This is a collected trunk which was split down to make 2 usable trunks rather than waste the material .I have considered inarch grafting for quite some time . Due to a topic at a club meeting the opportunity to see first hand the results of grafting Shimpaku juniper to Needle juniper . Having an impressive trunk to use was the motivation to go ahead and graft the new foliage . After purchasing some quality Shimpaku  stock i re-potted them in bigger pots to allow root run then they are ready for the project . I have set many inarch grafts on Japanese Black Pines so this would be a walk in the park . I have used some pine timber as supports for the pots to sit on and wired them to the stubs .The pots are the sat on the supports and wired to prevent any chance of being knocked off , i can’t afford to allow the grafted stock to be dislodged over the next 12 months while the inarch grafts fuse to the new host . With the pots secure i set about locating the new branches on the host plant , then with the grafts positioned i then begin to slice the bark down to the cambium on both the Sabina and Shimpaku. I need to make sure the cambium layers line up for a good graft to take . The Graft is embedded into the host plants groove then grafting tape is applied around the area to be fused . This took 2 pair of hand to locate and secure the grafts in the ideal position to ensure a good graft . I continued on setting 6 grafts around the host trunk more so on the upper reaches to allow for carving of the lower stubs . This will now be allowed to grow freely for another 12 months then if the grafts have fused they will be severed and the work begins on styling and shaping the new foliage . This project will take a couple of years to become a Shimpaku Trainer so for now its onto the benches and into the next task at hand .

 

Cheers Alpineart

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