I know who I’m getting scions from next year 
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Reminds me of one of those all in one stop and shops.
Those are budding rubbers. I like the 8 inch x 3/8 x 0.020 for grafting and most budding. A smaller size say 5 x 1/4 x 0.016 works better on small diameter budding.
http://www.amleo.com/rubber-strips-for-budding-and-grafting/p/VP-XXXRS/
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Is Flavor Blast a new one? old one? Don’t recall seeing that name before. Thanks! Impressive work.
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It’s a commercial one, not sure how old it is.
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I’ll load you up with all you can handle!
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Tim, nice job, very well done. What type of graft did you do? So pretty and all doing so well!
Thanks Patty, 4 or 5 of them were cleft grafts but the rest of them were done with this cheap omega grafting tool I picked up for $20 on Ebay. The only problem with it is that the Blade on them is dull and rips the bark. So I took the blade out and sharpened it with a very small round file.
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Puggy,
You can do it!
Put a new cherry on that bad boy.
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Super work grafters.
Dax
I never understand why I don’t hear more about these or why more people- beginners especially- don’t use them. I have a similar one with interchangeable blades and I love it. My knife skills are very poor. I understand that people who get better with a knife can do more and do better than what is possible with these little tools, but for those just starting out, I wish more people would try these. Its just so much less intimadating. Two cuts and you have a really nice little male and female end that fit perfectly together and I have great success with them.
So if you are a beginner who doesn’t have the knowledge or ability to make really good graft cuts, buy one of these $15-$20 grafting tools and give it a try. Within an hour you’ll be making grafts that have a good likelihood of success.
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I have those cheap Omega grafters that I have 2 years of experience with. In general I like them. They work well and leave a perfect match. One downside I notice is that prior to healing and callusing the graft is fairly weak due to it’s small size and it is not pressure fit. It can also leave a rather odd bulge after callusing and it might be my imagination but I don’t feel like I get as good of growth that I get with a cleft graft. Even after two years that weird bulge is still present on so.e grafts. I’ll have to see if I can find a pic or take one tomorrow. Last year the best growth I got on grafts were from side grafts, followed by cleft grafts, and lastly Omega grafts. I can’t prove its the tool but it does seem to correspond with what I see in real life.
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I am a fan of the grafting tool, but I do agree with all those points. Sometimes I get the bulge, sometimes not. One thing I kind of get a kick out of is sometimes when the match is really good and I don’t get a lot of callusing, you can still see the perfect outline of the omega shape or the horseshoe and stopper shape depending on which blade. I don’t think that is bad or good, just kind of neat. But as I’ve said, I’m just not good at free-handed cutting. I often scoop out a gap or cut to much or whatever, that’s why I like the tool. But again, every single point you made is true and I agree with them all.
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It’s acrylic craft spray Cityman. Works great. I have used it and seen it used many times. Cheaper the better.
Drew
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As a beginner, the omega tool has been great for me. I could have never had the success rate I’ve had without it. As far as the “weird budges”, I did a few grafts last year and at least one of them did grow into a bulge, it looks weird but growing great.
Once I make the graft I wrap it with electrical tape as tightly as I can possibly get it without popping the tape.
About a month or so after they take I put a few cuts lengthwise in the tape with a razor so they don’t girdle and the tape falls off later.
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Some of my A. Plums started to push buds on scions which were grafted the first week of March. It doesn’t mean that they took yet, but it is a good sign.
Lavina plum
Burgundy plum
Flavor King.
Also Cripp’s Pink apple have waking tip buds.
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Maria,
I am way behind on grafting. It has been raining and cold. Hopefully, in the middle of the week I get the chance to do some grafting.
Tony
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Me as well. So far I have done only apples, pears and euro plums. Apricots and Jap. plums are next in line probably next week and peaches in 3-4 weeks.
Anyway it’s always good to see pictures of successful grafts of others 
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Maria,
You did graft very early 
We Had temp dropped to a single digit at least 5 times in March.
I grafted dormant scion wood to a dormant rootstock. Just in the last few days I see some of the rootstocks “waking up” and trying to push leaves, but nothing from the scion yet. Is that typical?