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| My grandfather that passed away a while ago has a really big juniper-looking plant outside of his old house. Looks like a juniper to me at least, when I compared it to others at a bonsai club meeting.
His tree is probably 12 feet diameter, with a thick trunk, I dunno how big... maybe 8 inch diamater, would be a hazardous guess. Anyway, my point is that it's been there a long time, and has been growing for a long time and thus produced a lot of thick branches (like over an inch diam.) I'm thinking I'd like to either take a cutting and try to get it to grow roots to make a bonsai, or try an air layering. A friend at the bonsai club meeting said to find some rooting hormone solution/gel and dip a fair sized cutting into that and plant. He said an air layer is probably a better idea, so that the mother tree could basicly keep feeding the part I want to eventually remove. Any ideas on what I could do? I could use a break down of what an air layer is, exactly... I've got an idea, but I'm not comfortable with it completely yet. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Go to amazon and get yourself a good book before trying to air-layer for the first time. you will have a much better sucess rate. good luck. |
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| Or go to a local nursery and pick up a couple-of-yrs-old juniper in a pot and work with that - they're very inexpensive and you won't have to fuss about layering or rooting or anything else. |
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| Junipers are very tricky to root, from what I have heard. I'd go with lucy's suggestion. |
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| Just a wild guess here, but I am thinking Rammankin wants cuttings of this particular tree because of sentimental value. If not, then I would think that would be quite a task, and much easier to just buy one. Otherwise, I would think you have nothing to lose! Good luck, and maybe your grandfather will help those roots along :-) Several months ago, I bought a large-ish ponytail palm because my mother, who passed away, grew one, and I inherited it but a "babysitter" killed it. I decided to get another adult ponytail. I was told it would be easier to start with another tree for bonsai. I'm not a "bonsai" person, but wanted to keep the tree like she did (in a bonsai pot). So I completely understand that sometimes you just want what you want, for whatever reason, even if it's not going to be easy :-) Good luck if you decide to try it. Gabi |
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| kyelzo, I don't know who told you junipers are hard to root, but the opposite is true. Cuttings up to 1/2 inch thick should root 100%. When you take the cutting, use a razor blade or scalpel or grafting knife to sort of sharpen the base like a pencil. The knife has to be as sharp as humanly possible. This avoids damaging the cambium, where roots will be issued. Then dust with root hormone and plant in a free-draining soil or in your garden. Keep them moist but not soggy. They should all root. |
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| I ended up buying a japanese juniper bonsai starter plant from a bonsai nursery for now. As I get more experienced, though, I'll try taking a cutting or air layer of gramps' old tree. |
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