courses for me to follow. other than making compost that is--> boooosh

Any thoughts?
 

Zach Smith

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I have collected a Ligustrum ovalifolium from an old hedge, and need to create new/better nebari. I was leaning towards a few approach grafts, but do not have easy access to L. ovalifolium material. But I can easily obtain no end of L. lucidum seedlings that are robust and healthy.... I am very tempted to use them, but not sure if there are better courses for me to follow. other than making compost that is--> boooosh

Any thoughts?
Is layering not an option? Privets grow roots so well and quickly, it seems like you could make all you want using this technique. Just a thought.

Otherwise, not sure if lucidum would work but can't see why not. Keep us posted if you go this route.

Zach
 

Poink88

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Somethings to consider also;
1. Encourage rooting by notching the bark at the base and inserting a pebble to keep it from mending. Pack it with sphagnum moss & bury a bit deeper.
2. Grow your own stock for root graft from cuttings taken from your tree.

Good luck!
 

gergwebber

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Somethings to consider also;
1. Encourage rooting by notching the bark at the base and inserting a pebble to keep it from mending. Pack it with sphagnum moss & bury a bit deeper.
2. Grow your own stock for root graft from cuttings taken from your tree.

Good luck!


You pretty much hit it on the head with the bury it deeper idea. When I repotted this tree, you will notice, I did not get it into a deep enough pot to ecourage a good nebari. At the time I was just practicing carving... the silly shari are there to try and hide the stove pipe trunks that developed when it was topped a decade ago or so. I wanted it to look like a tree that split and had a majority of its trunk fall on itself.

Now that I have moved, and left the job at the Inn where this was collected, I am suddenly attached to it much more and want to get it into a better shape. I was hoping to repot this spring (deeper) and rake out the roots, but maybe using the opportunity to add root grafts. So I would like to find some ovalifolium this winter. You can see there is a lot of dead wood in the base, and it is a very odd shape and wrapping or airlayer will probaly not work well. though I have had a thought to split the two smaller side trunks from the big one.......maybe to rearrange them together as a forest with a bit more form...
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Privet don't roll over wounds well, so it might be difficult to get cambiums to fuse.

Consider planting it a bit deeper and tilted to the left a little. Areas lacking roots could be scraped and packed with sphagnum moss to encourage new roots to grow there.
 

gergwebber

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yeah I guess grafting was a stupid idea. Thats just the crap you come up with in november when you got nothing else to think about. Frankly, the root growth was better than expected. (it got an experimental soil blend; it seems good on growth but was hydrophobic at the surface.)


P2021147.jpgP2021153.jpgP2021160.jpg

It got some root trimming, spreading and back into a bigger pot. It went in deeper and with a bit if a tilt.

now if only I can get enough growth this year to cover up the goofey jins. probably should hollow them out soon...
 
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