It is totally inconceivable to me why one would graft a generic JPB. But, IMHO, one needs to think about how they are going to disguise, if not eliminate, the graft. With JWP one has little choice, as a very few cultivars will even root, so the game is inherently one of disguising the graft union. IOW, there are potentially valuable lessons/experiences to be had with this tree.
I've air layered JBP 'Thunderhead' to eliminate a graft - it took 3 years to accomplish and it was possible only because my tree had foliage below the layering point that kept the roots alive. A couple of years from now you could layer "last year's candle"
@Freshman100, but it isn't the same game as layering a japanese maple. So, the main thing to be gained from this tree is learning how to cope with a grafted specimen.
Several possible strategies that cross my mind are as follows. Any one might do, as would combinations
- bury the union which would = no nebari
- have the trunk emerge from the ground at a shallow angle = who cares that there is no nebari? If so, it should be repotted appropriately by next spring.
- maybe it will spontaneously ground layer, regardless of the planting angle.
- bend the trunk so that it (or foliage it will carry) will obscure visibility of the union
- if bending, it had better be done soon, while it is still possible
- if it is going to be foliage that obscures it, keep this in mind so that there is a branch 'down there'.
- damage/scar the region of the union so that the resultant damage (maybe a shari) is all that is seen
- one wouldn't want to do this until later in development; hence, this is always available as a last resort = if all else fails.
- make it an exposed root composition
- focus will be on the exposed roots
- graft union can be hidden by the trunk trajectory (with or w/o exposed roots)
- out of view - analogous to hiding pruning scars in back.
- inside the foliage canopy
I editorialize in conclusion, noting that I think obfuscation with foliage is may be the easiest general strategy. Hence I do not subscribe to the 'must-be-low-graft' mantra and have a general preference for high grafts, ones just below the first branches. With corkers though, the whole point is the cork bark. I really don't care about nebari, so I want a very low graft giving me a trunk that is nothing but cork! This tree's 'medium height' graft is about the worst of all evils, IMHO, and may dictate what size tree you make in the end, if not just its style.