When a Chojubai branch grew leggy, Koji Hiramatsu chose grafting. The selection of the scion, the wedge-shaped cut, the alignment of the cambium—behind each decision lies a vision of the tree years from now. Once everything within human hands has been done, the rest is entrusted to the tree. Work carried out in late February, just before the buds begin to move.
When you notice a Chojubai branch has grown leggy, the first impulse may be to cut it. But that is not what Koji Hiramatsu chose to do.
Rather than removing the problem, he begins by envisioning the shape he wants. Redesigning new branches where he wants to tighten the silhouette—grafting as a choice starts from there. Where should the branch be placed? He pictures the tree years from now, then sets his hands to work.
For the scion, he selects not a brown, aged stem but a young one tinged with green—vigorous and full of energy. The cut is wedge-shaped: wider on the lower side for maximum contact, narrower on top. The insertion point is offset to one edge rather than centered, angled slightly. The binding tape is wrapped with such care that the scion cannot shift at all.
Decision after decision follows, yet every one is aimed at the same thing: the cambium—the thin layer just inside the bark that carries nutrients through the tree. How to bring these two layers into the closest possible contact—that is the sole consideration. Why that angle, why the offset position—every judgment traces back to this single point.
The graft is secured, sealed with tape, and moved to the greenhouse. This work, done in late February to early March—just before the buds begin to stir—marks the start of a long wait.
No one can determine whether the graft has taken. You know only when a new bud pushes through the tape and emerges. Until then, you simply wait. There is no point in rushing, and no way to check.
You receive the tree’s response as it comes. Perhaps that is not patience so much as trust in the tree.
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