The waiting game. Nice rare specimens

Hope springs eternal.

This topic is similar to whaas's recent questions about buds that didn't push in his larger plants. The physiological basis for lack of growth may be different but really the question is, how long can a bud maintain its integrity if it is not activated for growth for whatever reason? How many years can it sit dormant and still possess the potential for growth under the right conditions in a subsequent year?

These photos are really lovely, you have a real knack for capturing the spirit of these little grafts. I think it must be challenging to get it all in frame/in focus with so much going on in such a small area.

Is that your native soil in the first photo? I know there's mulch down especially at NW, I'm referring to what we see at SE. Looks rather sandy/gritty.

Alex

Good questions on the bud longevity. The other day I saw a fresh shoot growing out of the trunk of a 30 foot spruce, and wondered what was going on there.

The soil in that photo is not native, but a random mix of this and that in a raised bed. It used to be all covered in shredded bark mulch, but a lot of that has blown away due to high winds and I haven't gotten around to replacing it (which will be with rock next time).

Alex,

I waited four years for a fir to break bud. The fifth year it broke.

Nate,

My graft of Warrior looks just like yours; hasn't grown. I'll have to look closely to see if any adventitious buds have arisen or if they may next year. Same with my 'Teton Tower'. So, seems a pattern we share to those particular cultivar-scions grafted the same year.

Dax

Real intresting post, I didn't realize that it could take that long for a graft to push new growth.

Here's an update on the 'Nagykoros' bud.

You can see how much it's grown over the past two months.

Glad to have seen this thread. I had no idea they could take so long. The Abies delavayi I tried to graft from Spruceman's plant don't look like they are going to break but this year, and I'd assumed this meant that the graft hadn't taken at all. 4 years - that must have been excruciating! I get annoyed by seeds that take longer than 2 months to germinate! The longest I've been able to wait is about 5, for a Cautleya ginger.

Wow, five years is a long time. Hope you see some progress with the delavayi.

Here is a comparision from last summer (when two buds first appeared on this scion) and now.

They're just sitting there, and they don't seem to be swelling. I took the grafting seal off earlier this spring, which may or may not have something to do with it.

No, I just grafted it a couple months ago. I was referring to gardener365's post above. It better not take 4 years!

This is great info- I'm going to resist the temptation to throw out plants when the scions don't break.