Grafted P. thunbergii 'Banshosho' potted up today

[Japonicus]

Root tips are white, potting window open

Helluva tap root more like a lower extension of the trunk




It would actually fit in this pot, but I wanted to give angle to the trunk more, potted a little deeper...

Pretty good chance of rain this week, should help the new root generation.
I know it's an ugly graft, but I can get some JBP practice with it.

 

[Japonicus]

Redheaded sawfly infestation

Found this today while weeding.
Pulled 25 out out of this localized area.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Ugh!

Looks like Momma decided to deposit all her eggs on your little Banshosho.

Sorry
DSD sends

 

[Japonicus]

Ugh!

Looks like Momma decided to deposit all her eggs on your little Banshosho.

Sorry
DSD sends

That would be nice,
...and only one female or momma at that, would be even better.

Have to spray everything anyway
and so far isolated, but that's a lottery wish i suspect.

 

[Hartinez]

Redheaded sawfly infestation
View attachment 453856View attachment 453857View attachment 453858View attachment 453859View attachment 453860
Found this today while weeding.
Pulled 25 out out of this localized area.

Holy shit. Sawfly-pacolypse

 

[Japonicus]

Holy shit. Sawfly-pacolypse

LOL lets hope not. Here i thought that cocoon i found last year was roach eggs.

I put about a tablespoon of malathion in a cup and dropped the ones i pulled off in there.
In 2 minutes they died of parkinsons and end stage pancreatic cancer.

 

[Hartinez]

LOL lets hope not. Here i thought that cocoon i found last year was roach eggs.

I put about a tablespoon of malathion in a cup and dropped the ones i pulled off in there.
In 2 minutes they died of parkinsons and end stage pancreatic cancer.

In the words of Metallica. “Kill em all!”

 

[Potawatomi13]

Anxious to see trunk after several years.

 

[Paradox]

Cool tree, but have to wonder why someone would graft a JBP?
They seem to grow just fine on their own roots

 

[rockm]

Redheaded sawfly infestation
View attachment 453856View attachment 453857View attachment 453858View attachment 453859View attachment 453860
Found this today while weeding.
Pulled 25 out out of this localized area.

Those things are creepy as hell. They can act like a swarm, moving in unison...ick.

 

[rockm]

Cool tree, but have to wonder why someone would graft a JBP?
They seem to grow just fine on their own roots

This is a specific tighter growing variety. Like JM maples, most "specialty" pines can be grafted to keep their genetic quirks intact. Cork bark black pine varieties are also typically grafted, you can sometimes see that on some older examples.

 

[Japonicus]

Cool tree, but have to wonder why someone would graft a JBP?
They seem to grow just fine on their own roots

I thought I had posted this yesterday, but never hit the Post reply button
So @rockm answered that somewhat, and this was my response...

...Well I'm not attached to that end of the trade at all, but my guess is someone had a mother tree
and just propagated it to sell on eBay or wherever, and that's fine really if that were the case.
Perhaps the cultivar isn't as readily available as the species, and seeds are being collected in the meantime.
It is a pretty ugly high graft for sure, but the price was right for me to experiment with.

The top where the caterpillars were I believe is sacrificial, so maybe think a bit shorter for the end design.

Anxious to see trunk after several years.

Me too, but not holding my breath. The under stock isn't moving as fast.
I'm hoping the difference doesn't magnify with time and barking up, may help camouflage the union.

 

[rockm]

I thought I had posted this yesterday, but never hit the Post reply button
So @rockm answered that somewhat, and this was my response...

...Well I'm not attached to that end of the trade at all, but my guess is someone had a mother tree
and just propagated it to sell on eBay or wherever, and that's fine really if that were the case.
Perhaps the cultivar isn't as readily available as the species, and seeds are being collected in the meantime.
It is a pretty ugly high graft for sure, but the price was right for me to experiment with.

The top where the caterpillars were I believe is sacrificial, so maybe think a bit shorter for the end design.


Me too, but not holding my breath. The under stock isn't moving as fast.
I'm hoping the difference doesn't magnify with time and barking up, may help camouflage the union.

Like Japanese Maples, cultivars of this variety don't "breed true" --that is, their seeds may/may not produce the same type of tight growth as their parent plant. Grafting them is the only real way to get it. Seeds won't really work and if they're collecting the to sell, they're ripping people off-on purpose or through ignorance.

 

[bwaynef]

Just like any cultivar, this one was selected because it behaves differently than the species. I have one and it seems a little coarser than the species (and yet dense growth as well) and I believe it has a higher propensity for backbudding. I've only pruned and repotted mine though, so hopefully after work I do this fall I'll have a better idea on how it responds to bonsai treatment. Someone whose bonsai opinion I respect cautioned me against mine but I couldn't pass up the trunk for the price.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Me too, but not holding my breath. The under stock isn't moving as fast.
I'm hoping the difference doesn't magnify with time and barking up, may help camouflage the union.

.

 

[Japonicus]

Been ~2.5 yrs since I've updated this thread.
No more sawflies. It did very well with the April 2022 repot and soil transitioning.
The scion and rootstock continue to be at odds with each other, but the bark is plating more.
I've yet to put any wire on it to bring down any lower branches that may obscure the union some.
Definitely the wrong rootstock whoever did this one...whatever it is. Mugo would not surprise me at this point lol.












I pulled a lot of shaded needles on the sacrificial apex. Cut a few shading shoots blocking the desired apex from sunlight.
I like the back budding I'm getting to cut back to, which I began that journey today cutting back where it left enough needles
to grow on from the back budding and where I couldn't cut back, I thinned the needles pushing strength back, inwards.
So there'll be more to cut back and more thinning to come as the back buds are able to carry the branch.

 

[Cruiser]

Healthy looking tree. Your patience and strategy are evident. Nice work.