2025 Grafting thread

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.

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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 :thinking:

MY BLOOD SACRIFICES MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN VAIN!!!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Barely holding on! Wrapping the chip buds TIGHT with grafting rubbers, and leaving them on until July, will prevent that lifting you see.

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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…

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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.

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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.

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My first ever graft is still alive so far! Precious apricot on St Julien A. How long should I wait before unwrapping it?

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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.

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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.

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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…

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Finally!!!

I guess all i needed to do was give a blood offering to the grafting gods for success

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Melon, I wouldn’t assume those have taken by they’re appearance. But so far so good.

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