japanese maple graft

Why are jap maples grafted and on to what? I found a large half price bloodgood without a graft so rhats where this question is coming from.

JAP used to make motorcycle engines back in the twenties. I didn't know they did anything with plants.

Paul

You're probably too young to know it, but "Jap" isn't exactly, um, let's say "polite". Yes, I hear that term used in the nursery trade, but usually by, um, let's say "rednecks".

So, many of maple cultivars aren't very strong on their own roots, and/or difficult to propogate by cuttings. Grafting is an easy way to get a strong, sellable plant quickly. The understock is usually regular old seedling green Japanese maples. 'Bloodgood' is easy to find on its own roots, and grows fine either way.

R

ohh I did know that but didn't even think about it that way. I meant more like jap. (abbreviation) and now after seeing some of the posts im hesitant to get it. So I dont have a pic but I would like to get some feedback. Its a $60 tree for thirty. The nebari is around a couple of inches and looks nice (if i remember correctly). It suffered from what looked like a break higher up on the tree and therefore has produced a number of branches lower on the trunk. Thoughts?

Oh it is too easy to say the wrong thing...anyway, the japanese maple called "Bloodgood" grows very well on it's own roots. I have several, including very vigorous seedlings from my largest "Bloodgood" (which is a landscape tree). Of course the question is, what is a named cultivar if it is NOT grafted? Anyway, don't let me rant, I have decided I will stay away from grafted trees for bonsai as the mis-match between the rootstock (usually common green maple) and scion becomes only more noticeable as time passes...there usually is a very noticeable graft scar, differences in color and bark texture and most importantly differences in growth rates leading to a mis-match in size (diameter). About the only thing you can do to minimize these differences is to layer a new set of roots as close to the union as possible (and even then there are problems)...and of course in your case you mention the root flare/base on the tree in question as being desirable. It would be lost if you need to build a new set of roots. So I hope this is helpful to you, your sale tree might be more of a problem than it is actually worth. Warm regards - Tim

Tim,
Thank for the reply. At the nursery they have a landscape tree that did that. The base was almost a foot and the trunk was half that. Anyways, I looked for a graft and could not find one anywhere. Ill stop by ttheir tomorrow and get some pictures.

My mistake

They're still going!

Check out these magnificent engines!

http://www.japrestwich.com

Paul

Those are sweet looking:)

Looks like thw nebari is a little weird but I think it can be cut back flush with the trunk because thw othwr roots are lower. What do yall think?