Pros and cons of grafting osmanthus onto fringe tree rootstock, explained clearly by an experienced grower
The fringe tree (Chionanthus retusus) is a deciduous shrub or small tree, blooming from April to June and fruiting from September to October, and July is precisely the best time to use fringe tree for grafting planning; there are three methods of grafting with fringe tree as rootstock, namely cut grafting, side grafting, cleft grafting, bark grafting, and approach grafting, and today what the editor wants to discuss is the pros and cons of using fringe tree as rootstock for grafting osmanthus, hoping it will be of some help to everyone.
I. Advantages of using fringe tree as rootstock for grafting osmanthus
1. Good compatibility with osmanthus, high survival rate
a. When grafting osmanthus onto apple, pear, peach, apricot, and other species of the same family and genus but different species, the survival rate is relatively low, and especially in the later stage, poor compatibility is likely to occur, resulting in phenomena such as a constricted trunk base and dead plants.
b. Using fringe tree as rootstock for grafting osmanthus is different: no matter which grafting method is used, there is a relatively high survival rate, and the later growth is also good.
2. It can shorten the time to maturity and bring flowering earlier
a. Apart from the four-season osmanthus group, grafted seedlings of other rootstocks can also be used, such as cuttings, layerings, and small-leaf privet (Ligustrum quihoui), etc.
b. From planting to flowering, most seedlings need 8-9 years, while plants grafted onto fringe tree can shorten the time from planting to flowering to a certain extent.
3. No root suckers, easy to manage
Ordinary potted grafted osmanthus often produces many rootstock suckers, requiring frequent pruning, which is rather troublesome to manage, while using fringe tree has no such drawback, and can also reduce some of the management work in cultivation, with simple operation and time savings.
4. Attractive plant shape
Most plants grafted onto fringe tree have round, compact crowns with a very good ornamental effect, making them quite suitable for pot cultivation, while grafted seedlings on other rootstocks and own-root seedlings appear sparse, with oblong or irregular crowns that look scattered and empty overall, giving a poor ornamental effect.
II. Disadvantages of using fringe tree as rootstock for grafting osmanthus
The only shortcoming of using fringe tree as rootstock for grafting osmanthus is that it is dioecious, which brings some inconvenience to keeping and collecting seeds.
How to use sweet wormwood as rootstock for grafting and cultivating tall shaped chrysanthemums?
Sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua) can also be called cao hao, lin hao, yinchen hao, xie hao, and xiang hao; it mainly grows in low-altitude, moist riverside sandy areas, valleys, forest edges, and other places, and it has strong drought resistance, waterlogging resistance, and disease resistance, with strong stress resistance and adaptability; today what the editor focuses on is not sweet wormwood itself, but the relevant key points of using sweet wormwood as rootstock to graft and cultivate tall shaped chrysanthemums.
I. Cultivation of chrysanthemum mother plants
1. Mother plant cultivation: In December of the first year and January of the second year, select bonsai chrysanthemums (including tall-grafted chrysanthemums, large standing chrysanthemums, cliff chrysanthemums, and artistic chrysanthemums) that grow robustly and are free of pests and diseases as mother plants, and plant the perennial roots into a prepared nursery plot; the number of mother plants depends on the production demand for the coming year, and decomposed organic fertilizer or inorganic compound fertilizer is applied in the nursery plot.
2. Labeling: Make variety labels and mark the mother plants by variety.
3. Fertilizer and water management: After the mother plants sprout new buds at the Beginning of Spring in the second year, do a good job in fertilizer and water management to promote their growth. For the mother plants of tall-grafted chrysanthemums, cliff chrysanthemums, and large standing chrysanthemums, during the growing period, spray 20ppm of 920 auxin on evenings without rain each week to promote growth.
II. Rootstock cultivation
1. Sowing: After sweet wormwood seeds mature in mid-October of the first year, the seeds can be collected and sown; of course, in November-December of the second year, sweet wormwood seedlings can also be dug up from the wild; which one to choose specifically can be decided according to one's own actual situation.
2. Transplanting: Transplant the sweet wormwood seedlings grown from sowing or dug up from the wild in November-December into round tile pots with a diameter of 10-12cm for cultivation, and strengthen fertilizer and water management. During cold, low-temperature weather, move the potted plants into a warm shed or set up a plastic arched shed to protect them from freezing.
3. Rootstock classification: In March-April of the second year, classify according to individual differences in sweet wormwood, and use them respectively for grafting tall-grafted chrysanthemums, large standing chrysanthemums, cliff chrysanthemums, and artistic chrysanthemums. For rootstocks used to graft tall-grafted chrysanthemums, choose sweet wormwood individuals that are tall, have no tillers or few tillers at the base, and have strong apical growth dominance. For rootstocks used to graft large standing chrysanthemums, choose sweet wormwood individuals of moderate height with many basal tillers. For rootstocks used to graft cliff chrysanthemums, choose sweet wormwood individuals that are tall, have no tillers or few tillers at the base, and have strong apical growth dominance. For rootstocks used to graft artistic chrysanthemums, choose sweet wormwood individuals that are short and sturdy in plant type with many branches. Rootstock classification can be based on the shaping design of each bonsai chrysanthemum, shaping the rootstock trunk and side branches.
III. Grafting
1. Selection of mother plants: For layered tall-grafted chrysanthemums, it is advisable to choose large-flowered varieties with a flower diameter >10cm or medium-flowered varieties with a flower diameter of 6-10cm; for non-layered tall-grafted chrysanthemums, it is advisable to choose small-flowered varieties with a flower diameter <6cm. For large standing chrysanthemum mother plants, choose varieties with long, soft branches and pure flower color, such as Tianjia Liao and Mohe, etc. For cliff chrysanthemum and artistic chrysanthemum mother plants, it is advisable to choose varieties with short branches and small but abundant flowers, such as Mantianxing.
2. Grafting: The grafting time is based on when the number of scions meets the grafting needs of each bonsai chrysanthemum; among them, tall-grafted chrysanthemums and cliff chrysanthemums can be started as early as the end of March, while large standing chrysanthemums begin when the tiller branches grow to about 60cm. Artistic chrysanthemums can be grafted earlier or later, but no later than early August. For scions, choose healthy, pest-free, semi-lignified young chrysanthemum shoots, generally when the young shoots have unfolded 3-4 leaves. Use the cleft grafting method during grafting: cut off the top of the sweet wormwood rootstock branch, split downward from the very center of the branch about 1cm, and make a slanted cut on both sides of the chrysanthemum scion symmetrically; for tall-grafted chrysanthemums, cut the top 3-5cm from the tip of the side branch of the sweet wormwood main trunk, then insert the scion into the rootstock; after inserting the scion into the rootstock, wrap it tightly with plastic film, observe the survival situation, and re-graft those that do not survive.
IV. Cultivation
After grafting, cultivate according to the normal cultivation methods for each bonsai chrysanthemum until the chrysanthemums wither. Among them, tall-grafted chrysanthemums can be cultivated to a height of 500-700cm, cliff chrysanthemums can be cultivated to a height of 200cm-400cm, and large standing chrysanthemums can be cultivated to a height of 200cm-300cm; they can be used for celebrations or exhibitions to create a festive, lively, tall, and spectacular scene and atmosphere.
Analysis of the pros and cons of using Cylindropuntia fulgida as a rootstock for cactus grafting
Many cacti are propagated by grafting, and Cylindropuntia fulgida is relatively suitable as a grafting rootstock for cactus seedlings. However, everything has two sides; using Cylindropuntia fulgida as a grafting rootstock for cactus seedlings has both advantages and disadvantages, and the editor will briefly introduce the pros and cons here.
Cylindropuntia fulgida
Advantages:
1. Most cactus seedling scions have good compatibility with Cylindropuntia fulgida rootstock.
2. The survival rate of scions is very high.
3. The scion morphology is relatively stable, and unexpected changes generally do not occur.
4. Scions grow quickly: some varieties take only 6-7 months from sowing to grafting to flowering.
5. When grafting, there is no need to fix the scion and rootstock.
6. Cylindropuntia fulgida propagates easily and grows vigorously; it is a fast-growing type, and as a grafting rootstock its root system is well developed. It is very easy to propagate by cuttings.
7. Cylindropuntia fulgida can tolerate moisture and still grows healthily under high humidity, consistent with seedlings.
8. Batch grafting and management have low costs.
9. It can be done all year round.
Disadvantages:
1. Generally no more than 2 years; if not rooted in the soil for a long time, growth slows down and the scion tissue becomes lignified;
2. Grafting small scions is fine, but large scions are not;
3. It is not cold-tolerant, requiring an ambient temperature above 12 degrees Celsius;
4. The stiff bristles of Cylindropuntia fulgida are a problem: they easily pierce the skin (wear gloves); they push away the scion; they pierce into the scion, and the scion becomes lignified.