In the last few years i have been grafting figs as a backup measure to rooting.
Sometimes we receive only one cutting of a precious variety, so i began using the bottom bud to graft and rooted the top of the cutting. That way i had more than one shot to secure the variety.
When i have only one or two buds to graft i prefer to use Chip-Budding.
It’s very easy to do and has a very good success ratio.
With cuttings in dormancy, it’s the goto technique, if you want to use only one or two buds (when using the whole cutting, i prefer Whip and Tongue - it has an ever greater success ratio and it provides a stronger union and a faster development)
In my experience, by comparaison with other techniques, chip-budding is a very forgiving method of grafting. It’s works with green or hardened scions during 8 months of the year (i use it from March to October)
To learn how to do it, you just have to master the same 2 movements, over and over again:
- making an angled cut below the bud on the scion
- placing the knife above the bud and learning to slide it until you reach the initial cut (doing a controlled rocking motion helps to pass the bud - zone of more resistance - in the case of figs).
If you repeat those 2 movements on the root stock, you create the slot to insert the chip-bud.
I usually start in the root stock and go to the scion afterwards, so it doesn’t have to wait (the quicker you place it in the slot the better and don’t touch the underside with your hands - use the grafting knife to insert it - when in place you can correct the position or lift it to lengthen the slot, but pick it up by the sides)
Place the chip in the slot and cover it with parafilm (including the bud). Done!
Regarding alignment of cambiums. You have to try and make the slot about the same size of the chip-bud you will be using. Experience will let you know the length of the slot.
I always recommend starting with a shallower (and narrower) slot, similar to the chip-bud, but trying to be conservative.
When inserting the chip, if it’s smaller than the slot, you can correct the slot, cutting again, a little higher. If the slot is too narrow for the chip, cutting again, in the same place, at the same height, will also widen it.
I never try to align anything. I just try to fit the chip-bud in the slot i created.
When you insert the chip-bud into the slot, the cambiums always cross at some point (in the straight zone of the chip and in the bottom angled support cut).
In my experience, even the chip-buds that later fail to develop have fused the cambiums with the scion (they may not develop for several other reasons, like dehydration or bad scions to begin with but the cambiums have established contact)
Here’s a short video to demonstrate the technique (i will try to do a real graft in video when i have the time):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVsQZMnlNis&t=2s