I recommend shade if you have them in containers. I move them into full sun after a couple of weeks when growth reaches a couple of inches. For field grafts, I use white highly stretchable electric tape which reflects sunlight. I get better acceptance than with black tape. This is mostly a climate concern since I am in the hot humid southeast.
Thank you, reason i was asking was because the ones in part sun are actually starting to push while the ones in full shade haven’t moved ![]()
MY BLOOD SACRIFICES MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN VAIN!!!
First time trying to graft anything and I was at 85%. The failures were from the same scion so thinking it might not have been viable. Thanks to everyone here for the tips and pictures.
I think it would depend on your temps, with different answers for different species. Each species has an optimal temperature range for callus formation. If you live in a hot location, shade could be better to avoid exceeding the optimal range. If you live in a cool location, then sun could be better to achieve the optimal range. Apples and pears tolerate cool temps well; persimmons need warm temps.
Almost all grafts I do are „field grafts” so if I do them in summer I cover them with aluminum foil until leaves poke through. When I graft in a pot I do keep them relatively shaded, but it’s a temps thing more than a sun thing. If you’re getting above 80* it would be helpful to shield them a bit. I also cover them to keep birds from landing on them and messing up the graft in addition to shielding the temperature a bit.
I didn’t do a lot of grafting this year, but for some reasons, grafting take rates are higher thisyear. Crabapple 6/6, apple 3/3, apricot 3/3, pears 2/2, J. plum 4/5, I bumped into a leaved out graft which caused the failure. Persimmon 2/2. Peach 5/6. Thanks everyone who shared scions with me.
Barely holding on! Wrapping the chip buds TIGHT with grafting rubbers, and leaving them on until July, will prevent that lifting you see.
Yup. I have managed fig chip buds just fine with only parafilm, but persimmons apparently have a mind of their own!
I just grafted my mulberries (W&T) and have upcycled some rubber bands to keep everything in place…
I walked around looking at pear grafts today. Only 1 or 2 have not yet opened buds. A few have new growth over a foot. This looks like a very good year for pear grafting.
Warren, Moonglow, and Bartlett Pears on OHFx87 that are being gifted to a co-worker who just built a house on 40 acres.
Wild Plum that a cleft graft didn’t take. I was going to let it grow and retry next year, but I was trimming a contender peach tree and thought why not try my hand at bud grafting. This one is also being gifted to my co-worker.
My first ever graft is still alive so far! Precious apricot on St Julien A. How long should I wait before unwrapping it?
A year. My view may be unorthodox, but I’ve never lost a graft by waiting. I have ruined grafts by removing tape too soon. After the year, the tape will disintegrate and removing it will be easy.
I often leave things wrapped for over a year, but I wouldn’t say I never have ruined a graft that way. In fact I posted one this year. The union was hidden in weeds. But I agree, it seems that many are harmed by over-eager freedom.
For small grafts I use flexible or degradable binding most of the time.
White goose feijoa grafts pushing. My large fruited franken feijoa bush is taking shape. These were bark grafts , which are tricky with how brittle the feijoa wood is. Zip tied to keep he pressure on, but I forgot to cut last year’s ties off till recently. That may have been why one of the varieties died off…
Can you link or just share for us newbies what brand of binding tape is biodegradable?
I had wrapped mine in plastic wrap and then used a rubber band. Bands cracked and broke and I put on electrical tape, but I’ve read on one of these that I have to be careful to remove it before it strangles the tree. Biodegradable would be much better!
rubber bands in the the elements will degrade before they can harm the plant. also, i think he was talking about buddy tape or parafilm.
I set 7 more pecan grafts today mostly replacing trees that were damaged and had re-grown from the roots. This should be my last round of grafting for the year though I may graft one or two more pecans for other people.
Buddy tape or real (registered trademark) Parafilm that is presumably made from paraffin wax.
And Grafting rubbers / budding bands that are advertised as breaking down quickly. They look like a flat, thin, broad rubber band strip that has been dusted with talc.
Melon, I wouldn’t assume those have taken by they’re appearance. But so far so good.








