Did some peach and apricot today. All top working.
Only 63 degrees today, but mostly sunny, then warmer the rest of the week.
This oddly shaped graft is a bark graft. Most of the limb had died back, but there was some green wood on one side (which had also popped an adventious leaf bud).
I’m guessing it probably won’t take, and I can just lop it off flush, but if it does, what the hell?
In the past I have never had a successful bark graft. You inspire me to give it another try! My peaches are similar in that the fruit is moving further and further away from the trunk. Inside branches are dying over time. I would like to revitalize the interior if I can.
Agreed on removing zip ties. I think carefully using a pair of dikes would be the best way to cut off zip ties, a knife seems like it would be too difficult without some damage. Rubber bands do get easier, but I’ve had some girdling in just a few months with them. I can do hundreds of grafts with a roll of parafilm, so that’s my only choice these days. However, parafilm is definitely tricky until you get used to it though, so a decent amount can get wasted.
I think coir should be fine, I’ve always used sawdust when healing bench grafts and never had any troubles. These mediums are pretty nutrient poor so any disease organisms that may have come with the rootstock or anywhere else should have a harder time growing in them.
I was going make soil using the coco, pine bark(fine), and potting soil. For use on plants being grafted and not permanent. First time trying to make potting soil. Does that sound like a usable combo?
Just want something light weight like they use at nurseries.
I have bought a number of trees that were grafted 2-3 foot up the trunk.
I would add diatomaceous earth and /or perlite to that mix, but I’m no expert.
Edit
not as a permanent mix, yours should be fine.
I’m a little new to the potting soil game. What is diatomaceous earth? What does the perlite do?
DE and perlite both allow drainage. DE retains moisture and adds silicone, and is a heavier longer lasting material. Perlite is mainly used to reduce weight and drain, but degrades within 3-5 years based on my understanding. DE comes as a powder (other great uses) and as a coarse grain (used for soil mixes). If you search for both you’ll find some good info here.
I just dug up a bush that was planted about 40 or 50 years ago and there was still perlite in the planting hole 
Yes that makes sense. I’m just saying it will begin to break down in particle size faster than DE as it is a softer material.
Ah gotcha. I have never dug up something that was in the ground that long, so I was just tickled to see some of the original soil.
Is that black electrician’s tape?
I would like some advice regarding inarch grafting please.
I have a 6 year old dwarf (?) honeycrisp that was knocked flat against the ground a few years ago but my partner staked it and it miraculously didn’t die. But it hasn’t been thriving. My dad bought the same tree at the same time from the same place and his is about 15 feet tall. Mine is struggling and also about 5 feet, has three puny scaffolding branches if I’m being generous. It needs help… I know I should yank it but someone in my house has an emotional attachment (plus it houses the only grafts I’ve successfully done).
I am betting the root damage was really impactful when it was suddenly at a 90 degree angle from the trunk but it is putting out blossoms on the spurs and last year did give us 4 apples (well, something got 4 apples anyway).
I haven’t a clue what kind of rootstock it was on in the first place. I’m not sure I even knew what rootstock was back then. Honestly, I’m lucky I didn’t bury the graft. I’ve come a long way since then (mostly thanks to you wonderful people).
I have been trying to find information on rootstocks that would work but I think I’ve started talking myself out of it. If I do get brave and try this, what rootstock would you recommend I use in my inarch graft attempt?
Thanks!
There is no one accurate reply…depends a good deal on the kinds of plants and their sizes.
Pine fines plus peat plus sand is fine for a lot of things. By adding some nurtients, you can raise plants in most any media, if you regulate the moisture.
But the commercial folks that produce millions or even billions of seedlings for sale…peat is one of the ingredients. They obviously have a formula that is good, and don’t keep reinventing the proverbial round thing that has spokes.
I put grafting tape on the scions pretty tight and covered all bud. Do I need to undo it later to help growth push?
If you only did a layer or two of stretched parafilm then the buds will grow through. Most other types of tape will need to be cut once the graft has healed.
I should clarify a little more. The tape covering the graft needs to stay in place and only removed once the graft has healed. The tape covering the buds should be removed when the graft starts pushing and growing the buds. The main purpose of the tape over the buds is to reduce moisture loss from the scion while the graft is healing.
I just grafted. So remove parafilm in 2-3 weeks?
With parafilm, you can leave it on and let it decay naturally. Buds will push through it no problem so long as you stretched it tight and only put one or two layers over the bud.
I put one layer on stretched on pretty tight. So don’t worry about it?
