AusBonsai

Hi,

I have a japanese maple and would like to know when is a good time to undertake a thread graft. I have looked at the WIKI, while it has information on how to thread graft it doesnt have information of when to do it.

Thanks.

Hi Makro,

Best time is either just before buds begin to swell, or after the first flush of growth has hardened (but you must defoliate the branch proir to threading this way)

Hope that helps.

best time is when the tree is growing fastest early in the growing season would be ideal . and you wouldn't do it just before winter.

Makro - thought you'd be too busy learning to change nappies to be thinking about thread grafting!

Because the threaded shoot is still connected to the tree and will stay alive indefinitely it doesn't really matter when you thread graft but as Jow points out the buds on the shoot are the big problem. The hole you drill must be big enough to thread the grafted shoot through without knocking off the buds so the smaller the buds the smaller the hole and the quicker it will heal and unite. I was astounded at how much bigger than the shoot I needed to drill the holes so that the buds would fit through.
At this time of year I would follow Jow's advice and hold off until the leaves harden (or have they already down there?) then defoliate and have a go - say later in Oct or Nov?

Here is a link to a thread on thread grafting a Japanese maple at the collection.

viewtopic.php?f=104&t=7263&hilit=+Thread

Grant

makro wrote:Hi,

I have a japanese maple and would like to know when is a good time to undertake a thread graft. I have looked at the WIKI, while it has information on how to thread graft it doesnt have information of when to do it.

Thanks.

Hi Makro
I have updated the Wiki with some more info and also pics from Grants thread to help out Future thread grafters. can you all have a look and see if anything else can be added?
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... read_graft

Ken

Thanks Shibui for the information... The mrs kindly gives me leave passes... I am saving them up and encash them for bonsai work

Thanks Ken for updating the wiki.

Will wait for a little bit before I give it a go