You could also color code them. The nursery down the street paints rings of 2-3 different colors to identify the variety.
I just use a permanent marker. I usually take some pictures too, after writing the name with marker.
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The permanent markers I used faded to unreadable in a few months. What brand are you using?
I have a few different kinds. Some are just fine point Sharpie, Red or Black, whatever I have in my grafting bag. I only count on them lasting a few months, but some out there are still visible from last year.
Sometimes I write on the wood and also on the parafilm, because its easier to read.
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Black lasts longer.
Also, I do both sides, as one is apt to last longer if not facing the sun.
my first successful peach graft (or at least, it hasn’t died yet). FA47 “risingstar” (-9) from Purvis onto lovell from burnt ridge. I kept it indoors because of all the temp sensitivity advice. I made five or six grafts from a foot that Bob Purvis sent me and only the two that I kept indoors fully wrapped with buddy tape made it. indoors and unwrapped died, outdoors and unwrapped died, indoors and wrapped both lived
the successful recipe was:
- wait till the lovell rootstock has green tip buds, keep it inside at 69 F
- graft with a zenport v-cut tool with a spritz of water into the graft
- go for a cambium cross on one side, rather than trying to perfectly line things up, if sizing isn’t perfect. I’m having good success with the V-cut tool with mismatched scion sizing as long as I do this
- wrap with buddy tape all the way up and down (takes about 1.5 full strips)
- over wrap the graft with a budding rubber
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I was just experimenting grafting my male Hippophae rhamnoides onto my female and it looks like we have some action. It would be nice to cull the male if this stays alive.
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How are your apricot grafts doing Bryan? I’m curious about how well bark grafts work on apricots, as I heard some things that pushed me to trying side grafts. I like doing the rind/bark grafts better though.
Did the Ghost apple scion take for you? I may end up getting a sample of fruit this year from mine. I bagged 8 or so of them the other day, so hopefully some of them make it.
Yes. I think I did at least three grafts. Two to trees and one to rootstock. At least two are doing well. I’m really excited about them!!
I would love to see a picture of your fruit. Thanks so much for the scions and for keeping me up to date on your progress. Regina.
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Been over 6 weeks, but I’ve still got a few pear benchgrafts coming to life.
Just one cultivar no takes. Got a take on all Asian pears. I usually make at least 2 grafts of everything if I have a big enough piece of scion. Improves my odds I’ll not lose a variety.
Apples, might be a couple more still pop the buds, but looks like at least 100 successful grafts, and possibly 4 cultivars that I’ll not get any takes on, including Parmer from Big Horse Creek Farm.
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No problem at all. I’ll keep you updated on how they turn out. They are supposed to be a mid summer apple around July. Here’s what they looked like last week.
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How’s this for pushing temperature limits for grafting? These two avocados were grafted in February on rootstocks that had been killed to just above the ground by our late December freeze:
The second one originally had two scions, but a damn cat knocked one off while doing its business (that’s also why the graft is covered in dirt now). We’ve had a really cold spring, including a few freezes since these grafts were done. When it’s particularly cold, I put these makeshift (fishbowl) cloches on them:
At the time I just didn’t want to waste the scionwood, but funny enough, these are actually waking up faster than the ones I did on potted rootstocks in the greenhouse, which are still alive but no meaningful bud swell yet.
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Someone in here posted these one time and it’s what I use. They do not fade. A little pricey but they last a long time
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Yeah, I have some of those. I must not have bought them from Amazon though, since it isn’t in my order history.
I also have 1 Industrial Sharpie, which I like best for my labels. They are discontinued 
Plus I apparently ordered another brand of one-ended permanent markers years ago. Not sure what became of them. I must not have been too impressed by those.
congrats! I am 0 for 10 on peaches…
I have been trying W/Y and clefts. I think I have the timing down wrong.