Hello bonsai - a grafting log

Nothing much here, just a hello how are you and a quick introduction to my grafted mother project. 3 strains and counting so far thanks for looking :+1:

50 Likes

That is TRUELY AMAZING !

2 Likes

That grafted canna bonsai is amazing!

It’d be awesome if you could provide some info about the process you have used to produce such an awesome specimen.
I’d love to try something similar.

Please keep us updated.

4 Likes

Thanks and yes I plan to add more on this thread at some point. Either adding new strains or by regrafting the emerald branch which is looking a bit shaky and we will go in more detail documenting with pics.

The quick and dirty version is I cut stems off in a V shape to fit each other, cut a rapid rooter to look like pac man and zip tie it around the graft point as if it were a clone. Then I take a second zip tie and put a plastic bag over the whole thing, again just treating it like a clone for a couple weeks, harden it off like a clone to slowly remove the bag and rooter plug, drop a label tag on the scar branch when it’s all done :grimacing:

10 Likes

More photos! Keep up the good work. I have tried and failed multiple times at grafting.

2 Likes

Recropped images and cleaned up a bit, but ask and ye shall receive I suppose :joy:

The problem. Emerald fire here is gonna fall off the mother zkittles plant if we don’t re-graft it.

So the solution starts with selecting a host branch, trimming and splitting it. Kind of like cloning we want something not too stiff and not too green here. Ideally something close to the same diameter as your incoming clone.

Nothing fancy here, ordinary clone, shave 2 sides which mate up to the split host stem.

Drop it in place.

Cut a rooter like so, it will act as a clamp to hold it all together.

Secure it in place. Not squeezing hard, just holding it together firmly. From here we basically treat it like a clone.

Give this a week or two before hardening off like you would a new clone. Once the bag is off you should be able to safely remove the rooter. :grimacing::sweat_smile:🫡

One day it will look something like this

12 Likes

I really like the rooter idea
It sure beats the grafting tape

Great job !

I recently grafted 6 strains to a mom she got way too big had to flower her out

It was a fun project
I’ll be watching I really like the concept of 1 plant with multiple attachments makes life easy if I could control the size

7 Likes

That is fantastic ! Thank you so much for showing this. :grin:

2 Likes

I never had good results from the tape :man_shrugging:

But you can control the size, with bonsai though lol :wink::grimacing:

2 Likes

I like the rooter idea! Seems like a good way to keep things in a hospitable environment while it’s fusing itself together.

1 Like

You will see me make reference to this process being like cloning a lot. The introduction of the rooter plug instead of grafting tape or wax etc is a game changer for sure.

1 Like

I’m curious if a plant that’s a good yeilder would affect the bud size of a poor yeilder grafted to it, or change the growth pattern in any way?

1 Like

The short answer is no. Genetic traits stay squarely on their respective side of the graft scar, this is why we can graft different species like hops or potatoes to tomatoes and so on.

However, like grafting tomatoes to potatoes, you can take some advantage. A strain with a weaker root system can be grafted to a stronger rootstock in order to take advantage of frost resistance or other traits of the rootstock itself. In this way it might be possible to maximize the potential of a variety by giving it a stronger root structure to uptake with, but we aren’t going to make it change bud structure or anything drastic like that.

5 Likes

From what I have read there actually is some sort horizontal gene transfer happening. At least as far as pathogen resistance. Maybe not the physical expression of traits.

Awesome work. I always tell myself im gonna play with this again and never do…
I once grafted small out door plants and it was a treat to see more than one variety mature on the plant in early fall. I can dig up the pictures.

As far as the Pomato i have done that many times. In that particular case its just for fun. The yields of both the tomatoes and the potatoes will suffer as compared to individual plants.

2 Likes

Thanks! I love the pomato over separate plots for each, but to-may-toe…. You know the rest :joy:

I cant find a single thing to back up what i remember reading. I know it pertained to fruit trees specifically.
but honestly as far as we are concerned i believe you are right.

"Grafted plants do not transfer genes horizontally in the typical sense. Grafting involves joining two different plant parts together, typically the rootstock (the lower portion, often the roots) and the scion (the upper portion, usually the shoot or branches), to create a single plant.

In grafting, the genetic material of the scion remains unchanged. The rootstock’s main function is to provide a robust root system or specific characteristics like disease resistance, vigor, or adaptability to environmental conditions. The two parts of the grafted plant essentially grow together, but they don’t exchange genetic information between themselves.

Horizontal gene transfer, on the other hand, typically refers to the transfer of genetic material between different organisms, like bacteria sharing genes among themselves or with other organisms. In plants, horizontal gene transfer is not a common mechanism for transferring genetic material during grafting. Instead, the genetic makeup of the scion remains as it was before grafting. "

1 Like

It’s that “ in the typical sense” that’s gonna get ya every time though :joy:

1 Like

I watched a thing on TV the presenter Michael Portilo was at a apple/root breeding place in England, apparently 85% of the world’s commercial apples originate from East Cawling (iirc) root stock.

The chap being interviewed said it’s the root stock that determines the yeild, flavour and the amount of leafs produced?

The place I’m referring to dug pits and glass lined them so they could observe the root progress, basically they’re word class at what they do I wouldn’t doubt what they say?

That said, at the time I thought hmm I’ve seen an apple, pear and plum tree grafted and it appeared to grow as normal so this was conflicting?

3 Likes

I would have my doubts as well, possibly that rootstock can influence, but not totally determine in my experience. However that is apples, and still as you say even the multi apple trees to beg that question.

At any rate it doesn’t seem to be the case here in any practical way. The base plant / rootstock of this mother plant is zkittles for example. Very different strains grafted on, but no observable changes when taking cuttings and growing them out. It’s the same as the original donor plant as far as any external measurement is concerned.

Sometimes I do wish I could graft a plant on and end up with a hybridized version of the 2 :man_shrugging:

3 Likes

If you buy root stock would you plant that or graft it?
Grafting was getting spoken about but it sounds like I’ve connected the two mistakenly, if you simply plant root stock that would make sense, to graft it which i assumed doesn’t add up.
I’m obviously mistaken.

Thanks for clearing that up.