Why is it that most nurseries sell grafts instead of rooted cuttings? I much prefer roses on their own roots, as opposed to grafted. Why not maples? Is it just too difficult to root them, or what?
Some maples can be rooted, others not so easily (using current general knowledge, anyway). Growers use propagation methods thought to support their production and sales objectives. Grafts often develop more rapidly than cuttings or even seedlings. The quicker and more often you get in a crop, the more money you make.
This is a very touchy subject. I believe if you do a search on the topic you will find a long and heated exchange in the old posts on the pros and cons of these two methods.
Thanks, I'll check for the old thread. Ron, how about long term health? Setting aside production goals, will a rooted cutting be healthier in the long run? Would it be worth my while to experiment with rooting my own?
Graft is better if you want the correct feature of cultivar,if you want cultivar.For species rooted cuttings if better, but this process is very professional the nursery use dust hormone,liquid hormone ,peat soil and in controlled ambient temp.,umidity "spray "water every 15 minutes.....
i remember in this moment, that last year i have read this link http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/lppi/index.htm
Hey Alex -- I tried that URL, but it wouldn't work. :-/ I also tried the correct prefix (http://), but that didn't make it work either. Can you try again?
University of Florida http://www.ufl.edu/ Enter 'horticulture' into the search box and follow your nose :)
Hi Sam, I almost got it right! :) Harris "Gardeners Guide to Growing Maples" pg 131: "Grafting is often preferred to cuttings as the plants grow away better and establish themselves more quickly. Also it is not unknown for maples that are propagated by cutting to collapse and die after four or five years. It is not clear what causes this phenomenon and, as far as I know, no research has been done so far." -E
I have never attempted to root Japanese Maples but I did notice that in the Maplewood Nursery catalog that I scanned and posted, that Vertrees indicates with an * the plants that he offered as rooted cuttings for bonsai. I would think that this could indicate cultivars that may produce better results. I think the post is on page two or three. I have attached the file to this post. Ed
As a interesting aside, I noticed yesterday that my B. Schichihenge appears to be a rooted cutting. In any case I can't see a graft union, and the wood is the same color all the way down to the roots.
