Very cool! Thanks, Nate.

Holly

No needles on your concolor 'Norton' and it is pushing, looks like two, really.

Real sweet Nate,

Dax

I've lost count but I remember a shot of your setup with about 10 tubs, how many grafts is that? 100 or so? Where do all these babes end up, your yard?

I copied your basement tub grafting method minus the grow light and got about 50% takes. Excellent contribution to the forum. Thanks.

Holly, glad you like!

Dax, that might be the first time I grafted a needle-less scion, and, truthfully, had my doubts about whether it would take. This result, combined with that field grafted taeda video we saw a while back, has me wondering whether scions really even need needles. On the concolor here, there are actually three scions, and two are taking.

Dave, 100 or so seems about right, maybe a few more. I'll take a final tally after they're planted out. Most of these will go to my yard, in mid-May. 50% takes is pretty good! I'm glad you're finding the tubs useful. The past couple of years I've been 30-40%. This year I'm trying grafting seal, which seems to bump that up a little bit (at least so far).

Nate,nice pics of very nice selections.
Are you familiar with the Picea omorika 'Medusa'?
If you're not, I can tell you about it ;0)

Are you sure that 'Norton' is the right Abies concolor cultivar nmae.
Maybe it's 'Morton' from the Morton Arboretum...?

It's Norton and it's most-likely a Czech cultivar.

Dax

Edwin, yes, please tell me more about 'Medusa'!

Nate, the Picea omorika 'Medusa' grows like the Picea omorika 'Virgata', is does have a snake like habit with an open structure.
The 'Virgata' was found as seedling selection but the 'Medusa' was found as a branch mutation on a Picea omorika species.

'Medusa' is named after a monster like creature from the old Greek mythology.

Ravishing Medusa, of the Gorgon sisters most fair...
who lay with Poseidon, and to snakes was turned her hair.

I love the snaking conifers. I guess in this case, we could call it a cthonifer ;-)

Josh

{{gwi:680609}}
Abies x nordica

{{gwi:680612}}
Pinus strobus "Quill Pig"

{{gwi:680614}}
Pinus gerardiana "Yogi"

Clement

Nice grafts Clement!
Abies x nordica, is this a cross between Abies nordmanniana and Abies numidica?
Sound this way to me ;0)

Abies nordica x - A. nordmanniana x A. pinsapo
Published 2010 Mesterh�zy in Conifer Treasury of Hungary 1.0
Breeder/Found 2009 H�di T�th J�zsef HUN from sport of a garden in Budapest, HUN
Introduced Arizonica Nursery, Cs�kv�r, HUN
Description A fast growing clone between two parents with gray shoots and very deep green needles, nearly around the axis, very little buds. A. nordmanniana x A. pinsapo

Copied from semidesert ..... 2 from Zsolt.
Clement

Yes, Clement, very nice grafts. I spoke with Zsolt about the id of this and he accidentally typed pinsapo as one... The correct cross is nordmanniana x numidica... which I can see the resemblance, being.

Dax

Hello sluice. Just an educational question. How long after bud break do you take off the rubber band and the sealant? Is there a sign to know when? what about diferrent species?

Maybe Dax, Edwin or Stephen could jump in on opinions. I just had my first graft breaking bud and I can't find the apropriate answer...

{{gwi:680616}}

Thank you in advance,

Best regards,
Fotis

Fotis, no need to remove the bands, they should decompose and fall away on there on accord, especially once outside and exposed to sunlight.

Thank you Stephen, but I used a tape and a sealant, so is there a correct time I should remove them? They won't come off by themselves (for the next 5-6... years...)

Fotis

No rush. I find parafilm tape on grafts sometimes 3,4,5 years later. Wait a year.

Best Regards,

Dax

Thank's Dax! I trust your judgement!

Fotis

Congrats Fotis, that spruce looks great! What kind is it?

This is the first year I've tried sealant. My plan is, as Dax says, to just wait.

In the past I used bands only, which fell away pretty quickly once outside, like Stephen described.

lol... WOW, this forum is becoming a gigantic wealth of information, contribution, photos, new conifers, grafting info and discussion. I love it. Contributions from our over-seas experts are also greatly appreciated. Edwin/Clement, your conifer history/database is a truly wonderful resource for us new folks here.

Sure makes me want to graft.

-Will

Nate, what is that for yellow stuff "sealant" and for what reason do you use it?

Edwin, that is Doc Farwell's Grafting Seal. I'm trying it this year because I saw Dax using it. ;)

So far it seems to be working well. I think it might help keep the tissue at the union hydrated until it knits. I put the grafting band on first, and then apply the sealant.

In my basement the humidity can get very low, especially during winter. This is probably due to my semi-arid climate, combined with a forced air furnace. I have noticed an increase in % takes using the sealant.

There is also a bonsai video where the guy uses tree sealant on juniper grafts, which seems to support this technique. The link is below.

Here is a link that might be useful: juniper bonsai graft video

Thank you Nate! I just have another one just begining to swell but no signs of spring at the rest. These all scions came from this tree:

{{gwi:660636}}
{{gwi:660641}}

really blue-white foliaged Picea pungens with short and thick needles but different from 'Hoopsi', 'Edith', or 'Glauca Globosa' so I can't tell what it is. It is Picea pungens 'X' for now...

Thank you for the info.

Best regards,
Fotis

Nate, thanks for your info and grafting video.
I wasn't familiar with this sealant which is always a good something if your percentage of succesful grafting will be higher.
Is this sealant a liquit stuff or do you have to heat it up before you will use it for covering the graft?

Fotis, that's a very nice Picea pungens!
Due it's silvery blue needle colour I would say it's an 'Edith', but can't say this for sure...

Fotis, thanks for the pic of the X tree!

Edwin, the sealant is liquid at room temperature, and dries when exposed to the air.

Edwin, I wish it is 'Edith' because I love this cultivar! The foliage though is different from my 'Edith'. Way thicker needles, like 'Hoopsi's but shorter. Maybe it is 'Edith' and I just have to compare it with mine, when it has more mature foliage and not as juvenille as my 5-6 year old tree has.

Thank you for your input. I'll have it in mind as 'Edith', for now...

Best regards,
Fotis

{{gwi:680620}}
{{gwi:623649}}
Today, I look all my grafts, and when the union graft are very good, I cut the rubber band like you see on the photos.I think air are neccesary for the scion,and following the good growing without action of strangulation by rubber band
Clement

Thank you Clement! So when I see full expansion of the young branches I could remove the tape carefully for full development of the callus area. I think I'll keep half and open half to see if it makes any difference.

Best regards,
Fotis

Guys,
Abies nordica x is a cross of nordmanniana and numidica, found by Hodi Toth in a Budapest suburb.
Zsolt

Clement, I like your graft pics, including the P. menziesii!

Abies nordica (x) is a cross between Abies nordmanniana and Abies numidica.
It's pretty logical if you split up the name...