bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Is this graft technique possible on black pine?

Japanese Black Pine tends to make nice plump shoots that will graft rather easily if you line up the cambium properly, so I am not sure that a thread graft technique is warranted.

However, I successfully thread grafted Japanese White Pine almost ten years ago using a similar technique. About the only difference was that I used a short length of plastic soda straw slit lengthwise and collapsed over the needles to help me guide a minimal number of needles, still on the bud, through the hole in the trunk. It was pretty slow to take. It took about 3 years to become obvious that it was successfully grafted. It takes a takes a larger hole to get a pine bud through than it might for a leafless deciduous tree.

I have not seen that thread graft technique used before with Black Pine, but you could probably do it if you wanted to.

There are grafting chisels available that will let you position a shoot right into the trunk if that is what you want to do, although corking can make it more difficult. As you noted, buds are normally grafted to existing branches on points near the trunk, because it is easier, but usually because the branches are not properly developed (lacking ramification, lacking taper, lacking movement, lacking inner branchlets) although they are basically in the right position.

Regards,

Matt

17-Feb-2005	#6
TreeBay Tips:5¢ Advice:Free *MODERATOR GROUP* Join Date: Aug-2001 Location: Silicon Valley Country: USA USDA Zone: 9 AHS Heat Zone: 4 Posts: 9,742	Japanese Black Pine tends to make nice plump shoots that will graft rather easily if you line up the cambium properly, so I am not sure that a thread graft technique is warranted. However, I successfully thread grafted Japanese White Pine almost ten years ago using a similar technique. About the only difference was that I used a short length of plastic soda straw slit lengthwise and collapsed over the needles to help me guide a minimal number of needles, still on the bud, through the hole in the trunk. It was pretty slow to take. It took about 3 years to become obvious that it was successfully grafted. It takes a takes a larger hole to get a pine bud through than it might for a leafless deciduous tree. I have not seen that thread graft technique used before with Black Pine, but you could probably do it if you wanted to. There are grafting chisels available that will let you position a shoot right into the trunk if that is what you want to do, although corking can make it more difficult. As you noted, buds are normally grafted to existing branches on points near the trunk, because it is easier, but usually because the branches are not properly developed (lacking ramification, lacking taper, lacking movement, lacking inner branchlets) although they are basically in the right position. Regards, Matt __________________ Want to be a seller on bonsaiAUCTIONS? Get authorized today! bonsaiTALK: Over 100,005.36 Megabytes Served this Month!