Forcing T-buds?

General Fruit Growing
#1

I’ve been doing some summer budding…mostly mulberries…for the first time in about 20 years.
Just wondering if there’s a consensus on forcing them, once I see which ones took… wait til next spring, or go ahead and force them in late July?

2 Likes
#2

For no particular reason I usually force up through mid-June or so, and if it is not ready to be forced by then I will wait til the next year. It just seems like there won’t be a big advantage to forcing so late, and there will be potential disadvantages of the heat and humidity not being happy to the new shoot.

This year I forced a persimmon and an apple or two in June, they are now about 6" long… it will definitely be worth it for these guys.

2 Likes
#3

If you are forcing buds in June, do you bud them late May?

#4

You can chip bud when the bark isn’t slipping.

1 Like
#5

I tried chip budding with pecans 20 years ago…abject failure…never tried it again.
I need to look up some videos and revisit my technique.

#6

Guys,

I feel silly asking this, but, what does “forcing” T buds mean?

Mike

#7

No need to feel silly - I didn’t get it early on either, and in fact ditched a pear I had successfully t-budded to because I thought it hadn’t worked!

Here’s @Fruitnut’s tutorial: T-budding tutorial

When you go through the photos he showed you’ll see on the next to the last photo he tells you when to cut off the stock above the t-bud; that’s forcing the bud. Until the growth above the bud is removed the hormones from above the bud will suppress it. Once that top growth goes there’s nothing to stop it from sprouting. (Although sometimes they just sulk anyway and stay dormant regardless.)

So Lucky’s question about forcing the bud was more about timing, because it’s nice to force it early enough that the new growth toughens up and is strong before winter sets in. If you can’t force it early enough you can leave it until spring and force it then.

5 Likes
#8

@marknmt

Now it makes sense

thanx

Mike

1 Like
#9

Forcing T buds and chip buds on Asian Pear worked great for me. Pluots was variable. So is Cherry. One of them is responding.

image
image3024×4032 2.44 MB

1 Like
#10

The top chip in that photo looks like its bud got knocked off.

#11

Yeah, not sure what happened. I did remove the parafilm within two weeks and covered the bud. Maybe that knocked it off. I no longer cover the bud as tight.

#12

@bleedingdirt @scottfsmith few questions on t/chip budding

  1. how long to keep the tape and parafilm on before unwrapping? I saw 21 days (3 weeks) mentioned somewhere. Curious to know your experience

  2. after unwrapping, do you protect the buds in anyway with the summer heat? With paper or aluminum foil for a few days?

  3. do you immediately force the bud after unwrapping? On that part, do you cut the stem right above the chip/t bud? Or do you leave 1-2 buds above to ensure flow of nutrients?

#13
  1. 3 weeks is enough but with parafilm you don’t need to remove it. It breaks down on its own. I’m too impatient.
  2. I don’t protdct the bud in the heat but I would if the bud was in the sun uncovered for 12 hours.
  3. I only force if I have backups. It’s actually not worth much. You’ll get most of the growth next season anyway. To force, I cut the branch right above the grafted bud half way and bend it. The branch is alive but loses apical dominance.
2 Likes
#14

Thanks. On (1), I wrapped with both parafilm and splicing tape, that need to be unwrapped together. Otherwise, I think the tape will constrict the growth on the branch for the rest of the season. I guess I’ll rewrap the bud with parafilm after.