Sadly that often happens when the bud break is just from the energy stored in the scion itself. It can be so deceiving.
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Well, that is disappointing. 
I wonder, as an alternative theory, and I’m just spitballing here …,would not being shaded also kill it, assuming it took prior to the sudden high heat? We reached 90* today after having several weeks of cloudy mild weather.
I just don’t want to give up hope yet, and pray over this lower bud. Lol
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Don’t take anything apart yet. If there is an intact bud then wait. It’s probably a long shot but what the hey….
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Well, I think you are probably right. I’m not seeing much a change in the lower buds. This is my first time using “buddy tape” and I might not have been able to get the tape tight enough on the modified bark graft, since buddy tape had perforated portions that rip off when you stretch it. It’s a bit annoying. I really wish that buddy tape did not have the perforations. Her is a picture of the lower buds on the “likely dead” 100-46 graft we talked about earlier.
I do have another 100-46 scion in the fridge. I have no idea if it is still good, but if it is I could graft on the rootstock seen below. I do worry though since we have already been getting up into the 90’s temperature wise, and I have no idea if it is too late to graft. See the tiny red mark, that is where I would probably to the bark graft. What do you think?
And here is the photo of my other rootstock with the “wonderful” scion grafted into it. The bud finally broke free, but I’m holding my breath and not counting it yet since the 100-46 above probably did not make it.w
I am still grafting but we haven’t been in the 90’s yet. You’ll have to weigh the importance of removing that branch to graft to vs how much you want to keep it. Is that Dv? Or some cultivar? It would help if you could shade the tree after grafting it. I’m not sure how tall it is etc. we are expected to hit the 90’s in 10 days or so but I plan to graft today. It is just not going to be a big problem if I lose the grafts I’m going to make. I have grafted and it hit the 90’s and all was well.
I don’t use buddy tape so can’t comment. Mostly the reason for buddy tape, parafilm etc is to seal the graft. I use Temflex to stabilize the graft so that it doesn’t move after grafting. IMO the sealing wraps are not that good at stabilization.
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Yeah, it’s a DV. The weird y formation is just the way it grew. I figured I could lose either side if a graft failed and the rootstock DV won’t die all the way back to the ground.
I’ll have to think about a shade situation, and craft something for that purpose before I graft on that rootstock. We have not been consistently in the 90’s. We only had one of those. Still having off and on cooler rainy days in the DFW metroplex, but I don’t know how much longer that is going to last. But if you are still grafting then I might be ok, with shading. If I don’t graft to that rootstock then the other scion I have will just go to waste anyhow. So now that I’m talking/writing this out there is little real risk here, so I think I will try.
Are you just doing bark grafts? You could go higher up if you used a whip or whip and tongue or cleft graft. I see you’re trying to go below that scarred bark. Be sure to leave yourself room and I’m not sure that is big enough to carry a bark graft if your scion is large.
Yes, I’ve been doing bark grafts. It is the only graft method I have experience with. And yes I was thinking about going beneath that scar on that branch.
But before I saw your reply, I checked on the scion in the fridge and it was too big for this tree. I guess that is why I chose the other scion of the 100-46, because it was thinner.
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I agree. Heat doesn’t bother them. Shade hasn’t been needed for me even when new grafts get hit by 100. I think they would rather be hot.
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I am a little more hopeful on this graft of ‘wonderful’. The top bud looks good, a lower bud is starting to emerge, and the base of the scion is swelling to a larger diameter.
If this one takes I will be happy. This one was my third I grafted this spring using that buddy tape. Which by the time I grafted this one I was starting to get a better grip on how to stretch it, still not as good as some others out there with more experience on this particular tape. I might have got the graft union area tighter with the tap, but I most definitely grafted this later than the other two . The tree was completely leafed out, when the failed 100-46 only had one branch with leaves. Perhaps that made it more successful? I have no idea. Anyhow, I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Triangle = upper bud, free and growing
Arrow = was originally the first bud that broke free from tape but was eaten by caterpillar last week. Made me so mad.
Square = lower bud starting to break out of tape
Circle = swelling scion base
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Here is an update on that ‘wonderful’ graft. It’s looking good. Still keeping fingers crossed though .
So the failed graft of ‘100-46’… After two weeks and no change to the lower buds I decided to take a snip of the scion above the lower buds. Weird. It is still green. I would have figured that it would have used up all its energy on the apical bud, and when that failed, it would have died inside looking brown or rotted. I don’t know… I just painted the cut tip on the remaining attached scion with wood glue and will leave it. This is all a learning process with me, and the whole subject is fascinating.
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Looks great, Aaron!! Congrats!!! I’d take off that bud growth at the bottom at some point and support the growing graft. Don’t let the psyllids eat the tender growth and you have a new tree.
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Thanks for the tips. Now I’ll have to figure out how to support that new growth without disturbing the graft zone. I’m still a little gun shy regarding any touching to the scion rootstock region. I’m going to wait until I have a plan.
Not seen in the above picture(but seen below) is how I have been protecting it this far. It’s probably hard to see, but I have two bamboo stick shoved in the ground at a “v” formation on either side of the graft. Over that I have two green tree trunk protectors stacked ontop of each other. I have been removing them to take the photos. Anyhow, these trunk protectors were mainly to provide a visual cue to my dogs(whippets) when running that there is something there, so they didn’t plow into it. But now I wish I had put a vertical bamboo stake nearer to the grafted area from the start to support the new growth as it came in. Live and learn.
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Looks like you have it surrounded already! 
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‘Wonderful’ is doing wonderfully well.
Should I slice the white looking wrapping (buddy tape) on one side, or just leave it? I wrapped it pretty thick there.
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I would leave it alone. It’s looking great!
Did you get storms last night?
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No. It passed us bye here in Mansfield; however, my father in Granbury(south of Fort Worth really got it!
I’m actually thankful we’ve had so much rain this spring, since I planted that adult persimmon a few months ago. Hopefully it gets settled in before we get cracker dry in the mid to late summer.
We found ourselves in direct line of rotation and possible tornado, lost power for a bit but it didn’t even blow all that hard. No hail even. It’s a bit disconcerting though when it’s dark and you don’t know what to expect.
The rain is on the border of being very nice and a bit too much. It’s been good for my plants but like you I think it’s going to rain itself out and not save any for June-July-August!
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“We found ourselves in direct line of rotation and possible tornado, lost power for a bit but it didn’t even blow all that hard. No hail even. It’s a bit disconcerting though when it’s dark and you don’t know what to expect”
Well I’m glad y’all were safe, and that there was no grounding tornado or hail. Tornados freak me out. My town does not even have sirens. A long time ago they opted for a phone call roll out for tornados. How dumb is that? So during a tornado you rely on telephone wires and telephone polls to stay informed? Anyhow, that wa their decision before I moved here, but they just never got sirens. Of course now most rely on their phones or storm radios, so…
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