My theory was late season grafting fails are caused by the material used, methods, and not the time of the year. I’m expecting the theory to be challenged. Ultimately i would like others to try and find out for themselves. Here are some recent grafts i did in June when it was 85-100 degrees.
Have a couple of more theories that i have not tried yet. Since this method uses clay , parafilm, and plastic tape what if we wrapped the entire scion in clay and effectively hot callused or cooled down the scion to help the graft instead of using tin foil to shade the graft in the late season? What if we took fresh scions off the trees now removed all leaves and grafted them now using this method? In theory we could gain half a growing season. @krismoriah got me thinking when he mentioned he could get scions now of a persimmon but in a few months maybe not. If this method works we dont need to wait. Tbudding uses a method similar to what im proposing. Anyone want to try at the same time i do? Kansas has unpredictable weather and fluctuations in the high 90s can happen in March or 70s could happen in June either one wreaks havic on grafts. Persimmons, peaches, apricots etc. need warm weather for grafting what if it cools to 30-50 degrees? Extremes are rare but it is not rare to get 30s in April or May anymore or 90s. A clay blanket over the entire graft offers more protection than only parafilm. The only failures i had this year can be attributed to poor scion wood and never method. Many great scion wood grafts had 100% success rate. Very poor scion wood grafts might have only had a 80% success rate which i feel is still very good. Most of the scion was damaged when shipped. I’m fortunate to get some varieties and not complaining about the wood. It’s no problem to graft 2-3 trees of some type next year or tbud or experimental graft them this year. Years ago i lost many grafts to fluctuating weather realizing eventually my method was the problem not the weather. This is my old method
This method though similar is different
My current late season method is tbudding which i learned from @fruitnut
I’ve only grafted this spring for the first time so…
If we simplify thinking about how grafts heal we can say we make cambium contact between the host and scionwood while sap is flowing in the host tree…there is no other way to get the union to take. The union gets connected and the sap flows so when the graft buds break they have host support for water / nutrients.
Having said that, there is oodles of info from around the world about optimal temperatures for higher percentage takes and most will say once you are into summer things get less effective (depending on where you live).
Most or all sources say to use dormant scionwood. My thought is this is because whatever new growth on a non-dormant scion would have no way to be supported by sap flow since it isn’t connected to the host yet…so that growth would speed the dessication of the new scion as the growth would pull the remaining moisture out of the scionwood, and it would most likely die.
Bud grafting can be done later in the year, but you are using a formed dormant bud on the scion so it isn’t asking for much yet…you remove any leaves in the bud …and since sap is still flowing it’s able to heal. The dormant buds don’t form and mature until later in the summer so I think now would be too soon.
So no one will keep us from grafting whenever we want, but I think the limiting factor is the state of the scionwood. Can it stay viable long enough for the host tree to supply it after it’s begin to callus.
Have grafted very early and very late before but imagine my latest grafts in June at very high temperatures had 100% success. My theory of oils from wax or tars causing grafting failures is proven as far as im concerned Technically there is no end to grafting season. The clay does not leak oil like wax in my experience but if left in the sun in a bag gets very pliable and hot. The clay is still likely oil based as the name implies. Many scions i got this year from warmer climates did not have buds at all only stripped leaves. Some i was sent from Florida were barbecued in the packaging before they arrived but others were fine. Those climates do not go dormant.
I have mentioned many times on other posts i thought when my success rate was reduced it was due to grafting wax, oils etc… when temperatures increased. That is why i began using Clay. Please do try the thermometer!
I’ve had successes and failures grafting cuttings in July, August, Sept and Oct. The one July success was a dormant plum scion. August, Sept and Oct where fresh cuttings.
would non-oil/non-wax materials work better? I’m a fine artist with a literal ton of material variety- I could likely attempt a few with oddball material instead of oil based clay.
It is my opinion that oil based products melt in the heat. If you noticed in some countries they use clay similar to stoneware or porcelyn over the cleft graft and sealed in a plastic bag with the graft. Here are other late season grafting techniques.
I’m going to determine if the clay buys me 10 degrees F cooler temps for the graft. Made sure it is a very hard situation to get a graft to take. This will let us know if the theoretical method could be useful to us. Imagine what that would give us the ability to do to save rare varieties or obtain what we needed in non dormant times. I’m not suggesting this method is used for normal situations. How many times does someone lose a precious variety because a place is being demolished in the summer or a person passes away and a property with an old pear must be sold. This method might be useful.
it’s plasticine? that has a low melting point with plastic, petroleum as the base
there’s porcelain clay that’s malleable like that that might work better. I will look to see if I have a package, if I do I’ll send it to you and keep a little here to try too.
The late John Brittain, of Nolin River Nut Tree Nursery, did tons of ‘coin-purse’ bud grafts on pecan/hickory/walnut, during the summer. Not enough hours in the day to get everything he offered grafted in spring with dormant scionwood.
Video here of the technique, from Cliff England. Redirecting...
My graft of ‘J. Yoder #1’ shagbark hickory was done(25 yrs ago) as a 3 or 4-flap ‘banana’ graft, in mid-July, using greenwood budstick, with all leaves removed. Graft and scion wrapped with Parafilm, then union overwrapped with a rubber band. Don’t think I even used aluminum foil on it… but maybe I did.
Today is June 24th late season grafts look great. The clay over the graft may not work out. 8 days ago we put it on and so far i have seen nothing breaking through.
That Plastilina clay is bringing me a lot of good luck. You got to try it if you haven’t yet! The oil and wax in most grafting compounds was causing grafts to fail for years for me in the heat. Thought i might have figured it out one year when it turned really hot early. I’m 100% sure now the clay is a better method. My other theory is grafting in the rain using parafilm will cause failure rates to be much higher .
