I got a toothpick size peach scion, I am seeking the suggestions of the best way to graft it.
The toothpick size scion is so thin and difficult to handle. Not alone how much energy it has stored to survive the traumatized grafting event. I have been thinking maybe I just graft it with an angle, say 30 degree angle ( less angle should have bigger contact area)to the stock , this way I have at least 4 points that the stock and scion’s cambium layer are contacted.
My questions
1)how big the area, or minimum area the cambium layer (of the rootstock and scion) has to touch in order to healing the wounds and grow together?
2) which way has higher chances of success, line up the cambium layer on one side ( for my case thicker stock thin scion. Lined up cambium layer is kind trial and miss game), or has 2 points on each side of cambium layer touch each other (this refer to cleft / side grafting the scion with an angle to the rootstock )?
Bark graft. Just make sure you do a small back cut at the end of the Scion to have more cambium exposure.you can look at Dr Yao on you tube about bark graft jujube.
Tony
Tony, thanks. How big a chance to bark graft a scion to a rootstock branch?
You can use a side grafting technique as well. I cut a horizontal deep slit in the bark and cut the scionwood to make contact. Looks like this example i did years ago using western sand cherry as rootstock and japanese plum as scion wood.
I bark graft scion that small, too. Bark graft gives me very good cambium contact. The only caution I have is if it is a graft on a horizonal position, make sure the graft on the top, not the bottom or on the side of a branch.
I would bark graft too.
I hedge my bets by parafilm.wrapping scion in as close to a single layer of wrap as i can get, and by shaving the outer bark on the back side of the scion (opposite the angled cut) to expose more cambium on the scion side, shaving the outer bark back about 2/3 to 3/4 as high as the angled cut
This is a very nicely done side graft, thumbs up
Thank you! Bob Purvis and NAFEX deserve the credit for teaching me the technique. Years ago I told Bob i was having trouble with cleft, whip, rind aka bark grafts taking with apricots and some peaches and he suggested side grafts. Very high take rates comparitively to what i had with other techniques on some stone fruits but the angle is not as preferred as it is with cleft or bark. I dont graft stone fruit much but its a good technique worth consideration. Knowing what i do now tbud is ideal in most situations regarding stone fruit.
@ mamuang and Mark you both voted for bark grafting. I know bark graft works well in practice and I think your experiences and recommendation very likely is the best solution. However, I need to work out a question in my head first.
When we do grafting, the scions are cut in flat surface and the rootstock cambium is on an arched/curved/rounded surface (assume the tree trunk/branch is perfectly round ) . When we do the bark grafting, insert the scion under between the bark and cambium layer, theoretically only the sharp point of the scion’s inside cambium layer has a dot contact with the rootstock’s cambium layer (a flat surface against a curved surface ,both sides of the flat surface will not make contacts to the curved surface if the surface is centered. Only the center of the flat surface makes a line contact with the curved surface. However in our cases, that center of the flat surface is wood, not cambium layer so there is no way can contribute to the grafting taking rate), am I correct? If the outside of scion is shaved, the outside the scion cambium layer will make contact with the bark after the graft is wrapped up. Now my question is : the graft take because of the contact to bark side ( I have to say there will be full contacts between bark and the scion )which makes the bark a part of cambium layer that contributed to the success?? And if it is indeed the bark contact made the grafting successful then I would think shaving off a larger area would increase the taking rate. Any comments to my reasonings and conclusions?
My understanding is most all wood growth is at the cambium level, inner edges of it become xylem/phloem and essentially dead structural tissue as cambium grows outward, and differentiates inward, thickening the wood layer. When you bark graft (or other grafts) the wood/wood interface may never actually close, the cambium knits together and as that differentiates you have united wood overlaid all around that initial cut, thickening each year.
I might be wrong but that is my understanding, if the initial wood to wood ever does scarify together it is certainly slower than the actual cambium knitting.
That is why I shave the bark graft, to increase cambium contact. I do believe it helps my take rates.
As a side note cambium is actively growing tissue: it may require rootstock:scion contact to feed the scion, but the long sliver of cambium touching bare wood on a bark graft, cleft, etc. may still play an active role in anchorage as it differentiates into wood at its union face with the rootstock wood, i dont know but suspect it may as part of scarification and healing.
This part I have read some where and understand.
Mark, I would think wood to wood fused together is different than cambium knitting( using knitting here because I don’t know the correct term to use. I am electrical engineer, not a biologist😬). I do think wood to wood is something like wet clay sticks together after dry into a brick . Wood doesn’t grow into each other but cambium layers do. This just me to think out loud, or a discussion, or my hypothesis…
I think you are right on this. Very interesting point. Enjoyed your response:+1:
Annie,
I am a Social Worker. I’ll keave the explaining to Mark.
I vote for bark graft as well. I started using them last year and had good success. I previously tried a few side grafts which failed, but that could just be my bad technique.
Here’s a post (with pics) I made about how I made bark grafts (the ones that worked):
The link is about cherries, but the same technique worked with peaches.
Thanks for sharing the detailed pictures.very helpful. Did you grafted on end of a branch, not on main trunk, right? Was the branch a last years grow, or doesn’t matter?
I’ve done it on both branches and trunks. One thing which you need for bark grafts is the bark to be “slipping”. That happens when the tree starts to wake up in the spring. Without that (ie if you can’t peel the bark back), it would be very difficult to bark graft.
I understand. Do you think the branches towards to top might have better taking rate for it gets more nutrients supplied by the tree?
Glad to know another social worker on this forum. It’s funny, I just sent wallace woodstock the wrong payment amount (they only accept checks thru snail mail), and my excuse to them was, sorry I got the math wrong, that’s why I’m a social worker.
Yes, good sun exposure should help for all types of grafts. Lower or shaded grafts often take, but then grow very little.
Great. Thanks a lot:+1:
I would wrap the scion in parafilm before grafting then make your cut right through the film. This will keep it from drying out. After grafting carefully wrap from the parent tree up to the graft covering the union in parafilm. Then secure with electrical tape or elastic band.
I have done these by picking a small caliber vigorous sucker that is perhaps 2-3 times the size of the scion and simply do a cleft graft. Worked for me.
For stone fruits I have best success waiting for leaf break from the buds. Seems that then you are usually past frosts and the sap is running well. Usually 2-3 weeks after I am done grafting my pears/apples.