sharps pygmy @ a local nursery. Is this grafted or nongrafted .

Elyah

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question is do you think it's grafted or nongrafted and it's selling for $175.00 do you think that's a good price trunk thickness is a good 2 inches 2 1/4
 

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Housguy

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Doesn't look like it is grafted. Price, I don't know, never bought a maple before, but tree looks good.
 

Paulpash

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Yes it is grafted but it's not the worst I've ever seen. 1st Pic where the wound is about 4 inches up & a slight bulge.

I can't comment on value - they are cheaper in the UK than the US. For that trunk width you're looking at a tree around 14-18 inches high. I'm pretty sure that these layer but I hope @MACH5 chimes in - he's had a lot of experience with them.
 
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parhamr

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This one is grafted. It’s about an inch or two above the soil where you see a change in the color, diameter, texture, and a minor wound. That’s a slightly above average graft.

This is an uncommon species but not specifically rare. They make highly desirable bonsai and have wonderful color in the spring and fall. That price is a bit steep, but seems to reflect your regional pricing for these cultivars (they are MUCH cheaper out west where they are grown). I wouldn’t pay that much for a straight-trunked specimen without particularly nice branching (it’s only decent).

Rough 95 percent of special maple cultivars will have grafts—I’d say everything named and NOT specifically marked as cutting-grown or air layered will be grafted.
 
D

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at $175 I would buy it in a flash as a landscape or mother tree, if sharp's pygmy is not something that you can easily get your hands on, and is something that you want

sharp's pygmy propagates easily from cuttings or air layers, and this tree is a good size for that.

I see 100-150 cuttings in that tree just this year. and every year you will have more. Propagate. add water and time. Sell them in 2-3 years at 30-50 bucks a pop.

you only need 3-4 cuttings to survive for this tree to have 0 financial impact on your bonsai budget and hobby, and if you do well with cuttings it will fund your future purchases. I just sold all my katsura cuttings this spring, and bought 2 older trees with the money.

as an added bonus, you will have a bunch of sharp's pygmy material for yourself to have fun with! forests, cascade, twin trunks. cuttings put the command of the design entirely in your hands
 

Elyah

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Thank you all for the comments And replies above .Coming to think of it ,They are not well adapted to my climate I don’t have at the moment proper cold frame for the winter. On the hunt for Zelkova serrata I think these would do much better in my climate I just cannot find any.
 

Elyah

Mame
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at $175 I would buy it in a flash as a landscape or mother tree, if sharp's pygmy is not something that you can easily get your hands on, and is something that you want

sharp's pygmy propagates easily from cuttings or air layers, and this tree is a good size for that.

I see 100-150 cuttings in that tree just this year. and every year you will have more. Propagate. add water and time. Sell them in 2-3 years at 30-50 bucks a pop.

you only need 3-4 cuttings to survive for this tree to have 0 financial impact on your bonsai budget and hobby, and if you do well with cuttings it will fund your future purchases. I just sold all my katsura cuttings this spring, and bought 2 older trees with the money.

as an added bonus, you will have a bunch of sharp's pygmy material for yourself to have fun with! forests, cascade, twin trunks. cuttings put the command of the design entirely in your hands
I was thinking of the exact same things you just replied only problem is I have an unheated garage.I don’t think it will be enough protection for the winter.
 
D

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I was thinking of the exact same things you just replied only problem is I have an unheated garage.I don’t think it will be enough protection for the winter.

it sounds like this would be your first japanese maple. if so, i would not begin with a propagation-based business model project. propagation is full of heartbreak, at least it can be at first, and it would be unfortunate if this jaded your interest in japanese maples.

I quickly searched rockford IL, it looks like you are in zone 5. I'm in zone 5 too. I also don't have a garage. there are many different ways of working around this. i posted my low-cost solution here:

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/my-maples-in-montreal.33315/page-6

I'd encourage you to buy japanese maples, they are lots of fun!

@Leo in N E Illinois is in illinois, and a solid go-to source on just about anything you might want to know about plants or bonsai! If you do pick up this tree or any other japanese maple, i would reach out to Leo for some overwintering tips specific to your climate and micro-climate.

D
 
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I see 100-150 cuttings in that tree just this year. and every year you will have more. Propagate. add water and time. Sell them in 2-3 years at 30-50 bucks a pop.
If it is this easy, we all would be millionaire by now. With cuttings, 2 - 3 years won't get all that big to command 30 to 50 bucks.
 
D

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With cuttings, 2 - 3 years won't get all that big to command 30 to 50 bucks

Well, Mark Comstock sells 3 yr old kiyohime and kashima at $120-150USD, and can’t make them fast enough to meet the demand

If it is this easy, we all would be millionaire by now.

even if you did it full time, you would not be a millionaire. But i was never talking about millions, i was talking about making 300-400 bucks of sales on a $150 tree... and i was talking about doing so with cuttings that were heading to the gabage anyways, i’m not talking about starting a propagation enterprise.

i’m a nobody, and i can’t count how many people from quebec and ontario have reached out to me about buying maples. It’s nice to tell people “come over, i have a few $20 cuttings for you to choose from”. In turn, i feel less guilty making a $100 expense for my hobby
 

Elyah

Mame
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it sounds like this would be your first japanese maple. if so, i would not begin with a propagation-based business model project. propagation is full of heartbreak, at least it can be at first, and it would be unfortunate if this jaded your interest in japanese maples.

I quickly searched rockford IL, it looks like you are in zone 5. I'm in zone 5 too. I also don't have a garage. there are many different ways of working around this. i posted my low-cost solution here:

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/my-maples-in-montreal.33315/page-6

I'd encourage you to buy japanese maples, they are lots of fun!

@Leo in N E Illinois is in illinois, and a solid go-to source on just about anything you might want to know about plants or bonsai! If you do pick up this tree or any other japanese maple, i would reach out to Leo for some overwintering tips specific to your climate and micro-climate.

D
I have already read your post my maples in Montreal That was a great post learned a lot from that thank you. I’ve also read a lot of threads and post from.@Leo Knowing he’s from Illinois lots of resources here and help. I do have A Chishio Improved mapleAlthough it is very small ordered it off eBay I planted it on the east side next to the house I am in the process of going to take some cuttings because I do not know if make through the winter I will be covering it and it’s sheltered from the house well we will see what happens.I’m crossing my fingers lol
 
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