AusBonsai

hi all,

I have purchased two grafter Prunus Persica Versicolor trees and i intended to try and propogate from cuttings. After much reasearch i decided it is probably going to be too difficult so i decided to air layer instead.

I actually sent an email off to Yates for times on propogating this cultivator. They responded saying that they dont think this Persica Versicolor can growm from its own roots.

Forgive my naivety but surely any grafted tree has the ability to survive on its own root system. Can anyone shed some light on this?

below is a picture of the Persica Versicolor in bloom. It is similar to Satsuki Azalea with the fact that on any branch you will get pink, white, and white and pink mottled blossoms.

I actually sent an email off to Yates

Perhaps the issue lyes, within your own statement.

The reason most and I said most plants are grafted is because the root stock is usually stronger or disease resistant as apposed to free.

So the fact that it has been grafted, does mean that its chances of survival on its own roots, are limited to what is imminent death.
It just means you have to be aware that for that plant to survive you need to be more careful.

I have had limited success with an Acer palmatum dissectum purperia that my wife wanted, but it was a grafted standard so she asked for me to layer it.

I did it was successful as I have said to grow maples where I live is a big challenge. It was sold on I do believe it died from lack of water.

That though was after 12 years of my care and two years with the new owner.

Cheers Pup

the main reason i sent an email off to Yates is they had a question and answer link that appeared when i was googling info. i sent the question off and didnt really expect an answer but i got one and the answer didnt make much sense to me. anyways, i have airlayers several branches so fingers crossed

Links like that are tops, especially when a person actually replies to you, far and few between these days. Is it novel when you get a human reply these days, isn't it?! Unfortunatley the person is probably reading from litreture in front of them, they have probably given you the best possibly answer with their resources.
I'm glad you decided to give it a go. I didn't read in your original post that they were grafted, I would imagine to good growing stock. As Pup has already mentioned, what Yates means is they will grow yet without they original growing stock roots. More care is just needed when looking after then, not much though.

Trees are grafted for different reasons. If the variety was sourced from a witches broom it has probably always been grafted, out of convenience. Some species cultivars are notorious for low strike rates, and are grafted because it is a cheaper way of producing large numbers of plants. Many varieties of fruiting plants are grafted onto disease resistant roots. Some plants are grafted for affect, especially weeping cultivars, there are many different reasons for grafting. Don't take it for granted that because it is grafted it will have weak roots.

Have a go at taking cuttings, you may be the first. Or try grafting, it's a handy technique to have.

Paul

Paul is spot on the reasons for grafting are wide and varied but in my experience very often it is to get strong rootstock so they can be pushed on to a saleable size quickly. I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to layer pieces off your plant and grow them successfully. Growing a tree in the pampered enviroment of a bonsai pot is a very different proposition from the rough and tumble of the garden.
Craig

Creeping Dragon wrote:Links like that are tops, especially when a person actually replies to you, far and few between these days. ...

I used the link on Scotts today

http://www.scottsaustralia.com.au/Scott ... _Australia

to ask them if and when Liquafeed might be available in Australia (haven't seen it for sale anywhere and it's not on Scotts Aussie website):

http://www.scotts.com/smg/brand/LiquaFeed/

Hope they answer.

Prunus persica is commonly known as almond so this diversicolour is a multicolored flowering almond. I always understood that peach and almond were quite difficult to propagate bu cuttings but recently I read that it is possible. A few others have advised that many things that are considered not possible are in fact quite possible so it is always worth trying something that is contrary to accepted wisdom. This is one of the ways we learn new things.
Who would have considered air layering red gum before fly started to post those pics?
I regularly grow weeping maples from seed although many have such weak roots that most die in the first or second year so i have learnt to graft at least one of each to keep it alive long enough to assess its potential but a few of the strong do survive growing on their own roots and nearly all end up as cut leaf weeping types rather than reverting to standard maple type.

Hey astro,

How'd you go with this? Manage to get any to grow?
I want to buy one of these but I can't seem to find anywhere that stocks it up here.
Ahhh the tropics!

Cheers Paul

well it turns out all the stock i bought were incorrectly labled so i gave them away. i ended up going to ray nesci's in dural in sydney and he had two last season which i grabbed right away. i went last week and he has quite a few starter stock. this doesnt help you though if you are in darwin. i am not sure they will grow in the humidity anyway. they do require cold and they are prone to fungal diseases like leaf curl. if you look on the recent thread called FLOWERS you will see a pic of my first blossoms. they are awesome.

and to answer an earlier statement, this variety is a peach, not an almond

Yeah it was where I saw the tree first. Very impressive with the different flowers. Thought I'd do a search and came up with this thread.
Not cool that the others were incorrectly labeled. I love living here but most of the trees I like you just can't grow up here.

Thanks for the info though.

Cheers
Paul

another reason a plant is grafted is because it was produced in lab conditions, in a pristine environment and never has grown on its own roots.

give it a go if it works you gained if it doesn't you still have the original stock.

chris

Well I'm not sure if it is the same with the one from my uncle's garden as I don't know its name. But if it is then you could definitely airlayer it with success. This tree was from an airlayer, I took some of the pics a few days ago. It is similar variety found a lot in the Japanese garden in Toowoomba. Here are the pics for you.
DK

Nice DK!

I'll take 3!
They really are a pretty tree! I want 1.....

Cheers
Paul