"What does “slipping bark” as I see everywhere in the written instructions actually mean?
"T-budding must be done when the bark will ‘slip.’ Slipping means that, when cut, the bark easily lifts or peels in one uniform layer from the underlying wood without tearing. The exact time when this condition occurs depends on soil moisture, temperature, and time of year. It varies with species and variety. Dry or excessively hot or cold weather can shorten the period when bark slips. Irrigation can be valuable in extending the T-budding season.”
To my astonishment my casual attempt at T-budding last summer worked. Beginner’s luck no doubt.
It was warm enough that the white stuff in the bud actually fell off leaving only the green part of the bark. I feel that this is the reason that the graft worked.
Congratulations on your success!
Is this necessary? Realistically, what are we talking about in terms of ambient temperature when they talk about “slipping bark”? 60 degrees? 90 degrees? What?
@fruitnut always told me stick with standard grafts until the warmer summer like weather hits then switch to tbuds. Some question when to begin grafting.and @scottfsmith has answered it well here Optimal field grafting times in spring