Figured someone else will appreciate a new grafting method. I found this article interesting http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/landscape/plant-propagation/the-four-flap-graft/ . The techniques of using the foil and glue is something I’m learning to use to hedge my odds of success. I’m going to learn to graft filberts and the challenges increase in nut grafting over normal fruit tree grafting. This year I noticed my take rates greatly increased when wrapping the scions with parafilm over not doing it on sweet cherries. Wanted to study it further so I grafted a dozen grafts and wrapped with parafilm and a dozen without and the parafilm grafts leafed out faster. I’m going to try some summer pear grafts this year which I have never done to test some of the methods.
Last summer I put on 8 summer w&t grafts of apples and they all took. About a week ago I put on 6 cleft grafts of pears but it is to early to see how they will do.
Bill,
What was your summer grafting technique? Did you use the normal methods you would in the cooler season.
The eight I grafted last year were normal for the most part but scion wood was current year wood. After looking back at my last seasons records four were w&t and four were side grafts to similar size side limbs and I cut the above section off after about two weeks. Unfortunately my records did not indicate whether or not I used parafilm. I trimmed the leaves off the scion so they looked like dormant two bud sticks. Not sure if there are any significant advantage to doing these type grafts over a simple chip bud. Bill
What is your plan for the scion wood? Will you collect green scion?
I do a 3 or 4-flap ‘banana’ graft with large-caliper pecan/hickory/walnut scionwood, but have never tried it - nor felt the need to try it - with anything else… a simple bark graft or W&T is so successful with virtually all other species of fruit/nut/ornamental woodies, that I can’t see the need in doing the banana graft - unless the scion you have is 3/4" or larger.
If you can get everything lined up just right and held in place properly while you’re wrapping, there certainly is a lot more points of cambium contact than with any other graft technique, but it’s the last one I want to do, just because it’s more than just a little bit of trouble to do.
I still have lots of pear and apple scions but for filberts I will need to purchase those when I can find them.
They do appear to take a great deal of time.