if only done a few apricot grafts. So I’m no expert on that. I think if done a few hundred chip buds on other fruit though (mostly apple) i should reach 1k when I’m finished grafting this year.
The woody part of the chip coming off the cambium/bark part. It’s not that bad. If your stock’s bark is slipping id likely do a T-bud when the wood in the chip bud comes off.
When the chip falls apart in the wood part and the bark part. The cambium is usually on both. This is also what T-budding relies on.
Chip buds in apples are quite forgiving. I’m not sure on apricots though.
When in doubt about cambium alignment, i slightly offset it. Put in the chip slightly crooked. So i know i have 2 places where cambium intersects.
I really like smaller knifes with a thin blade for chip budding. Opinel nr 5 is my current favorite. If even thinned out the blade, i think roughly 20-30 % thinner now. Also having it properly sharpend helps a lot. Beviled on the side thats touching the chip. And flat on the side thats touching the stick your cutting the chip from.
Somtimes the tiniest bevil on the flat side helps to. Just a few strokes edge trailing on a fine stone at a really low angle (almost flat) is enough.
Locking your thumbs is another important thing. And having your thumb close to the chip your cutting gives you more control. So does slightly pulling the knife sideways when cutting the chip downwards.
On the bottom part of the chip you can rock the knife sideways a few times to safely cut into the woody part of the scion.
When cutting the top part of the chip you cut all the way down till you meet the bottom cut you already did. And than go 2-5 mm further in the same “flat plane” This gives you a little “spring action” that holds the chip in place while wrapping. (see especially the 2e photo)
These are photo’s of dormant chip buds. But your doing summer chip budding. If done that to.
I like to wrap the top part of the chip bud first. 3-7 passes of parafilm, above the bud.
Than i wrap the bottom part, again 3-7 wraps. (2/3 is enough, but sometimes the chip is not touching the stock, and more wraps will pull/bend them together because of the increased pressure)
And when wrapping the bottom part i end by going 1-2 times over the bud.
When summer chip budding i go over the bud above the petiole (1-2 times) But i wrap around the petiole and the petiole base.
When the chip heals, the rootstock sends up hormones to the chip bud which make it eject the petiole. And thus gives you an easy sign if it took or not. For this to work the petiole has to be able to fall off.
Are you planning on forcing the chips when they eject the petiole? or will you leave them till after next dormant season?
The bottom photo in your post is wrapped the best imo. Although you could have left a mm more space below the petiole. And you could have wrapped over the bud above the petiole. I don’t think it matters that much though.
as a last tip. Try to cut matching woody pieces in the chip and the receiving slot. If the wood that’s showing is roughly the same, the cambium is matching. Especially if chipping on older stock. The thickness difference in bark can be quite substantial, also due to the angle your cutting trough the bark to make the receiving slot.
did you do all your chip budding for the year? or still have some scion buds left?
My posted pictures where from when i just learned to chip bud. (i think 20-30 chip buds in)
I could probably make some better ones tomorrow or the day after. Also showing the inner part of the chip and receiving slot (with cambium etc)
