I’m grafting over a Mulberry stump. This is how I plan to graft it. What’s the best sealer for the gap between the scions?
What about wood filler?
What about toilet ring wax is this the right kind?
There are probably better materials, but the link is exactly the material I use. Can’t beat a few bucks.
I just grafted mulberry for the first time and used grafting wax https://www.homedepot.com/p/TREEKOTE-Grafting-Wax-8oz-Tin-for-Grafting-Roses-Fruit-Trees-Vineyard-Orhards-and-Much-More-USA-Made-300012/331743120
I’ll report back on if they failed though
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On @clarkinks recommendation, I bought Plastilina a few years ago. It’s all I use now. Do a forum search for it if you want more info.
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I just use parafilm since I have it on me for all grafts I’m doing. A couple runs across will do it.
I use parafilm as my only graft cover, it has many modes of use. For bark grafts I make a rope out of it by twisting and wrap super tight to hold the scion in. I also use it to wrap the scions to keep them from desiccating. It’s not perfect but it gets all jobs done.
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Scott beat me to it. I use either parafilm or black tape. I use black tape to hold the graft tight and will put strips over the entire top overlapping to the sides before wrapping. Then leave it on till the fall. That hole fills in pretty quick.
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@smsmith What brand?
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Dollar store caulk also works.
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This is what I bought. At the time, I found it cheaper on Amazon. This is the best price I saw now. This will be enough for a LOT of grafts
Crap, the link didn’t work. The brand is Van Aken. It’s called modeling clay
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I’ll second @zone7a with the Treekote wax. That’s exactly what I’ve used for years. I just wrap it tight with a grafting rubber and cover everything with wax.
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theres a chance that anything you put on there could ooze in between the grafts and kill it. i do like Scott. i just use parafilm and black elec. tape for strength. on bigger grafts i seal it with tree cote brushed on the tape seams to seal out moisture.
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That is the advantage to plasticina as well is it does not ooze into the graft union and cause failure during these weather swings. I now typically have a 100% take rate. I used wax previously and it caused many failures from heat.
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I’m convinced the black tree seal compound I used to use on topworks/grafts over parafilm also caused some graft failures due to seepage. Doesn’t happen with the clay.
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Melted petro wax used to be the common material- but who wants to deal with melting it? Toilet gasket seems to be pretty popular these days. Lac Balsam is a high end product that works well for clefts already circled with vinyl electric tape around the split in the mother branch or to paint the tips of apple and pear grafts to small wood.
I used toilet bowl wax on several grafts 2 years ago, they all failed. When it warmed up, the axle started to melt a little and a oily residue from it seeped into the grafting area.
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