Juniper Trunk Chop Cutting Success!

[october]

Hi all,
This is a project that might provide creating shohin with less work and time. I purchased this San Jose juniper. It is about 9 inches tall with a 2 1/4 inch base. The original idea was to chop the top 1/3 off and to work with what was left. However, the owner of the nursery suggested air layering the top. It was relatively thick, had good taper and movement. However, there was not enough room and it would interfered with my original design for the parent tree. I figured, why not try a cutting. I have wanted to do some experimentation with larger cuttings. About 2 years ago, I rooted a near 1 inch arborvitae cutting. I figured this one was about 1 1/4 inches so why not.

Unfortunately, my success was verified by an accident. Recently, the tree tipped over and it fell almost completely out of the pot. However, this accident revealed that the tree did put on roots in the near 2 months since it was taken. I do not know what will happen to the tree now after the stress of being uprooting. Although I would like the tree to survive, knowing what we now know. This may provide a segue into bigger projects. It might be time to move onto 2-3 inch cuttings and see what happens. Originally, I was going to hold off posting this. However, after it fell and I saw roots and health after almost 2 months, it seemed like we most likely have success.

If anyone wants to know what steps I took with this. I will describe them in future replies here.

Rob


Here is the tree as purchased and where the chop was to be made.



After the chop



Measured



The parent shohin without any work.



The cutting right after planting.



Almost 2 months later. The proposed front



Back

 

[John Ruger]

I've seen fairly large cuttings taken, but only on deciduous trees. I'd like to to know as well how large of a juniper cutting can be taken with success. I took a fairly large air layer off a juni. it rooted well, but ended up dying.

Few questions:

How did you prep the cutting once it was taken?

What medium did you use?

When did you take the cutting? (from the post it sounds around August?)

Really interesting project!

 

[davetree]

Damn Rob - you have to start wiring your trees to the bench ! How many have you had tip over or hit the ground ? Hope the cutting lives, it looks like both trees could turn out very nice.

 

[october]

I've seen fairly large cuttings taken, but only on deciduous trees. I'd like to to know as well how large of a juniper cutting can be taken with success. I took a fairly large air layer off a juni. it rooted well, but ended up dying.

Few questions:

How did you prep the cutting once it was taken?

What medium did you use?

When did you take the cutting? (from the post it sounds around August?)

Really interesting project!

Hi John,
Yes, deciduous trees can yield large cuttings. Sometimes up around 3 inches, but not conifers. I suspect that there are some conifers that can yield larger cutting than what we generally think. Typically, it is recommended to take juniper cuttings the thickness of a pencil. This is 3 times that.

The cutting was taken on September 1st. Next week will be 2 months. After I cut it, I scraped some bark in places around the base. Just enough to expose a little bit of cambium on 3-4 sides. It is planted in a relatively large particle akadama, pumice and lava rock mix. I did use some root hormone powder. However, it was about 8 years old, so I doubt the powder was any good. I used it because I figured, why not.

The surface that the tree has been on is heated. It sits on a glass surface with a ceramic heat bulb underneath. It heats the surface to a constant 90-95 degrees F. Which warms the bottom of the pot very well. Also, the cutting was misted about 4 times a day.

I would like to attempt a 3-4 inch cutting from a juniper or arborvitae. However, it will not be done just to do it. It will need to be something that will make a nice shohin or mame.

Rob

 

[Poink88]

Both are really nice. I am not a fan of the foliage though.

Less than 2 months ago, I started a juni airlayer, several weeks later, I decided it wasn't worth it and just abort it. To my surprise, it already have several roots. I made a cutting out of it instead and still looking fine today. I also took several cutting from the same tree...so far none is showing any signs of dying. The biggest is about 3/4" thick and most are less than 1/2".

I am Juni challenged but it seems to be fairly easy to propagate. Not sure about bigger branches though.

 

[october]

Damn Rob - you have to start wiring your trees to the bench ! How many have you had tip over or hit the ground ? Hope the cutting lives, it looks like both trees could turn out very nice.

lol...In the last 8 or 9 years, I have had about 3-4 hit the ground due to wind. They all lived without any damage. I have had it under control for a while. However, this was my clumsiness moving it. It tipped over but did not fall. If it was a normal situation where it was a wired in tree. Nothing would have happened.

Rob

 

[october]

Both are really nice. I am not a fan of the foliage though.

Less than 2 months ago, I started a juni airlayer, several weeks later, I decided it wasn't worth it and just abort it. To my surprise, it already have several roots. I made a cutting out of it instead and still looking fine today. I also took several cutting from the same tree...so far none is showing any signs of dying. The biggest is about 3/4" thick and most are less than 1/2".

I am Juni challenged but it seems to be fairly easy to propagate. Not sure about bigger branches though.

Hi Dario, with your climate, it is made for cuttings. For the most part, you would never really need to provide artificial heat. Although the foliage on san jose is a bit course and not the most attractive. This tree will have the foliage reduced and be a smaller tighter image. I am going to go for around a 3 1/2 inch tall tree with a 1 1/2 inch base. So, it will be a big mame..lol.. with not very much foliage.

Rob

 

[cascade]

Rob,

just protect it from the cold and it will be fine. All of my juniper cuttings take, no matter the time of the year. I start them with 1/2 inch to 1 1/2. They are branch sections, not trunk sections.

So far I have Procumbens, San Jose, Parsoni and Shimpaku cuttings. Some of the cuttings are trees now and ready to style. Will make pics tomorrow if interested.

Best,
Dorothy

 

[october]

Rob,

just protect it from the cold and it will be fine. All of my juniper cuttings take, no matter the time of the year. I start them with 1/2 inch to 1 1/2. They are branch sections, not trunk sections.

So far I have Procumbens, San Jose, Parsoni and Shimpaku cuttings. Some of the cuttings are trees now and ready to style. Will make pics tomorrow if interested.

Best,
Dorothy

Yes, I would like to see them. It seems like everything has already been done in bonsai. However, I have not seen a trunk chop cutting from a conifer yet. A couple of months ago, I was going to try about a 4 inch arborvitae trunk chop cutting, but I passed on the project.

Rob

 

[Dan W.]

This will make a great little tree Rob!

But... won't a week from now be 3 months from August 1st...

 

[october]

This will make a great little tree Rob!

But... won't a week from now be 3 months from August 1st...

Thanks Dan...I made a mistake. I meant September 1st. I will go edit.

Rob

 

[jk_lewis]

Large cuttings are a standard means of producing shohin or mame juniper. They root readily, and hormone increases the likelihood of success.

 

[fore]

Rob, great job. And I'm not too familiar with San Jose Junipers, the juvenile foliage looks alot like procumbens. But images of mature foliage looks very nice.

And boy, you all have great skill to get juni cuttings to take. I've tried 3x with no luck. But never tried putting them on a heat mat and I only misted 1x/day.
I'll try again next yr misting more frequently. I also plan to do some air layers of my various shimpaku varieties for future grafting projects.

Amazing Dario you got roots in just 2 mos! I heard it can take a yr.

 

[Poink88]

Amazing Dario you got roots in just 2 mos! I heard it can take a yr.

Actually, less than a month. It could be the timing, our heat, & weather since I did nothing special. Just debarked 2/3 of the branch (left 2 thin strips of live vein ay opposite side of the branch) and applied a tourniquet below cinched tight to the point that the phloem is damaged.

FYI, if you see round bumps at the juni branches...those are latent roots, just waiting to be activated.

 

[fore]

Actually, less than a month. It could be the timing, our heat, & weather since I did nothing special. Just debarked 2/3 of the branch (left 2 thin strips of live vein ay opposite side of the branch) and applied a tourniquet below cinched tight to the point that the phloem is damaged.

FYI, if you see round bumps at the juni branches...those are latent roots, just waiting to be activated.

Oh, I'd say my method was more "nothing special"...cut and stuck in soil lol
I'll try this method next time on some and see what I get. Others have told me they did it my way and it "nearly always works for me" lol

 

[buddhamonk]

I should try this with my shimpakus

 

[Poink88]

Oh, I'd say my method was more "nothing special"...cut and stuck in soil lol

I did this too and so far all are looking okay. Too soon to tell if they will take though.

The cuttings I did last year took but those are creeping juniper (my first juni LOL) which I want to toss now but don't have the heart to.

 

[Vance Wood]

FYI, if you see round bumps at the juni branches...those are latent roots, just waiting to be activated.

What do you base that information on or what source?

 

[Smoke]

FYI, if you see round bumps at the juni branches...those are latent roots, just waiting to be activated.

What do you base that information on or what source?

Post count?

 

[Poink88]

What do you base that information on or what source?

Sorry. I should have said "based on my observation the round bumps on juniper branches seem to be latent roots."

I started a test cutting. Took lots of pics and planted it. IF it survives, we will see in March (or there abouts) if the bumps are indeed latent roots. I am thinking it will take longer since it is already fall. If it fails, I will start another in spring.