Stamp Polson, a bonsai artist primarily primarily based in Cape Metropolis, South Africa has a keenness for Junipers. He has among the most impressive Junipers which I’ve viewed within the neighborhood and piece of his success is thanks to his potential to graft. He good led a workshop only within the near previous on this precious potential, hosted by Oyama Bonsai Kai. Happily I became as soon as there to fetch it and he graciously agreed to present the next accompanying textual notify material too
Juniper Scion or Veneer grafting
Scion grafting is a sizable manner old fashioned to toughen the quality of Juniper foliage from leggy, ugly progress to compact, magnificent progress.
Sargent, Itoigawa Shimpaku for instance, will even be old fashioned to interchange undesirable foliage (even on Procumbens). Or we can utilize scions from the identical tree to develop branches and foliage the place aside wished.
Any species of Juniper will even be grafted on to any totally different species of Juniper.
Scion or Veneer grafting is handiest finished in dull winter / early spring as the receiving tree is about to begin up keen sources (waking up).
Both the donor and receiving tree wants to be in appropriate health.
Preparing the scion
Elevate (and slice) a shoot that’s woody at the nasty and has terminal progress at the tip. Tidy off the decrease shoots, leaving ample foliage at the tip to abet photosynthesis nonetheless now not too mighty or this will desiccate.
Manufacture two neat cuts on both side with a grafting knife, holding the foliage in one hand, cutting back away in one controlled push.
The first slice wants to be spherical 20mm long and the second just a slight shorter with a sharper angle. The conclude outcome’s a long wedge, one long side and one just a slight shorter side.
Subsequent, taking care to now not the touch the freshly slice aspects, wrap a pre-stretched piece of grafting tape from the nasty of the foliage out to the tip, overlapping 50% every flip. Twist the conclude shut.
It will abet moisture in.
Put together the receiving tree
Elevate the specified arena the place aside the graft will likely be inserted. It will likely be on a branch (no much less that pencil dimension in diameter) or on the trunk. Guarantee it is alive…
The utilize of your keen neat grafting knife, originate the slice deep ample to uncover the cambium and deep ample to rep the scion. In general, the scion will likely be placed within the identical path as the sap circulate.
Now that you’ve got created a “flap”, insert the scion, matching cambium to cambium, long slice dealing with down on to the slice arena (assuming the slice became as soon as made on high of branch). Probabilities are you’ll have one shot at this as whenever you wiggle, raise and re-insert, the one cell layer of cambium will even be damaged, lowering your payment of success.
Securing the scion
As soon as the scion has been inserted, begin up to wrap one other piece of pre stretched parafilm tape tightly from appropriate sooner than the slice arena, overlapping as sooner than, the total technique to the scion, also wrapping below the scion (between scion and receiving tree). It is beneficial to seal this arena with slice putty (now not liquid paste) to quit any moisture from getting to the union.
Now exact the graft even extra with some aluminium wire (firm nonetheless now not too tight). It will quit the scion from being pushed out of the slice arena by the callousing and circulate of sources over the arrival rising season.
After care
Put the tree in dappled shade or duvet the grafted scion with some reflective arena topic as temperatures upward push.
Water and fertilise the tree as in model. Carry out now not re-pot this season.
Success
By December (or Summer season within the Western Cape) whenever you have been a hit, the scion will begin up to bulge and push thru the twisted conclude of the “cocoon”. Originate to unwrap from the tip – one flip per week until totally uncovered (produce this slowly over time to present the scion time to modify). Stir away the grafting tape in arena over the slice arena until subsequent spring. As the graft takes, this will swell and destroy up the tape apart with out the necessity for assistance. Probabilities are you’ll additionally aloof raise the wire at this stage. The scion might per chance additionally aloof at the least double in dimension by spring. At present, begin up cutting back the old fashioned, undesirable foliage. This wants to be finished as the scion grows and becomes stronger. Vogue of fancy a change…fracture some, lose some.
