How to: Demonstrating 3-Flap / 4-Flap Grafting aka Banana Graft

That’s really nice to know, thanks Bill! I will come back to update later this month.

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Just want to update my experiment with 3 flap graft.

I tried graph 2 active plum to 2 different peach trees. both have leaf out after 2 weeks. now about a month and a half later, one is thriving, the other has died.

here is a picture of the thriving graft:

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That’s great, Sara. :smile: :grin:

Dax

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Thanks for the detailed lesson; very handy. It does raise a question I’ve wondered about which is about how cambiums interact: Is it better to have the scion bark, only the bark, cut away or to have the scion bark cut away with some wood, to expose the edges of the scion cambium? One way, the cambiums are in full contact and the scion wood surface is ‘rounded’ like the receiving stock bark; the other way the scion cambium edges are exposed which sometimes seems to be a critical point…remember the ‘cambium layers just have to cross’ topics regarding whip (and other) types of grafts. Any thoughts on this?

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It seems to work pretty much the same way within limits. A T bud with wood removed from the scion bud has full contact. That works great. Leaving the wood in also works provided the stock is bigger diameter than the scion wood. Or if you choose a flat spot on the stock. If the scion wood is too big then you are trying to fit a flat surface on the scion to a round surface on the stock. That works fine if the stock is relatively large diameter or flat at point of insertion. If you can get the scion bud fully under the bark flaps on the stock it seems to work fine wood in or out.

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I think @fruitnut explains it as well as anybody could. You have to remember the cambium actually has no color. The correct word is cortex. Most people never use the word cortex so I never think twice about trying to correct anyone.

What you’re trying to do @Seedy is to get a flat cut. That’s #1 most important. You get your knife in the grain and let the knife do the work. If you’re constantly pulling too hard your knife will leave the natural path of grain it’s slicing thru.

You try not to go far into the wood but if you can imagine the green layer that’s on top of the cortex and under the cortex is the pith; right in the middle of the two… that’s your target. Since it doesn’t have color you simply learn not to go too far on anything you do.

You need to look at your scion to determine if it’s going to work best to make three flat sides or four. That’s what @fruitnut is talking about. It’s all about diameter. Large wood = a square. You are creating a true square on the scion. On less diameter wood you are creating a three sided stick. It’s not a sharp triangle. Pictures to follow.

Dax

You see here my fourth and last side/cut is much slimmer than the other three sides. That’s why you choose the best orientation of the scion and the flap-widths when putting it all together.

I was going to do commentary but the whole point is you want long cuts. You see I showed 2" long and more than 2" for the first and thickest scion.

And I was going to say the first cut on my first scion didn’t even make it to the bottom. So the second cut did. That’s it in a nutshell.

Oh yes I was going to say one last thing. That last scion is curved. Well no big deal. The flaps will cover a curved stick just as easy as a straight stick. It’s up to you to determine your skill level. If your scion is long enough, you may want to cut the curved end off. You just need to be familiar with your knife and your (own) ability.

Even though it’s curved, my cuts are flat.

Dax

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Dax:

On that top one with four sides it looks like to me you’ve almost cut away all the cambium. I think I’d rather see a thin strip of bark left on each corner. That way I know there’s some cambium left. But what I know about is T budding. I’ve done a few successful 4 flap banana grafts but not many.

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It’s tough to say other than “it/ this isn’t a science.” In an ideal world I would like to have a sliver of bark on all four sides separating each cut. But, I tell ya, these hitch up real easy.

Dax

Good we’re on the same page. Even if the bottom were nothing but wood there would be some cambium higher up.

I was just trying to clarify things. Beginners have a hard time telling just where the cambium is located. Cutting it all off isn’t a good strategy. It’s different but the same for scion buds when T budding. The bud could be cut too shallow and never reach the cambium except right around the bud. That won’t be good either. A deeper cut that reaches cambium improves success. Too deep and the bud may be too thick to fit under the bark flaps of the stock.

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That’s correct. I don’t mind seeing a bit of green showing on any cut. On bud cuts I would much rather be closer to the bud than having my cut further into the wood and away from the bud. Like I say, a little bit of green is okay.

As I noted above though and this should be understood by any grafter, it’s the cortex which is colorless where the cells fuse together. It’s directly under the green (cambium). Being between the cambium and the pith.

It’s a feeling, Steve. I know it and so do you, very well. We just know when we’ve gone too far so, we throw the stick on the ground.

My regards,

Dax

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This is an excellent conversation. In all my hobbies that I end up getting serious about there is science and there is art. Very kule…thanks !!

Sure thing. You’re very welcome.

Dax

Dax, I have a couple of questions:

  1. How much of difference between scion and stock diameters can you tolerate with this method?

  2. What tape do you use for covering the graft? Do you need to remove the tape at some point and how long should it stay on the graft?

Thanks!

You can set smaller scions on larger stock. They can’t be real small compared to the stock, but they can be a few bits smaller. You know… something like this is completely tolerable:

I use cheap electrical tape you can get in rolls from Menards. I take the tape off three months later, typically. If you wait until the following year the bark under the tape looks like the bottom of a mature watermelon. That’s okay, not what I prefer, but if you live in an exposed location with a lot of wind you should keep the tape on so the grafts don’t blow out during winter.

If you’ve ever kept a bandage on a finger for too long you know what the skin looks like when you remove it. Typically there are insects like gnats under there. And if you were to forget about it and leave it on for years and years, the tree will push it off. You wouldn’t have killed the tree. In that case maybe you were on a ladder and put it up 8’ off the ground. That scenario.

Best regards,

Dax

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;-)insects like gnats under my bandaids? I’m for sure not going to leave them on too long if that’s the case!

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What does the wax do?

That looks really cool, but where does the cambium contact?

Is the cambium along the entire length of both of the stripped wood of the scion, and the “flap” of bark, or is the cambium connection only right at the very top of the flap?

I’m glad to see this thread again- one of the most interesting grafts, great explanation and discussion.

@parkerstnc wax or parafilm tape stops desiccation.

@BG1977 the connection is all exposed areas.

Dax

what wax do u use. i often brace my grafts with bamboo chopsticks i grab from Chinese food places.