Field grafting California Ponderosa pine

In the California area, the principal method now used for field grafting of ponderosa pine involves the grafting of actively growing scions to succulent (actively growing) rootstock. This method replaces an older one of wood grafting dormant scions that was used at the Foresthill Divide Seed Orchard in the recent past. In 1968 to 1970. wood grafting of dormant scions here proved completely unsatisfactory, as graft take ranged from 5 to 10 percent (table 1). During this same period, our initial experience with wood grafting of active scion material produced good unions in 22 to 36 percent of the grafts made within a few months after grafting. Further, an initial attempt at succulent grafting of scions in the pinfeather stage made in 1970 resulted in a 27 percent graft take. These results led us to discontinue the grafting of dormant scions (and the related problems of dormant scion collection and storage) altogether in favor of grafting scions in active stages of growth. This article reports results obtained in 1971 and 1972 at Foresthill with both wood and succulent grafting of active scions, and the effect of short-term storage of active scions on grafting success. The method used for field grafting ponderosa pine is described by Mergen and Rossoll2 in their publication on "How to Root and Graft Slash Pine." The section on grafting with succulent tissue is augmented in this article.

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Author(s): Gaylord K. Parks

Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Volume 25, Number 3 (1974)

Volume: 25

Number: 3