It has been just about two years that I tried an approach graft on my trident maple.  Well today as I was doing some repotting I looked at the graft and see that it was successful.

You can see at #1 the branch that was used for the graft.  Number 2 is the new branch.  You can see how much bigger it is than the original branch.  This shows that the branch has grafted to the cambium of the tree and is now sending food down to the roots.  The size difference is sure indictaion of a successful graft.  Section 1 has now been cut so the branch is own it’s own.

 This photo was taken when the graft was first started.  You can see how clean the cut was before the cambium rolled over the graft.  Also the branch was the same thickness at both ends.

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It is has been unusally cold in Florida this year, however the trees are going dormant quicker and giving me a great opportunity to work on the,  I have been looking forward to repotting this crepe myrtle correctly for a long time now.  As you may remember I showed this tree at the BSF convention in May, and I bought a new Sara Rayner pot for it back then.  The time to repot the tree couldn’t come soon enough.

I let the tree grow out a lot, just to thicken some branches and to improve the tree’s health.  The ramification continues to increase and the tree’s scars are just about completely covered.

The tree’s roots looked strong and healthy.  I didn’t really have to reduce the roots at all once I combed out the old soil mix.  The dark color and rounded top add a nice balance with the tree.  I only had to wire a few back branches but for the most part it is clip and grow to keep this tree in shape.

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There are times when it is good to take a step back and reassess your situation. I have worked with this Ficus “Too little” for years and have made no progress. I got 6 stitches in my left hand working on it and I’m pretty sure this tree isn’t for me.

So what to do with it? I can honestly say I learned from this tree and now so can someone else. I figured the best thing I could do would be to donate it to the Central Florida Bonsai Club. I’m hoping it goes to a good home.

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I am not a fan of GROWING the Portulacara, however I greatly appreciate them when they are done well as Bonsai.  I don’t think there is anyone better than Jim Smith at this and his trees are legendary.  That is one tree that looks fake when done as a bonsai just because they are so perfect.  I have tried a number of times to grow them but on my watering system everything gets watered the same.  Dwarf jade don’t like a lot of water and the last tree I had developed root rot. 

So I sent my Dwarf Jade to Roger’s Nursery for a ”vacation” and while it was there Mike took the liberty to cut my tree into two halves (top and bottom).  Although the bottom was rather rotted out, the top was a great tree.  I’ve been growing it for a while now and keeping it off the direct water spray and it seems happy.  I’m trying to find some “before” pictures, but here is a current view.

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