Chop at graft between nodes

[dbonsaiw]

Does an angled chop made from a branch grafted in between nodes behave the same way as a regular chop? For example, I have the attached JM where the branch on the left is grafted in between two nodes (it is just below a node). If I chop at an angle, should it heal over as if the branch was growing from a node?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

That's a great question.
I don't think it will behave the same. Since a node is not just a node, it's also a barrier and has different directionally growing tissues.
But with some wound dressing it could be managed pretty decently.

I hope I'm wrong about the differences, but in all honesty; an internode is an internode, whether we graft a branch through it or not.
I would say though, that if the branch has grown enough, those differences might get smaller.

 

[dbonsaiw]

So if one is grafting a new leader it would always need to be on a node?

 

[SeanS]

I’ve grafted leaders/trunklines on both JM and tridents and have not seen any difference once making the cut above the graft and then eventually making an angled cut. I haven’t had any different die-back or healing of the final wound as I’ve seen with cutting back to a normal/natural branch from a node. My sample size is around 10 maples treated this way.

 

[dbonsaiw]

I’ve grafted leaders/trunklines on both JM and tridents and have not seen any difference once making the cut above the graft and then eventually making an angled cut.

To be sure, it doesn’t matter if the new leader is grafted at a node or between nodes. Once it is cut, it will heal the same. Is that correct?

 

[River's Edge]

To be sure, it doesn’t matter if the new leader is grafted at a node or between nodes. Once it is cut, it will heal the same. Is that correct?

That is correct, you may take slightly different steps in finishing the cuts and wound closure due to variations in growth pattern or cultivar. To be very specific, the location selected for thread grafting is not restricted to node location either. It is based on design and health of the location.

 

[Shibui]

Grafts of all types act just the same as a natural shoot save that it probably won't have dormant buds at the junction. When you cut back the cut should heal exactly as a similar chop at a natural node. Given that this is a JM that's not always as successful as we'd like though.

 

[SeanS]

To be sure, it doesn’t matter if the new leader is grafted at a node or between nodes. Once it is cut, it will heal the same. Is that correct?

Oh yes sorry completely forgot to make mention of the “between nodes part”. I typed my response with that in mind but forgot to actually touch on it
I haven’t seen any difference in healing when grafting between nodes and cutting the trunk back to the graft.