Grafting Cryptomeria

[Jzack605]

Looking to hear experiences with grafting Cryptomeria. There’s not a ton of info out there but just got a decent cutting off of ‘Cristata’ and want to graft to what I think is ‘black dragon’ I’ve had laying around. This is less of a bonsai project and more for a cool plant to the collection, so sorry to go off topic but this place can be a wealth of information. Depending on what age wood I can use I may only have one scion and opportunity.

Two things I’m mostly concerned about:

Age of Scionwood. I’d like to use the younger growth that is a bit greener. Can I just remove the small “thorns”?

Timing. It’s a cold winter in NY, I always hear mixed things on timing with conifer grafts.

Was planning to do a side veneer graft but open to other types!

 

[JeffS73]

Following along because I've got a crypto stick in a pot that desperately needs grafts!

 

[TomRVA]

I believe that cryptomeria can be rooted from cuttings . I know that varieties like ‘twinkle toes’ can be rooted from cuttings when kept under mist and a little bottom heat . I personally haven’t grafted cryptomeria , but if it’s like most other conifers - right now is a good time to do it. It’s usually a good idea to wake up your rootstock by keeping it on a heat mat for a bit ( somewhere around a week or two ), keep your scion in a bag in the fridge with a wet paper towel on the cut end until your rootstock is ready. You don’t need a bunch of foliage on the scion , pluck some away if you have to- it’s more about allowing the fresh graft to heal that wound and bind cambiums than it is making sure there is enough foliage . The rootstock will feed the graft and produce foliage throughout the growing season . Side veneer is the way to go . Good luck , it’s a good idea to practice on some deciduous trees in your yard , I started out taking branches from sweet gums ( they grow like weeds here ) and side veneer grafting them onto sweet gum rootstock from my yard to just get a feel for it . I’m no pro by any means but I’ve done my fair share of grafting . Good luck ! Here’s a pic I took today of a Japanese maple witches broom I grafted a few weeks ago that started leafing out .
And as far as size of scion - you don’t want a big scion , all you need is a few inches - ideally somewhere below where the green growth has lignified and become woody .