Hey man,

If communis doesn't do well, grafting will be of no help.

Reversely, if the plant does well, but your soil isn't compatible with that species root system... then, it is of help to utilize grafting.

The common example, again reversely, is Chamaecyparis obtusa not being able to grow in heavy clay-based soils so therefore it must be grafted onto Thuja occidentalis which does tolerate the clay soils.

Not the best wording by any means, but one can make sense of what I'm trying to say.

Dax

Dax, was that right what you said - Ch. obtusa on Thuja occidentalis? Did you mean Th. (Platycladus) orientalis or can you really graft it onto occidentalis?

Winston

Either or Winston. Bob Fincham of Coenosium Gardens is where I learned of Thuja occidentalis.

Dax

"Ch. obtusa on Thuja occidentalis?"

Common practice in Orygun and PNW. Another thing to keep in mind is the growth rate of the given graft...scion & understock growth rate.As an example, Cupressus cultivars are commonly grafted, but nursery folks have yet to find a root-stock to keep up with rapid growth of the graft...a stork with a bowling ball in its neck comes to mind :-).........

Good point! Yet in reverse, Pinus strobus is used for the itty-bitty miniatures and this reversal of "juice" has no effect.

Oddly enough, too, a guy I heard of uses Microbiota decussata for Alaskan Cypress. His grafts were 18 years old a few years ago and apparently, there was no bowling ball effect.

I wish I understood everything. I guess that's why five years ago or whenever it was I started participating here, I, thought it would be nice to know in current arboretums, which understocks were being used.

Now, some guy will come along and say that "juice" can vary... within a species that is, well... I still don't get it! Nothing makes sense to me! hehehehahahahohohhohohoho!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I need a V-8! Smack!

Dax

RE: Cupressus cultivars are commonly grafted, but nursery folks have yet to find a root-stock to keep up with rapid growth of the graft

I heard or read somewhere, maybe on the coenosium site, that a particular cultivar of leyland cypress was a sufficiently vigorous rootstock for arizona cypress (which grow very fast).

"that a particular cultivar of leyland cypress was a sufficiently vigorous rootstock for arizona cypress (which grow very fast)."

Some growers in Orygun have played with Cup. x l. Gold Rider as understock (growers opinion...it has a better rootsystem than other Leylandi cultivars). But I believe long term compatability is still unknown........

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Growth rate is similar though. I believe that 'Gold Rider' grows about a foot or two a year, but I would have to look it up. It definitley is an improved slower-growing selection.

So, schmoo, where you been all these years? Your knowledge is very up to date -

You ever been to Orygun?

Dax

Dax,

Yep..live right in the heart of willamette valley or "Nursery Central" around here.

Schmoo

I lived in Portland for a little over three years. Worked at Kasch's Nursery in Gresham and in SE Portland all that time minus 1/2 a year. And rallied the Clackamus all summer in my inflatable kayak and rode Meadows in the winter. Lived a block from the Black Cat bar in the Sellwood area of SE just blocks from the Sellwood Bridge.

Well, coooool.

Later,

Dax

Sellwood is a very nice area. I am over in the Hollywood..NE Portland, close to a local brew-pub...love this city!!

It's so cool man. Moving from here where people fight each other all day long over the normal issues: 'oooh that person has pink hair and a nose-ring', how long their hair is, is he a terrorist because of his skin color' - none of that junk happens in Portland.

Have a good one schmoo -

McMenamens, you name it - frosty heaven! lol - and you can tour an amazing garden and play a quick pitch and putt round of golf out in Troutdale. I just... miss it I guess!

People take life too seriously! lol

Rock on Schmoo - lol

Dax

Dax

Yeah buddy, I know what you are saying about that type of blindness towards people. I moved out here first and foremost because of the plants, but close second was people's attitudes (I grew up in the "South")towards others.
Started into micr. brews at the McM. chain, but they have fallen by the wayside in this city of "hop-soda's".
The plant world is funny out here, home owners in general have boring landscapes. Most of the neat stuff is shipped out of state, but once they get a clue as to what can be grown here...they go nuts.

Later.........