Two San Jose for shimpaku grafting

Hbhaska

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I purchased two beautiful San Jose junipers that I plan on grafting shimpaku next month. Pictures attached. This would also be a learning opportunity for me because it’s my first shimpaku grafting project.2DAB9D23-23BD-4FFA-9472-20F1E0F33688.jpeg21EB2820-A517-4FF2-A6B6-48C9F2E61CDE.jpeg8E0E68E8-C668-4BA4-B7EB-417ECE4C9B26.jpeg33BA77DE-292D-4093-8055-850B9A5776BF.jpeg
 

Tidal Bonsai

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Good luck, put on plenty of grafts! I grafted a juniper last season for the first time and only 1/5 Scion grafts took. I was happy I had any success, but I had to approach graft later in the season to keep the project going. Be patient!!!
 

Hbhaska

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Good luck, put on plenty of grafts! I grafted a juniper last season for the first time and only 1/5 Scion grafts took. I was happy I had any success, but I had to approach graft later in the season to keep the project going. Be patient!!!
One or two should be enough I think. Did you do all 5 at the same time? Thanks
 

Shibui

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To take full advantage of the great trunks I think you would need a few grafts on those trunks. When I did mine I put a graft on each branch and more at the top for canopy. It is possible to build a whole tree from a single graft but I don't think it looks great.
Do you have a plan to develop a tree from just 1 or 2 growing points?
More is good. You can always cut excess off but it takes a few more years to add more if you discover you need them.
I also resorted to approach grafts to get all the pieces I needed on the trees I had. Even that process took nearly 5 years of trial and error to get enough survivors.

You should be able to graft as many as you need at the one time provided they are not all right near each other.
 

Hbhaska

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To take full advantage of the great trunks I think you would need a few grafts on those trunks. When I did mine I put a graft on each branch and more at the top for canopy. It is possible to build a whole tree from a single graft but I don't think it looks great.
Do you have a plan to develop a tree from just 1 or 2 growing points?
More is good. You can always cut excess off but it takes a few more years to add more if you discover you need them.
I also resorted to approach grafts to get all the pieces I needed on the trees I had. Even that process took nearly 5 years of trial and error to get enough survivors.

You should be able to graft as many as you need at the one time provided they are not all right near each other.
Thank you Neil. I was considering doing a few at a time on the outer curvature but it sounds like more is better. I will proceed with doing several at a time.
 

Shibui

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Thank you Neil. I was considering doing a few at a time on the outer curvature but it sounds like more is better. I will proceed with doing several at a time.
Have you considered grafting on the existing branches? They look like they are mostly in the right spots. Grafting onto thinner shoots is much easier than trying to graft onto a really thick trunk. It is easier to make the cuts and it is easier to match cambium of stock and scion when both are closer to the same diameter.
Whichever way you decide to go put grafts in all the places you think you will want branches to grow. I don't think it is worth putting one right above another as the cuts may interfere with sap flow to the nearby grafts.
 

keri-wms

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I did ok grafting matchstick thin Itoigawa onto San Jose, I used side basic grafts and small bags with a small ball of damp moss over the scions. About 2/3 made it on young San Jose, far less on a big old San Jose though, bad aftercare I suspect.
 

Hbhaska

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Decided to just repot this season and perform grafting next year. I was advised by @bleumeon to get the trees healthy first. Sound advice and I heeded.AB356702-2C47-46B4-B66A-BBD83D483016.jpeg0B6BE827-16AA-4CA7-90F8-8B33D1E01861.jpeg
 

Hbhaska

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3rd September 2023: Three out of four of my grafts took. I would call it a success for my first attempt at grafting.

IMG_1431.jpeg
#1 took -

IMG_1432.jpeg

#2 took -

IMG_1435.jpeg

#3 took -


IMG_1434.jpeg

#4 -




IMG_1433.jpeg
 

Hbhaska

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On the contrary, all 4 out of 4 grafts that Julian Tsai @justBonsai did took, no wonder he’s considered an up and coming American bonsai Master. Also, this is a better tree IMO.

IMG_1429.jpeg

#1 - IMG_1424.jpeg

#2 -

IMG_1425.jpeg

#3 -

IMG_1427.jpeg

#4 -

IMG_1428.jpeg
 
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leatherback

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Why do you conclude three of them took?
What visual cues do you use?

I find it hard to decide untill MUCH later in the process, so curious what you see that makes you conclude they took!
 

Hbhaska

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Why do you conclude three of them took?
What visual cues do you use?

I find it hard to decide untill MUCH later in the process, so curious what you see that makes you conclude they took!
If you look more closely, the green foliage try to push through in between the parafilm. Note I said ‘green’. It’s been 6 months and if they are still green, they took. If not they would be brown and dead by now as you see in the last one in my grafts. Hope this helps.
 
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