Thanks all for the info. I never really understood the importance of callousing before. I did some bark grafts of very small scions recently and I did cover them with foil. Didn’t really know why at the time except I saw someone else do it.
2 Likes
The wood I receive from mamuang,usually comes that way.She is A-Okay.
2 Likes
It would be lying to say that everything I said to the sticks was nice. 
4 Likes
Did you try grafting with a properly sharpend single bevil grafting knife? With the right cutting technique?
I gave a grafting course. One of the people was really frustrated cutting “curved” grafts 20+ times in a row. I saw he had the wrong knife, next cut with the right knife. Perfect!!! nothing to improve upon. It can make that much of a difference!!!
I have not used those tools. I was under the impression they only worked well with same size pencil thicknes scion. IE ideal if you’f got tons of sized rootstock and scion, like in a comercial operation. But less useful if your dealing with odd sizes like most hobbyist/collectrs do.
you said you used it on thin scions though? how did that go? and did you graft on same thicknes stock? or did it manage a difference in thicknes?
I had a not-great knife last year, better ones this year but still didn’t like the whip&tongue grafts as much. I did do a few, and a modified W&T (smaller scion on the edge of a larger stock) but left most of my knife work to oddities. I have not enough wrist strength or close vision to use the knife as safely as the tool. I used the v-grafter tool on same or similar size scion. Works fine either as V or saddle type graft, depended on what I had. If the contact looked like it might be iffy or it was a scion I really wanted, I cut across a rootstock bud so there was of exposed & confused cambium to cross. It is easier for me to wrap if cut as a saddle graft. Some used the v-cut as a start of a cleft/split rootstock.Then the long, narrow, knife-cut scion inserted.The v-cut allowed the rootstock to split and hold, and I could generally force the cut closed further over the scion. Some grafts are actually two skinny scion in the rootstock, we’ll see how that goes. Z-grafts were knife-cut as well, if I had to use them.
The tiniest, whippiest, thinnest scion that I still wanted to try - got a long exposed slice of cambium on both parts and was strapped together. Looks like it worked for at least one scion. Should end up similar to the photo here if they take, but I did use larger rootstock- Basic Tips For New Grafters #2: Different Grafts (Discussion Needed) - #80 by VSOP
One thing I did do with the tool- modifying to allow for larger stock also allows enough room for a ‘backer’ piece of scrap below what is being cut. Less tear-out and made my graft cleaner. I also added a rubber band to tighten the tool, no play side-to-side when cutting.
2 Likes
Sorry if little scions are causing grief. But, of my grafts that have definitely ‘taken’ so far, most of them are the little sticks not much thicker than the little ink cartridge inside an ink pen…and pencil sized ones I’m still waiting to see bud break. (Two little pieces in a cleft … matched with cambium on just one side.) Also a few bark and a few saddle grafts with the little guys.
And a ‘side graft’ – a whip & tongue – on the side of a rootstock.if the scionwood is not tiny but also not as big as the rootstock.
I wish I’d done more in the cold…so many other chores getting in way of the rest of additional grafting now.
3 Likes
Thanks for showing me how they are doing! 
This is a great idea. My biggest complaint about that Zen grafter was the frayed edge that kept the cut from having a nice clean edge. Sometimes the bark would tear raggedly and peel off . . . especially on scions that I had a very hard time releasing from the Zen grafter’s grip. 
The rubber band sounds like a good idea too. - I need to look at Barkslip’s modification again.
I ended up doing a few saddle grafts, because it took a few to get the hang of ‘which direction’ to put ‘which piece’!
wow. that’s a lot of growth in 4 days from 12 to 16d!
You didn’t wrap the full scion with parafilm??
Regardless, you had amazing success - congrats!
how many persim grafts did you do and What varieties?
2 Likes
i just started doing them 4 yrs ago and so far only managed to get cleft grafts to take. they are ugly but they work. 
1 Like
not trying to brag or anything (mainly because im an idiot)…but I think I had 100% takes this year. Grafted pluots, apricots, apples, cherries and pears. Around 30 grafts, now im debating how long to keep the tape on. Im going to try a few nectarines and peaches this week.
-all grafts were mainly W/T and cleft
-all grafts were covered with buddy tape, then electrical tape.
Ill let you know if it actually pans out to 100%, some are slightly slow…so we will see!
4 Likes
Just look at each of my pear graftings made in March, scions from tooth picker to pencil size. It looks like all take. In a week or two I will know how my plum graftings are doing
4 Likes
Just put some chips of Chinebuli on the first of four extra Prok persimmons. Cinched tight with parafilm “ropes” and now hanging out with the seedlings on the heat mat. If they take, I’ll chop the Prok off above. If not, I’ve still got Prok on there!
6 Likes
It’s amazing how early you grafted. Last year, I started on 4/19.
This year just started today. I should have done it last week since temp was in the low 60’s all week but had other project to do first.
1 Like
Well, this year, season seems started early. When I saw a window of right temperatures, I just did it so I don’t have to graft pears, plums, peaches all together which at end of day there is no joy left but aches and pains.
Roughly speaking, my plum seems all take too, so did peaches. So far the take rate is high. Although peaches I did only a week ago. Will see in a week or two.
2 Likes
Very impressive @JCW! Could you please share your experience with bench grafting persimmon? Did you graft on dormant rootstock or waited until it started pushing buds?
2 Likes
Yes, it has been warm here for almost 10 days now. Should have grafted apples, pears and plums then.
It is going down to 40-50 F this week. Won’t do peaches anytime soon.
I have toned down on grafting and probably will make about 50 this year.
4 Likes
I’m not @JCW, but I had a lot of success with persimmon bench grafts last year. I let my rootstocks just start to wake up, then grafted and did my best to hold them between 75 and 85 F per @Hillbillyhort . If I recall correctly, I got 19 takes out of 21 grafts.
2 Likes
That’s what I do is wait on the warmth. I’m just now getting to 70+ days and the rootstocks are waking good. I still have some nights in the 40’s coming up so I’m going to wait another week or so before I think about it. I’ve found that it really doesn’t matter how leafed out the rootstocks are but it does matter on how warm it is.
4 Likes