Why is my seiju grafted

Rivian

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I just received my ulmus parvifolia seiju and it has remains of grafting wax on it and a diagonal line in the bark that tell me its grafted, but i dont know why. Does seiju have root issues or does it grow faster this way or is this just the typical "GRAFT ALL THE PLANTS!!" attitude that nurseries have?
 

Cadillactaste

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Grafting is a quick and fast way of propagation. Regular nursery techniques. I have a dwarf cultivar on it's own roots. But it also came from a bonsai nursery. We do grafting in our hobby as well...grafting a branch, or even onto root stock for specific species...but yours can be found on their own root stock.
 

MrWunderful

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A lot of cultivars cannot survive on their own roots as small whips.
 

Shibui

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Seiju grows just fine on its own. All the seiju I grow are propagated by stem cutting or by root cuttings. I can see no reason why anyone would graft Seiju as it is so easy to propagate from stem cuttings.

Is it possible you could be mistaken about the graft? I sometimes see cutting grown plants that look a little like they had been budded because the new shoots grew out from the thicker stem at an angle. Root cuttings can also look a bit like a graft when the new shoots grow from the top of the thicker root. It is also possible the growers use a sealer on the cut ends of either stem or root cuttings.
 

Bonsai Nut

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I just received my ulmus parvifolia seiju and it has remains of grafting wax on it and a diagonal line in the bark that tell me its grafted, but i dont know why. Does seiju have root issues or does it grow faster this way or is this just the typical "GRAFT ALL THE PLANTS!!" attitude that nurseries have?
It is simply the fastest and easiest method to clone material. In some cases, having the clone on different rootstock provides horticultural benefits... but not (that I am aware of) in the case of Seiju.

Good news is the Chinese elm is one of the easiest species to air-layer. Let it grow, air-layer it, and you will probably end up with better roots anyway!
 
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