Grafting

Cleft grafting, commonly used in grafting of fruit trees, is a technique which Taiwanese Hackberry masters have adopted for use in developing incredible bonsai. In this blog post Terry Erasmus explains the steps which Master Chang Yong Zhou, in video, follows to perform these grafts.

Learn how to successfully graft Hackberry (Celtis) bonsai using these two methods. Terry Erasmus visits Taiwan and is shown these reliable grafts by a Taiwanese Hackberry master. Easy to follow step by step instructions with accompanying high quality video will ensure you grasp these techniques quickly.

Mark Polson, a bonsai artist based in Cape Town, South Africa has a passion for Junipers. He has some of the most impressive Junipers which I have seen locally and part of his success is due to his ability to graft. Check out this blog post; watch his easy to follow video and read the accompanying text.

Chinese or Trident Maples are very obliging bonsai subjects. In this first of two blog post I will share two methods which will assist you in developing better deciduous trees in less time than many of the conventional methods which are commonly founds in books and on the internet.

On a recent trip to Japan I visited two specialist nurseries; one that is well known and has won many awards in Japan for their shohin, and the other is a bonsai professional that specialises in Satsuki Azalea.

Approach grafting is one of several grafting techniques and it differs from the very similar thread grafting in that a hole is not drilled through the trunk, through which the scion is passed. Instead in approach grafting a groove is made in the stock or plant you are grafting onto, and the scion is placed into that groove.

Chinese maples are my favorite bonsai material. They are suitable for both beginner and professional alike and are one of the species most suitable for bonsai cultivation. In this post I will use six Chinese maples as examples to apply leaf defoliation; show you how to wire branches to form basic branch structure; describe how to deal with cut scars, share some tips on root and approach grafting and show you how you can recreate an apex.

Earlier this season I did quite a number of approach grafts on trident maples and hackberries I have in development. Unlike thread grafts, approach grafts can pretty much be done throughout the growing season which suits me fine as early spring, when thread grafts must be done is way too busy generally.