What are all the options for wrapping grafts?

I’ve used strips of rubber bands sold especially for grafting. I don’t know if or how they’d be different from a regular rubber band cut open. I had to mail order those.

I’ve used electrical tape, normally turned sticky side out. I like that I can get it locally, and I was happy with how it worked, but I haven’t priced it, and I’m assuming there are cheaper options that would work just as well. I think I’d prefer that my wrapping material not be sticky.

I’ve also used this role of semi-transparent plasticky green material that I got at a hardware store when I was travelling once that had a lot of supplies for nursery growers. It seems like pretty standard stuff, but I don’t know what it’s called or where to find more. I might have liked it best of all, especially for grafts on larger diameter stock where rubber bands just aren’t nearly long enough to be practical. It was about 3/8" wide, a little stretchy, quite strong. I think it might be the same stuff I see used stapled together in little sections around bamboo stakes, especially for packaged trees sent through the mail. Would big box stores carry this stuff? Does anybody else use it?

What other options are there? I’m especially interested in locally available options, but I’d like to hear about all the different options. I also use Parafilm-M, but I’m not counting that, because I don’t consider those kind of things strong enough for what I’m calling wrapping.

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I don’t know about all the options, but that green pasticky stuff sounds like what we find here at just about any hardware or nursery. My only gripe with it is that it has to be cut off eventually. I’ve used the widest rubber bands I could find at an office supply and then covered the graft with parafilm. Those don’t have to be cut off. Broccoli comes with nice wide rubber bands, but they’re a little short. I like a sticky tape for whip (splice) grafts because you can make the cuts, stick a few inches of tape to the rootstock, line up the scion and wrap- everything’s right there and it goes so smoothly. I lean towards grafting rubbers and parafilm for cleft/wedge grafts.

Lately I’ve been using temflex, but it’s another that has to be cut off. I’ve used paper tape but the durn stuff is an eyesore- takes forever to finally go away. Cut up bread bags will work. I think cotton twine and Johnny wax or roofing tar will work. You could tear strips of fabric to bind larger diameter stock.

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Been using this and then putting parafilm over the whole graft. Very happy with this so far, but Olpea has the experience of success.

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I have used what Olpea used, the rubber electrical tape, and I myself don’t like it. it is still sticky and here it is not really breaking down. I’m using a clear plastic graft tying tape now. Obtained from a local nursery, so not sure where you can get it?

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I use plain cheap vinyl budding tape available in quantity for cheap. I can mail
you a roll for $7 by paypal including postage.

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I’ve used saran wrap with excellent success. I just cut it down to size. the only drawback is I have to remove it after the union has healed very well.

Cheaper than that, i also used to cut strips from loaf of bread plastic bag, did this one when I was grafting in the Philippines and ran out of grafting tape. I instructed the people there to remove the wrapping after about 6 months. So I can practically graft without any grafting tape, I’ll just make one from anything available, and plastic wrappers are everywhere.

You don’t need to wrap the scionwood, only the union and make sure there is pressure in the contact points. That’s why rubber bands are used for it, but you can achieve the same without rubber band when using plastic strips. Wrapping the scionwood increases the success rate but not very much especially when you’re achieving more than 90% success rate. Also in greenhouses where it is kept humid, no need to completely wrap the scionwood.

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We have always used parafilm and completely wrapped scions, as out here in Arizona we can be quite warm, and very dry.
We have yet to buy any specialty rubber strips and have found descent size rubber bands cut work just fine. The only time the rubber bands have to be removed is if they get planted deep (deliberately) or mulched so high they don’t get sun.

We have rolls of that heavy green nursery tape too, and have used it with good results when wrapping scions slipped under bark (rind grafting?) on larger stock.

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I just got rootstocks form Cummins and from Lawyer Nursery…so you know what I’ll be doing the next rainy day.

The few potted rootstocks I carried from 2017 were grafted in February … outdoors…in Kentucky zone 6.
Despite a number of nights of low 20’s and one 6 inch snow… all those grafts are showing swollen or green buds breaking to mouse ear stage.

No wrapping of the scion wood other than wax over tape at the union with rootstock … and wax on the top cut.

Used green tape, 1/2 inch wide, no rubber bands. Like the advice above, most anything will work…and most will need to be checked to see if it has to be cut in a few months to prevent girdling later.

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The stuff I’ve been using,a gray rubber,probably latex,came from a forum member,an electrician. He hasn’t been around for awhile,but he sent me a small box of different tapes.This one works very well, stretchy and about the same width as Temflex,but a little thinner and doesn’t “melt” into itself.
When it’s gone,there may be something else that was sent. Rubber bands or Temflex is okay.Brady

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parafilm–buy it on amazon.

I am biased, I was using the stuff for 10 years in labs before I ever started grafting, but to paraphrase the lady in the Franks Red Hot commercials, I put that $h!t on everything…I use it to seal petri dishes at home anyway, but for grafting it really is great stuff. I always tell myself I’m gonna try bands or other things but I’ve never had a good reason to leave Parafilm.

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I actually have dozens of big rolls of about 1-1/2" diameter fabric that for some reason were cut off big rolls of fabric and discarded and wound up at my place for free. Do you think I could use something like that to wrap grafts? I could cut it in half (or thirds) lengthwise for narrower strips. There’s very little stretch to it, though. I’ve never wrapped grafts with anything that isn’t at least a little stretchy. How helpful/necessary is stretchiness to wrapping grafts tightly?

It looks like temflex is just a brand of electrical tape. Is that right? How is temflex different (if at all) from any other electrical tape?

The fabric sounds like it would be great for larger stock- say 2" and up. You don’t need stretch, although a little is nice for the control, and to stay tight while securing. Stretch is good when you want to use your tape to cover the cut end of the rootstock that the scion doesn’t cover.

Temflex is not just a brand of electrical tape but a type. It’s rubbery, stretches a lot, and seals to itself, but is not really adhesive. I think it’s official function is to serve as an underwrap over wire splices before wrapping with the plastic stuff, like old-fashioned friction tape. One thing I really like about it is the way it covers thick/thin parts with its stretchiness. The fact that it seals to itself makes it a little hard to remove, but it means you don’t have to cover it with parafilm, although I do because I’m compulsive!

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Lowes sells the green vinyl tape (tree tying tape), $2.98 is reasonable for it. You can shop it on Ebay and Amazon and you’ll find it comes in 2 or 3 thicknesses and option for multiple rolls: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Project-Source-0-5-in-x-1-800-in-Tree-Tie/3012986

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I like parafilm
Especially since I don’t have to worry about it constricting the graft,
Multiple wraps on whip and tongue seems very secure .
Other materials I have used require removal.
A roll of parafilm goes a long way.
Buying in bulk is better.

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I find parafilm too weak and don’t like green vinyl tape. I use clear 6ml tape so I can see the bud
thru the tape.tapes by philip sauber, on Flickr

Where do u get the clear tape?

Newspaper rubber bands and parafilm.

I used dynarex sensiwrap. 1 inch wide. It’s the same stuff used to wrap your arm after you give blood. I like it because it is self adhesive, so you can back off some tension when wrapping without worrying. Available on Amazon.

I’ll send you a roll for $7 including postage by paypal.