Satoru Oro, owner of Oro Kyokushoen bonsai garden in Takamatsu’s Kinashi town, has grown “Kyokuryu” by grafting for about 10 years which is a new variety of Kuromtsu (Japanese black pine) collected from island. The production is stable now so in the next stage, he tries to grow by cuttings.

Split trunk and thick needle

Mother tree of “Kyokuryu” was collected from Nishijima island of Hyogo prefecture in Seto Inland Sea. Oro had cultivated it in his garden and made bonsai 4 years ago. The height is 110 centimeters. It has good characteristics of needles and good split trunk. He thinks the tree had mutated at about 15 centimeters from the roots.

The character of “Kyokuryu” is its trunk and needle. The tree is Yatsubusa type, and has very split trunk and thick dark green needle. In addition, it grows well and the trunk gets thicker soon. In general, it takes about 10 years for Kuromatsu (Japanese black pine) to split its trunk, but trunk of “Kyokuryu” will split in 5 years.

Oro starts to grow the seedling in a pot and transplants it in 3 years. It has been cultivated for 5 or 6 years. And then, the trees are shipped. The reason why he takes long time before shipping is that young trees are easily to die.

Cultivation by cuttings

Oro had grown “Kyokuryu” by graftings but now he is trying to cultivate by cuttings. Both ways can grow trees having same features with mother tree. However he thinks cuttings are better to show tree’s character. In case of grafting, sometimes grafted part will be thicker than the mother tree which is called “Neboso.” Compared with grafting, there is no need to worry about this matter by cuttings.

Oro says, “It is necessary to develop technology of cuttings for keeping good materials of pine trees including Kyokuryu and improving products. But it is difficult to grow pine trees by cuttings. Many people tried to do with ‘Zuiho’, ‘Kotobuki’, and ‘Yumenishiki,’ but no one succeed. We are waiting for the establishment of cutting technology of pine trees.”

(By Shigeo Hano)