I cut strips out of plastic bread bags.
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I have been using the 3M Temflex 2155. As pointed out above, full width is too much for small scions. I slit it down to what ever width makes it easy for me to work with. Half width, or even quarter width for really small stuff.
I like it because it is easy to work with and very forgiving. I have not had any issues with overheating of the graft union in the summer months like Stan mentioned above, but I suspect my summers are milder than his.
This stuff only holds together for about a year. It cracks and separates after a year, which I really appreciate.
That being said, I have not tried any of the other varieties mentioned above, so I can’t compare.
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Hi Jordan,
I seal my scions with parafilm down to include the bottom base bud
For the graft union I use several items:
- For smaller 3/8” minus scions I use 1” wide plastic strips that I cut from bags that my newspapers come in. As the diameter increases and I feel I am not closing the gaps with enough pressure,I use wide rubber bands on top of my plastic strips to cinch up the graft union pressure. These rubbers cannot stay on beyond the 3-4 week of callousing without girdling the graft. So I go back once buds break out to carefully remove all rubbers.
- For larger diameters of scions and in barkgrafts, I tend to use rubber electrical tape after sealing the graft union with my 1” wide plastic strips. I remove the electrical tape as soon as the scions are actively growing, I just cut the electrical tape without damaging the bark since it only sticks to my plastic sealing. Then I reseal with only the plastic strips and apply a splint to guard against bird landings and to support any vertical growth that could break the graft union due to increasing weight.
- For very tender bark as in pawpaws I use only plastic strips after applying parafilm to the graft union and about 1 week to 10 days after the buds break out and active growth begins, remove the plastic strips.
Hope this helps
Dennis
Kent, wa
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There sure are a lot of parafilms being offered these days. The arms on my plum are 2" - 4" in diameter. Which parafilm would you choose for bench grafting?
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I use your 2155- cut it lengthwise in 3 parallel strips and it should stretch slowly to a very thin piece that will stick to itself as you apply it. I put it underneath my Buddy tape. Once you get the hang of it I think you’ll really like it.
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I use the Temflex 2155 sometimes, sliced lengthwise and stretched thin, parafilm either under or over. I also use parafilm under grafting rubbers, probably my go-to.
as i understood it, parafilm is a trademark. So there is supposed to be only one. (from the bemis corporation)
Parafilm M (M usually not written online for convenience)
Is a laboratory film used to seal petri dishes. But is also used to seal wounds of cut banana’s. And for grafting.
If seen it on differently sized rolls. 2" and 4" wide.
I use the 4" wide and cut it in 4" long strips of differing width. Mostly 1/2-3/4" wide.
Those work fine for bench grafting. I use 1-2 strips per graft for longer W&T. And 0.5-1 strips for most chip budding.
There are also grafting tapes from aglis corporation. Called medifilm and buddytape. They differ slightly.
for grafting thicker limbs you can cut a longer piece of parafilm lengthwise. But i would follow up with electrical tape or something. Since the parafilm isn’t as strong. or you would have to apply multiple layers.
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Whatever I can buy for cheap on eBay. I cover the entire scion in parafilm (before grafting it), so I use quite a big amount of this stuff.
Seal- R- film is another brand that was easily available last year. I don’t remember what company produced it. It was sold as laboratory film also.
It seemed a little thicker than Parafilm to me. It was less expensive than the Parafilm and worked well for me. The employees at my friends nursery who grafted every day did not like as well though . They said that the Parafilm stayed in place better after they wrapped the scions.
I learned to wrap my scions using the Seal-R-film so I had no issues with it staying in place. I have several rolls now so I will use it again this season unless there is an issue with the paraffin film as it ages. I do not know how well.it stores.
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I’ve had really good luck with the old fashioned (bituminous?) hockey grip tape for reinforcing and drawing together grafts. I apply it over the parafilm. It’s quite strong, and is sort of double sided in that it sticks to itself both ways. It tears into strips like cloth medical tape does, so I can get the width I need- often around 1/4”. It does have to be manually removed later, but really helps when top working vigorous stuff where the graft is going to shoot up 6’ with no significant knitting of the graft.
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Friction tape?
This question is very timely for me since I just received the exact same roll yesterday in the mail. I cut a small piece to examine it and felt it was way thick compare to parafilm. I tried stretching the small piece and it broke apart much quicker and didn’t stretch as much as the roll of parafilm.
Are you talking about splicing tape? It’s not meant to be a comparable product to Parafilm; rather complimentary in this use case.
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If you have it and it works for you, go with it! I just prefer the stretch of splicing tape because I can get a better hold on the graft union.
Yeah, I was referring to the new roll of 3M Temflex 2155 I just received. Somehow, I was under the false impression that its characteristic would be similar to parafilm but slightly thicker.
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Ahhh. Well, if you cut it with a pair of scissors in 3 strips like I said above and stretch it slowly, it will definitely expand like Buddy tape, but it doesn’t necessarily perform the same function. I use the temflex for structural support and the Buddy tape to prevent dessication.
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Bingo.
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The professionals at my friends nursery use Parafilm to cover the entire scion and to seal the graft contact area, then they use strips of plastic ribbon that doesn’t stretch much at all to secure the graft. They do this process at amazing speeds. I mimic their methods until it comes to securing the graft, my mangled hands just are not capable of nimbly tying those short little ribbon pieces. I wrap mine with the narrowest cellophane tape that I can find. I can wrap and break fairly quickly and easily. I just no longer have the dexterity to do the quick little tie .
The wrapping with cellophane lets my clumsy self get a good tight fit.
I have not tried the grafting rubbers or the stretchy rubber tape, but I intend to soon.
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I’ve been experimenting, it seems if I stretch the tape a good bit, the liner breaks and I can peel it off. I think that might make it stickier.
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I use Temflex 2155 in recent years and found the take rate of peach graft increased. Using Temflex 2155 to tape the grafting unit together, I don’t need to peel it off after the graft take and the joint started to grow/thickened . The tape will split itself without girdle the branch.
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