This year I found myself questioning my method of pulling the tape on cleft grafts after a couple of months. I’ve noticed the ones I pull the tape on often bulge towards the outside which risks breaking them off during a storm. If I leave the tape on they expand inside the split I made in the tree when I grafted it. What do you think is the best method? Has anyone else experienced bulging cleft grafts? Just for fun I made one cleft graft without tape this year since I heard it was difficult but it grew fine.
Clark,
What kind of “tape” you meant?
On cleft grafts I like to use the plastic stretch tape instead of parafilm.
Clark, because I’m always insecure about whether I’ve done a graft well, I leave the tape on and let it fall off by itself usually. Now, you do more grafts every day than I’ve ever done, but I just don’t see the need to rush it and make more work for myself. As long as the tape is not strangling or girdling the branch why bother?
I use parafilm, Temflex xyzq and budding/grafting rubbers and all those things are pretty fragile after a few weeks exposure, but as the tape you use is pretty stretchy is there any reason to take it off?
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Mark,
That is good sound advice. The reason I pull it is sometimes I don’t get back there for awhile. The tape I use will girdle the grafts if I leave it.
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I’ve used parafilm for the first layer of wrap, as tightly as I could The second layer was green garden tape but I later have graduated to Temflex. No issue with buds pushing through parafilm.
I did go around and cut off all green tape after two months. I have left those wrapped with Temflex alone. One of peach buds pushed through Temflex before it falls apart. I probably will stay with Temflex as I have gotten a hang of it.
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