I’m super-impressed, Andy.
Dax
Dan, this field, similar to yours, has family history for my partner, going back to the 1930’s when it was in his family and farmed by them. It was sold in 70’s and we bought it last fall.
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Thanks Dax, I was a little devastated to discover a lot of my grafts had the parafilm cracking way too early. The ones that were really bad I covered with a grafting rubber, others I hit with a bit of Doc Farwells. So far even those seem to be taking well. I discovered several crabs that have blossoms on the scions, will have to get out and snip them off.
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That has been a problem with me for figs. They can takes months to root or for a graft to take if poorly done. I tried buddy tape, it is super expensive, seems thinner even. Is perforated every 2 inches, so all you use. At first I hated it, but now kinda like it. Seems to make it last! I’m not seeing any cracking either. Although for the price, I can’t see using all the time. I had a bunch of peach scion which does not take well, and wanted every advantage I could to get a take. Seems to have paid off, seeing growth on week old grafts. Never seen peach take that quick. Well maybe it didn’t? Only time will tell. Some have no growth but can take a month with peach.
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Did peach pear and apricot graft on April 8 and 21. Most peach and pear started leafing out after surviving 26 degree for a couple of days. Only one out if 7 apricot showed growth. Maybe apricot is just hard to graft?
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My experiment using rubber bands over top of Parafilm was a failure. The rubber bands have already broke down and have started falling off. The grafts are still viable and are growing but I doubt they are strong enough to survive birds, storms, etc. Lesson learned. Luckily I used temflex on several other grafts so at least I have confidence in those.
Something I do to thwart the birds from breaking my grafts, (because it has happened more than once on year old grafts) is to screw a stake like board that will extend up past the graft very close to it. Birds will usually land on the tallest point if 2 branches are close together.
I was very peeved a few years ago when birds broke all 4 of grafts on a top worked pear, which set me back 2 years.
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Were yours side grafts? The angle appears very narrow.
I’ve found apricot very easy. All my apricot grafting have taken except for the one not compatible with peaches. We all have found grafting success in different varieties and ways.
Are you speaking of the union? You surely didn’t use bud strips on the scion?
Did you use parafilm only to hold the union in place? I ask because I clearly wasn’t paying close attention to the grafts in your tubs on another thread.
A scion/union only needs 7-days to callous when grafted late in the season. Or any time for that matter.
Dax
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Yes, the union. Scions I only hit with a dab of Doc Farwells on the tip. Unions I used both parafilm and grafting rubbers to secure depending on how tight my knife work was. Thing is I don’t know when the parafilm split, I discovered it before I began planting them out. I’ll know soon enough how well they took, but so far all seems well.
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Yeah, you’re long into the callousing period so no worries whatsoever.
I return to grafts with a second bud strip as necessary.
I plant/up-pot grafts in mid-June thru July and that’s when I have the opportunity to have a second look at each, closely.
Dax
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Most are splice graft. The only apricot taken is side graft. Yes. Angle was should have been wider, was trying to match cranium layer. Is you apricot scion wood small?
Thanks
I think all my apricot scions were smaller than a pencil-thick size, some were quite slim. I couldn’t do splice because that technique needs a good match of scion sizes. I’ve done all my apricots with cleft graft. Bark graft is not possible with bark does not slip well.
This is the 3rd year grafting apricots. Fortunately, the take rate is in the 90%. This year, I only grafted 3-4 apricots. So far, they all look good but I don’t want to jink it!!! 
. .
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Thanks. Will try cleft graft next time. Took a peek today and some scion wood seemed still alive.
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Looks good! Wickson is quite vigorous on my Frankentree. It fruited second year. It sets very heavily and would benefit from thinning even so it’s a crab.
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Last years Fuyu graft on N. American Persimmons. Not too bad and a couple fruits to boot!
This years Dapple Dandy on Moorpark Apricot going crazy. (upload://b1kOqPlefn6t7yqeghPxJqN7y1Q.jpeg)
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