Grafting for complete beginners?

General Fruit Growing
#71

Yes, A gentleman I talk to uses toilet bowl wax, its worked incredibly well for him, i believe I will be trying that.

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#72

I recently started using the toilet bowl ring and I like the consistency of it. My preferred sealer is still parafilm M but it is not for wider gaps and that is where I use the toilet bowl wax.

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#73

Speaking of grafting sealers, I’d like to know more about Doc Farwell’s grafting sealer possibly preventing “takes” if the sealer makes contact with the cut surfaces of the graft.

When I do bark grafts I paint Doc’s all over the graft and sometimes I’m sure it runs down into the cambium of the graft. Same for cleft graft- Doc’s runs down into the cleft and probably contacts the cut surface of the graft.

#74

I don’t use Docs but putting a thin layer of parafilm on first might stop the running until it hardens.

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#75

Same as Bill (Auburn) above. Nothing against Doc’s, but with any sealer I’d worry about it creeping into the joint, and parafilm is pretty good insurance.

I also use Johnny wax. I like to wrap the scion with parafilm before cutting and inserting it. After inserting it use the rubber bands or Temflex or other strong tape, wrap one more time around the joint with Parafilm (but not up on the exposed part of the scion except right at the insertion point) and touch it up with the toilet bowl wax.

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#76

My suspicions are similar to yours. See this post Theories of warm weather rind and cleft graft failures.

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#77

Is 3/8" rootstock a good size to use or is it too large for bench grafting?

#78

Stuff some modeling clay or plumbers putty down into the gap between the scion and bark. That will keep Doc Farwell’s from seeping/wicking between the cambium.

#79

Thanks. Is Doc’s somehow more toxic to the graft than other sealers or is the problem simply interfering with cambium on cambium contact?

#80

I think you’ll find a wealth of information and the answer to your question (no, it’s not too large) here:

You might recognize Applenut- he’s a regular here.

#81

Thanks but I’ve never seen this subject discussed in print or video and think I’ve viewed all of Applenut’s good videos.

#82

Maybe I should of asked differently. What size scions are regularly sent out from dealers as well as members.

#83

I like pencil-sized and have worked with up to 1/2" and down to 1/4", maybe a hair more or less either way.

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#84

Try this one- unless I misunderstand it might be what you’re looking for:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKTgiFVpAU

Edit- I see that the link doesn’t work, but I don’t understand why; I copy and pasted from a working link on my url bar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKTgiFVpAUE

If you right-click on the last link it will work.

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#85

Clark- I think your thread is the one I was searching for, helps a lot. Thanks. I have always figured I should force something- tree kote or Doc’s- down into the cleft to keep it from drying out. Now looks like that’s not a good idea. I have some grafting putty I’ll put in the cleft and then do Doc’s. Lots of expertise on this forum.

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#86

I’ve only used asphalt based sealer on one set of bark grafts a few years back and the grafts failed due to deer pressure. But I’ve used toilet ring wax on several grafts last year. Most notably a double cleft graft of sweet cherry. The understock was about 1.5" diameter and I inserted two scions. I used toilet ring wax and to this day the grafts are thriving and the wax looks like it did on day one. From what I can tell the toilet wax never melted down into the cleft. I don’t know what the melting point is for toilet ring wax but my summers get pretty hot and humid. I’ve also used toilet wax on a course of side grafts which also took and are thriving.

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#87

This is the first that I’ve used and may be the last,once the container is spent.The stuff works okay and I did like Mark,putting it at the ends of scions,after grafting.
That’s when I left the scion bare,but now,the whole thing gets wrapped in Parafilm,as others have mentioned.
I haven’t tried Treekote,but the Tanglefoot stuff does stay on skin for awhile.Brady

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#88

I see a lot up-thread about clefts and parafilm, and adding other “stuff” in the cleft.

I’ve never done a cleft of more than pinkie-thickness or thereabouts, but when I do, I do the following:

Insert both scions carefully, making certain of good cambium contact and positioning the way you want.

Take parafilm, and wrap base of cleft 4-5 times.

Now wrap over and betwqeen the 2 scions, in a series of figure-8s 2-4 times.

Reverse direction w/ new slip of parafilm, and repeat both steps.

Wrap scions to tip and cleft to bottom of split w/ additional parafilm

I’ve only done a few dozen, but never had a fail without asphalt or toilet wax…so that’s another option

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#89

I did my first grafting last weekend. :flushed: I have a couple of questions. Well… more than a couple. This was a last minute decision and I’m really excited about it but I do know that the conditions are probably not ideal for success so I’m basically calling it practice. I cut some scions a few weeks ago from some wild mulberries and grafted back onto these same trees. I wrapped the scions in parafilm, wrapped the unions in parafilm and reinforced a couple of the grafts with electrical tape, and sealed some of them (cleft and side grafts) with pruning sealer.

Question 1: How soon do you notice bud swelling? We are in major spring here. The mulberry stock was barely breaking leaf. It’s been in the mid 80’s the last few days.

Question 2: I can see a scant amount of moisture around the buds through the wrapping. Did I not wrap them tight enough. It actually looks like condensation. Is this detrimental or expected?

Katy

#90

I sometimes see moisture like you are referring to but it hasn’t cause any graft failures yet. The time to push new buds will not be exact. Some pop out in a couple of weeks and some takes longer but this time of the year they should start growing sooner than later.

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