Grafting techniques and when?

noelthe3rd

I am jsut starting bonsai. I realize that spring is just around the corner and I want to be prepared. I would like to get grafting samples and seeds of trees. How and when should I do this? If you have pictures or a website with explaination I would really appriciate it. Thank you.

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TreeBay

Grafting is a practical art that is best learned firsthand from someone with experience. There are some links in our http://www.bonsaitalk.com/links under Techniques->Propagation->Grafting. There's a link to Colin Lewis's thread graft discussion, at the bottom of the linked page, which is a nice introduction to this particular type of grafting.

Unfortunately, grafting is so technique dependent that it's a little like dentistry - you could learn it from a book but I wouldn't be volunteering to be your first patient.

The available books are really geared toward propagation of fruiting and flowering plants, not so much towards aesthetics, which are important for bonsai.

As to when, usually you want the understock to be active and the scion (grafted on part) to be dormant. So, grafters often promote extended dormancy in the scion stock by either keeping the plant in the shade, cooler area, or collecting scion wood and storing it in the refrigerator until the understock starts to come out of dormancy.

P.S. What are the seeds for?

Regards,

Matt

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noelthe3rd

Thank you for replying so quickily. The seeds would be for starting new trees. For example, I have two maple trees at my house that I could get seeds from.

Ok you mentioned grafting while they are still dormant. In Indiana there is still snow on the ground, but I think that spring is approaching soon. Should I graft while there are only buds on the branch, or should I wait until there are some leaves on them? I was also wondering if we are talking about the same thing. I do not mean grafting to put a branch on a tree, I am talking about grafting for the purpose of growing a new tree all together. Like cutting a small branch off a tree and dipping it in root horomone, then let it grow in soil so that in a year or two I can start the bonsai process. Is this what you were talking about?

Ok thank you for the help and the website.

noel

Hinoki

What you have just described is known as propagating cuttings, not grafting.

Bonsainut

Noel,
You are a beginner and interested in bonsai. It is a great hobby but requires a bit of homework and study on your own. Read the FAQ section of this website. Read some books or magazines.

You might then decide to start with nursery stock at first. It is difficult for a beginner to wait the required years in order to let a seed grow to bonsai size.

But get to learning you have a great future ahead. Luck

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Keep growing,---'Nut



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