I have two old thuja trees from the hedge. Foliage is very far from the trunk so I need to graft foliage back to the trunk. Of course best option is to graft it with thuja foliage for best compatibility. You should just check all post here - mainly first ones. I just came here to ask, what is possible and answers from others was, that grafting juniper or chamaecyparis to thuja is also possible (check photos up here). So why not to have tree with better foliage if it is possible? Maybe I will go with chamaecyparis, because it is probably more compatible with thuja than juniper. But I have two trees. Maybe I will try to graft juniper on one and chamaecyparis on the other. If it fails I could always graft it just with thuja next year and forget about experiments (but why not have some fun with trying something new). If it will be successfull and confirmed after few years, maybe it could help someone else.
Can I graft hinoki cypress to thuja occidentalis?
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Gabler
Masterpiece
I guess that's what I'm trying to figure out. What makes the foliage better? Is the difference big enough that it's worth growing a Franken-tree?
So why others graft shimpaku to rocky mountain juniper? To make better trees or Franken-trees?
I think aiming for better tree is good goal or not?
Gabler
Masterpiece
So why others graft shimpaku to rocky mountain juniper? To make better trees or Franken-trees?
Exactly. Why do people graft shimpaku onto another species? I don't see many people grafting Japanese maple branches onto red maple trunks or grafting Japanese black pine branches onto ponderosa pine trunks.
Frozentreehugger
Masterpiece
You said juniper in your response . That’s what I found confusing
Frozentreehugger
Masterpiece
Several people have . Grafted Hinoki to cedar . I presume some are Hinoki fans . ( which there are a lot of ) Hinoki has much smaller foliage . If you look at my prev posts . Eastern white . Does not have tight foliage and often .olive drab colour especially outside the mid summer time . Colour has been much improved on cultivars . Which there are lots of especially for hedge material. The worst foliage attributes are often on wild trees . Collected for there dead wood often. Much has been written about improving styling and pinching for better . Results . With native foliage . But you can only do so much . Worse great wind cold tortured trees and exquisite tight foliage. ( that can not be duplicated ) trying often kills trees in cultivation For me primo is a recent cultivar that has great foliage , and tight growth .many many of the best bonsai have used grafting for much the same reasons . It’s common practice in Japan .
Gabler
Masterpiece
There's a Seinfeld episode called "The Implant" that pretty much sums up my feelings about grafted trees. I have trouble understanding how it could ever be worth it to put another species' foliage on a bonsai tree. Why is grafting accepted when tanuki is frowned upon? Is tighter foliage really that important?
It would ruin this tree at Longwood Gardens, for example.
Frozentreehugger
Masterpiece
I get what your saying . But can’t completely agree . Myself I’m not interested in combining 2 tree species. Cedar/Hinoki . That’s why I’m just using cedar to better cedar . At end of the day it’s about improving trees . For multiple reasons . But we get attached to trees and proud of our efforts . Ex my Yamabeaver , collected tree initial style from . Furry Canadian . I have lots of time and effort to reduce the long trailing roots . ( they went up a rock face bare ) while I was doing that for multiple years . I reduced the king foliage with nothing near the trunk . And created back budding to get to where it is. At initial collection . One would think it’s a great candidate to graft bear the trunk. Today I would not . As I’m to proud of what I created so far .
