grafting a fast growing scion on a slow growing root stock ?

[spined]

i am just curious. could a fast growing plant like opuntia put on a slow growing root system to speed up root groth. then after a few years degraft the scion and wait for offsetts of the original plant.
what do you think?

[tvaughan]

It happens all the time in agriculture. Many if not most of the fruit trees you buy at the nursery are grafted on slower growing rootstocks, and it's the same in a rather large percentage of the vineyards you see.

But no, it only works one way. The roots affect the scion, but not the other way around.

[daiv]

Good question!

[spined]

It happens all the time in agriculture. Many if not most of the fruit trees you buy at the nursery are grafted on slower growing rootstocks, and it's the same in a rather large percentage of the vineyards you see.

But no, it only works one way. The roots affect the scion, but not the other way around.

ok this makes sense, thank you. the first thing you saied is interesting. do they use slow rootstocks in nursery to produce smaller trees?
now i'm thinking of bonsai cacti. mabe on could put a carnegiea gigantea seedling on a lophophora root stock.
problems could be that the root doesn't support the scion properly and that the scion starts to root itself.
still i'm going to try some frankensteins like this soon.

[ihc6480]

Spined said;

still i'm going to try some frankensteins like this soon.

Just make sure they don't turn on you