Anybody else have cracking problems with Doc Farwells grafting seal? Even after I stir it for a good while. Having to go back and put on second and third coats. Think I’ll go back to Tree Kote, it didn’t crack this much.
Use the cheapest latex caulk you can find. It works beautifully and is super convenient. Brown, tan, gray etc are aesthetically pleasing as well.
I think it’s probably the best sealant and is cheapest too.
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Yes I have seen Doc Far crack but have seen the black goo crack as much. Something to consider is the black goo is an asphalt compound that is toxic to growth. If you mix some of it with water you will see a petro sheen later on the surface of the water. I did not want that leaking into my grafts so I went to something else. AS70 has a very good idea on using the latex caulk. I wonder if it can be thinned some. Maybe in an old blender. You might end up with a product like Doc’s. Since I taught woodworking I noticed Doc’s smells exactly like Elmers white glue! It may be more like the Elmers waterproof stuff. One advantage here in the north is the black goo may heat up and help the graft.
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Docs never cracks for me. Maybe its how I use it, I paint the wood on the scions mainly, and also over the parafilm to make sure there is a watertight seal when its a larger top working.
Wow, I never thought of using Latex caulk. Thanks for the great idea!
OK I’m switching to latex caulk next year. Thanks.
I was watching a grafting video one time and this guy was using the yellow stuff, maybe it’s the commercial sealant you all are referring to. The guy in the video mentioned it was basically a thickened latex paint and it did indeed look that way. Any way I got to searching the contents and comparing it to a tube of latex caulk I had here and the chief ingredients were basically the same. Where they differed I remember thinking that the differing materials sounded like things related to colorants, so I surmised that caulking was essentially a thickened version of the same thing.
If any of you have watched any of these type videos I’m sure you all noted that they typically put as much on the ground as they do on the tree. One guy I watched was using a stick to apply it and it was actually comical how much of a total mess he made.
The caulking works wonderfully and since my discovery I’ve read about many others who use it also. Just remember.the cheaper the better. The cheaper stuff is a tad thinner and moves out of the way of callous tissue easily.
I saw a photo on here where silicone caulk was used and I guess it’s ok, but it has ammonia and other aromatics which I would think could be problematic.