I got some grafting rubbers on a whim but I don’t like them. I can handle rubber bands much easier. I can send them off to be a part of the trial of you like.
Parafilm M and Temflex 2155 are my go-to grafting materials.
Temflex used to be about $2 a roll. Yesterday, I saw $4+ at Home Depot!!!
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unles im mistaken you have a 2" wide roll of parafilm.
If find that a little wide to comfortably work with.
I tend to prefer strips up until my thumbs thickness. It’s easier to correctly stretch and apply that way.
You could try cutting a strip of the parafilm lengthways in 2 or 3 strips (1" and <1" wide)
and see if you prefer that.
I’m a big fan of parafilm 
the temflex rubber splicing tape here is hard to source or 16 euro per roll!
So i have no experiance with that.
I have used vinyl 3M temflex to label stuff and strengthen (tape over parafilm) larger grafts. I do however manually remove that. Where i can just let the parafilm fall of on it’s own.
i hope you enjoy the parafilm as much as i do. For me it was a huge upgrade over the “regular” grafting tape on your picture (3e)
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I cut my Parafilm into 6-inch lengths, then split those lengthwise into three 2/3- inch wide strips…works better, in my hands, than 1- inch wide strips.
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I just ordered online from Home Depot a Templed tape for $3.08, with tax it’s $3.28, free delivery.
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Yes. I’m doing bark grafts on stumps. A wide width is desirable for wrapping the stump. Historically (20 years ago) I never wrapped scions. I’ve never observed the practice commercially. I can see how narrower strips are better for that purpose. I might give it a try this time around.
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I use bicycle innertube for my bark grafts. It has a nice flexibility and does the job where normal grafting rubbers are too small. I got a good supply of used bike inner tubes for free from a bike shop.
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What size do you cut the tubes to?
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I cut them into 1 - 1-1/2" wide strips and can get several long strips out of each tube. I just wrap the graft and tuck in the tail to secure it, and then cut off the extra.
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Nice work. Thanks.
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I’m another one who uses Temflex + Parafilm M (2" wide rolls). I’ve tried all kinds of different materials. Of the ones I’ve tried, I prefer the Temflex/Parafilm combo. I’ve tried another brand of rubber splicing tape (can’t remember which one) and it didn’t have the same stretchy properties as Temflex, so went back to Temflex.
Like so many others, I split it down the middle, cut off about 2" (for 1/4" grafts) pre-stretch it, peel off any remaining backing (the backing pretty much falls off anyway during pre-stretching) wrap the graft with it, cover over the whole graft with parafilm. I use the same technique budding or grafting.
For big grafts, I don’t split the Temflex. I’ve not tried not splitting the Temflex for smaller grafts, as Bob does. I’ve always split it for the small grafts. Maybe I’ll try that. We leave the Temflex on till it degrades by itself for grafts. For budding, we cut the tape off, after they’ve callused in, so we can inspect the buds and paint around them.
We only budded about 50 peach rootstocks last fall (short of rootstocks, so had to buy even unpatented trees this year). My hired man checked and recorded all the “takes” about a month ago. We only had one which was a failure.
However, we generally bud at least two buds to a rootstock (for insurance) sometimes more. So the take rate really isn’t 49 out of 50 for peaches. The 49 out of 50 means that there was at least one viable bud which “took” on a rootstock.
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I went to Lowe’s… last spring and got this roll of scotts brand rubber electrical tape. 2242.
It works great… sticks great stretches and pulls tight great. Love it. I put on parafilm first… then tape.
Modified cleft on goumi.
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I wonder if I can use this as a replacement for Templex 2155 electrical tape, my husband has this at home, Home Depot sent an email said it’s out.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Scotch-3-4-in-x-66-ft-x-0-007-in-35-Vinyl-Electrical-Tape-Red-10810-DL-2W/304653612
@SoCalGardenNut … noticed that is vinal tape.
I think you really need the rubber tape like I showed above… for it to have that great stretch and pull tight ability.
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I went to Lowes last year looking for a specific tape that others had mentioned here… they were out of it.
I asked if they had any other brands of rubber electrical tape… and they did. I tried the scotts brand 3m rubber tape and love it.
It is so stickey i would not put it directly on bark… put on parafilm first then tape.
Your HD may have some brand of rubber electrical tape… that may be just as good.
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Here it is from Lowes, lucky the rain stopped when we were out. It’s $3.18 from Lowes 10c more than Home Depot, but they have it.
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I have a question about this tape, it seems thick, so how do you get them to stick together. It didn’t seem to stretch easily either.
I just did a quick graft for learning here.
I find that you can stretch it out quite a ways; I think I learned that from @olpea. Could it be a temperature thing?
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