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random_treelore

Cathaya Graft

Random_Treelore
10 years ago

Has anyone else tried this yet?

I grafted a scion from my Cathaya onto a Pseutotsuga menziesii var glauca stock. (And yes, it is another one where I chopped off the top of the stock. This was a low-stakes graft, so I'm not worried if it fails because of it.)

I had read that Cathaya is intermediate between Pseudotsuga and Larix, so I figured I'd give it a try. It looks like it is working so far. I'm interested to see if there will be delayed compatibility problems...

Comments (10)

  • mesterhazypinetum
    10 years ago

    Random (or your real name),
    This Cathaya argyrophylla was first described as:
    Tsuga argyrophylla /Chun & Kuang 1955/de Laubenfels & Silba 1984. First in Sylva Sinica in China, later de Laubenfels and Silba divided it to a new genus.

    You have the possibility to try it also on Tsuga understocks. Wish you the best success for this attempt.

    Zsolt
    conifertreasury.org

  • salicaceae
    10 years ago

    There are reports in Chinese literature of success on Pinus elliotii and Abies firma. We have had success on Abies firma, but the grafts never lasted more than a year. I would also try Keteleeria.

  • coniferjoy
    10 years ago

    Random, please don't listen to that story about grafting Cathaya on Tsuga understock.
    Grafting Tsugas is a very difficult job itselve, why graft a rare species like Cathaya on this kind of understock while it could been done more easily at Pseudotsuga understock?

  • pineresin
    10 years ago

    Zsolt is wrong, the species was first described (by Chun & Kuang) in the genus Cathaya. Then later, Greguss placed it in Pseudotsuga in 1970, and de Laubenfels & Silba placed it in Tsuga in 1984. Currently, it is however universally accepted as a distinct genus.

    Relationships are tricky; some studies have placed it closest to Pseudotsuga and Larix, while others have suggested it is closest to Picea. The jury is still out, though personally I consider it closer to Pseudotsuga and Larix.

    Remember to report back on your experiment, it could be very valuable evidence in helping to determine what its closest relatives are.

    Resin

  • davidrt28 (zone 7)
    10 years ago

    While the subject of grafting was already up in another thread, what does this mean:
    "We have had success on Abies firma, but the grafts never lasted more than a year."

    That it stayed green for a year, then died? It's it's closely related to Larix & Pseudotsuga, you don't have many options in Florida. I'd assume Pseudotsuga wilsoniana grows there? But I'd also guess it's a little too warm for Larix kaempferi.

    This post was edited by davidrt28 on Tue, May 28, 13 at 19:05

  • pineresin
    10 years ago

    Yep, Pseudotsuga wilsoniana should do well in Florida.

    Resin

  • Random_Treelore
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Yeah, I've seen phylogenetic trees that put it between Larix and Pseudotsuga, and other ones that have it with Pinus and Picea. Morphologically, it sure looks like the former, to me. I think that the other possible relationships are based on genetics, though.

    I'm also working on trying to get it to set seed. It produced a few female cones last year, but there were no viable seeds in them. It has one cone that is maturing this year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

  • Random_Treelore
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Well, I'm here to tell you that this graft has failed. It was worth a try, though :)

  • davidrt28 (zone 7)
    10 years ago

    Too bad. Thanks for the update.
    Unless you've done a lot of successful grafting though, I'd chalk it up to general graft failure at the moment, and not incompatibility.

  • Random_Treelore
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Yeah, I'll probably try some next year as well, just to be sure.

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