River's Edge
Imperial Masterpiece
Lots of buds and short internodes are apparent, nicely done. it is evident you are doing things right over a lengthy period of time.Hope you find time to post the flower show upcoming. thanks for posting!
Prunus mume questions
- Thread starter Nybonsai12
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leatherback
The Treedeemer
Any good resources about Ume grafting?
One thing I cannot get my head around is how to ensure you graft viable foliage buds, and do not end up with just a flowering brackt
Canada Bonsai
Chumono
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The ideal situation is to be grafting dormant scions onto recipient plants that are waking from dormancy. There are a few ways to get oneself into that situation. When working at home with hobbyist-level of equipment (i.e. without temperature controlled greenhouses), one way to achieve this is by taking the scions a few weeks before you intend to graft them, storing them in the fridge, and then grafting them later when the recipient-tree is waking from dormancy. This is an especially useful approach if you are taking scions from the same plant onto which you intend to graft. If you are taking scions from a different plant onto which you intend to graft, you may simply be able to keep the scion-plant dormant while waking up the receiving-plant early (e.g. by bringing it indoors--but this could be challenging depending on what your Springs are like). Several Japanese books on Ume note that scions can be taken up to 1-month in advance. Personally, I have stored scions for 3 months in my fridge prior to grafting without affecting the success rate of the grafts, but the shorter the period the better.
I am starting my response this way to make the point that the moment when you take your scions will almost always be after flowering (I say almost always because I know a few guys in very warm climates who need to take their scions before flowering to ensure that they will be dormant and will remain so in the fridge--this brings another set of considerations that I will ignore here). With the flower buds out of the way, you should be able to visually identify where there are vegetative buds, and where there are no vegetative buds.
Untouched, Ume tend to send new shoots from the branch tips. Therefore, using scions from the branch tips will increase the odds that you will have vegetative buds on the scions. However, branch tips tend to be relatively thin, which decreases your chance of success with the grafts. I would not use branch tips: if you're defoliating throughout the summer (either using POCD as recommended by Bjorn, or using the trick described by Lynn Perry Alstadt but over a greater number of nodes than the recommended 2-3), you should have plenty of vegetative buds along your shoots. I am in the middle of the process now, and some of my shoots as long as 60cm have vegetative buds at almost every node. (If I were trying to ramify, I could cut back to almost anywhere on the shoot and expect shoots to emerge very reliably in Spring).
Here is an image of the majority of books I reference. The second one at the top (NHK, white, red flowers) is by far the most useful book for bonsai. The book on the top right (Bonsai Senka, maroon) is also very very good. (Some of these focus almost exclusively, and very technically on flower types--a taxonomists dream--which may or may not be of interest to you). Send me a PM if you want to any of them and I can provide ISBN and contacts/sources. They can easily be read with Google Translate app's live translation and some patience -- should not be a problem for a fellow academic @leatherback
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Trueblackpercula
Shohin
I absolutely love you collection of your reading materials.
Michael
Michael
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
getting closer. Buds look awesome.
Hartinez
Masterpiece
Great shape you’ve built on this one. Gonna be spectacular in flower.
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Nice little ume!
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
Messing with the iPhone this morning portrait vs regular mode as this one gets ready to explode.
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
blooming underway.
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
Just about peak bloom 
Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
@Nybonsai12
What are your care practices for this one after it blooms?
My understanding is that early bloomers can be very sensitive to frost or cold snaps after blooming.
I tried to get one from Brent last year but with all the crop failures he had, was unable to.
What are your care practices for this one after it blooms?
My understanding is that early bloomers can be very sensitive to frost or cold snaps after blooming.
I tried to get one from Brent last year but with all the crop failures he had, was unable to.
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
I am pretty cautious with this one. I overwinter in my garage and do the shuffle in and out depending on temps all winter. once it’s flowered I continue that and make sure it doesn’t see any freezing temps.
it’s a shame about Brent’s crop failures. he was one of the few if not only one that sold ungrafted Ume of multiple varieties.
I may have to try cuttings this year With the few Ume I have.
Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
yea I was always afraid to try them because they are a bit more finicky and difficult.
Figures once I do want to try, Im unable to get one
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
Two Ume, different varieties. Interesting how they differ in growth, one on the right has always produced smaller leaves. Second pic is tree on right, which will soon need wiring of new growth and removal of first few leaves to help promote branching.
River's Edge
Imperial Masterpiece
I would encourage those who want to propagate prunus mume from cuttings, I will provide tips and background information for those who wish to give it a try. Simply PM me. I am slowly building stock of more mature plants by limiting my sales and retaining a certain amount each year for growing out. This combines for a stronger supply of annual cuttings and also future older stock to develop as bonsai. However, the process is effective and the results speak for themselves.
Import/export regulations being what they are for this species, the more people who can propagate them the better!
Import/export regulations being what they are for this species, the more people who can propagate them the better!
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
Hi frank,
I’ll give it a go, when do you think would be right for me to take cuttings. cut, seal top, place cuttings in fridge in moss? Leaves have just finished and dropped off my one Ume in a pot, big buds already. I have one Ume in the ground with shoots that are very long. the leaves havent changed color but seem spent due to the recent freeze. Landscape trees have just about finished dropping leaves. Thanks!
River's Edge
Imperial Masterpiece
Great question. I wait until the leaves drop naturally! The reasoning is to maximize the transfer and storage of energy to kickstart the emergence of buds, flowers and leaves in the cuttings. As soon as the leaves have dropped I cut and seal the top, apply Clonex to the bottom cut and refrigerate in damp paper towel. Use cuttings of at least 3/8 inch thick for best results. Approx 5-6 inch length. Thinner cuttings can be successful but need to be longer. Also ensure that there are at least three buds on each cutting. I tend to refrigerate until the bottom edge clearly shows callus development before considering planting! This can take 1-2 months. Generally the thicker cuttings respond faster, I believe this is due to higher levels of reserve energy.
For what it is worth the weather in our location has caused a very late leaf drop and delayed color change as well! The fall was unusually warm for extended periods, then a quick change to cooler weather in this neck of the woods. Our Kwanzan Cherry trees in the landscape just dropped their leaves this week.
Good Luck with the cuttings, Use the hydrogen peroxide solution to keep the refrigerated cuttings damp and after planting to reduce fungal issues during development.
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
Thanks again @River's Edge for the above. Took some cuttings from this omoi no mama, hope they work out! I have one more mume Of a different variety to take cuttings from.
Canada Bonsai
Chumono
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Omoi no mama is a cultivar that will propagate by cuttings in May/June, just like Acer palmatum for example. I've done many. There is no need at all for the process you're embarking on now, but I hope it works out for you anyways of course. Just keep in mind you can try again in May/June.
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
Good to know. Any other varieties this applies to? the other I have I believe is the dawn variety.
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