AusBonsai

here ya go mate BrianD done a great job in finding what i was after

https://bonsaitonight.com/2009/07/29/ebihara-technique/

and here is the discussion on it

viewtopic.php?f=103&t=1828&p=17389#p17373

I have over many years tried to do this with just aerial roots, with nothing other than a nice flaired root. I gave up after 5 try's. I have been successful in using aerial roots, for grafting to the trunk of an established trunk, of the 8 I grafterd 6 took. The two that did not were where I wanted them most. Since then small roots have started to grow so have covered them and will encourage them.

Cheers Pup

its interesting that the airial roots dont have the ability to shoot new buds, i didnt think there was any difference within the way they are to a trunk. i put that link up to show green horn the technique of using another plant in thread grafting. that works very well. what i am going to be trying is the actually airial root i will be getting would have to take a massive branch with it, so i intend on removing it and free/heel graft and see how that goes, i will probably try more than one graft to hopefully have one take, in the end i would haveto graft in all the branching as it would still not be able to bud.

fusing airial roots onto an established trunk is a very good way of creating interest in the trunk whenever i get decent roots that come from the trunk i will use them in this way, if they are coming from a branch i usually let them grow some for the look but when they hit the ground they will come off otherwise thickening of the branch becomes to quick and reverse taper can be a prob.

jamie

thanks for that jamie very interesting although i think slightly advanced for me so i'll just slowly work my way through the ranks.

Greenhorn wrote:thanks for that jamie very interesting although i think slightly advanced for me so i'll just slowly work my way through the ranks.

hi mate i was using it as an example, basically the idea of it is to use whips of the same species and then thread grafting them through where it needs to be, you can then be confident that the thread graft will take

ah ok i see now thanks jamie is the species name said first?

hi mate,

with fig you can graft any sort of fig on as far as i know, i have grafted microcarpa to benjamin, retusa to microcarpa etc. etc. so if the airial root you are going to try is of say F. microcarpa var. hilli and you wanted a different shaped leaf there is no reason why you couldnt get a different variety that you like to graft

no worries jamie thanks for the help everyone.

I have a aerial root cutting that started budding after 2 month. Buds popped up from the cambium at the cut. I sealed the cut very good, so no drying or dying back of the cambium took place. Most of the finer aerials died. Only the main roots survived. Problem with this will be some reverse tapper if I let all the buds grow, but after a hell of a struggle to get a aerial to grow I don't mind the thought
Once its strong enough I will do some grafts. Mind I say I mixed some rooting hormone powder with that Japanese Kiyonale graft paste (I read somewhere the hormones help to heal the wound faster) to seal the wound. I watered the cutting with a 1/4 strength Seaweed extract fertilizer everytime I watered ( On the bottle it claims its packed with natural auxin hormones ). The cutting was planted in 100% crushed Granite. Don't know if any of this has to do with why it rooted. This is how I treat all my cuttings. The cutting was taken autumn and we are now in winter in South Africa. I will post a photo when I get home.

The Photos I promised of the aerial shooting out.

Hi Ninja!

Way to prove me (and textbooks, horticulturists, horticulture teachers and bonsai teachers) wrong! What species is it? Looks bloody nice!

Joel

Not sure what species. Was cut of a tree next to the road. I will try get some leafs on my next trip in that area and we can try and figure it out.

Two shots of Ficus natalensis. This is one of the species that grows from root cuttings. One is just sprouting and the other is about 4 years old.
Jerry

Older cutting.
Jerry