Wax for scion rooting & grafting?

[franc1969]

I found one recipe for wax as .25 paraffin to .1 beeswax. Is this the same ratio you would use for rooting and for grafting? I previously wrapped fig wood for rooting in parafilm or in buddy tape. I don’t have enough for that today. I’m looking to dip fig, elderberry, gooseberry, etc. I will wrap graft unions, but I’d also like to use wax on scion beforehand, for apple, peach, and pear.

[franc1969]

Oh, also grape, cuttings and grafts.

[Fusion_power]

That recipe would be too brittle to make a good grafting wax. A standard recipe is 3 parts rosin to 7 parts wax. Since I am a beekeeper, I have an abundance of bees wax and I can often harvest rosin from pine trees affected by borers.

[disc4tw]

@Barkslip has a good recipe for this too.

[franc1969]

I think I found the 25/1 from Dax, not sure as I looked around too long. I just need to get these waxed tonight, or I won’t be able to get to them until Thursday

[clarkinks]

@39thparallel and others graft thousands of benchgrafts it would be best to ask them. Parafilm works fine for wrapping my field grafts.

[RedSun]

For my hardwood cuttings, I just use plain wax to protect the top ends. I limit the amount of the moisture, so this has not been any problem with me. Grafting may have more requirement.

Anyone using thick paint instead of wax? Just a thought comes to mind.

Those two pots are buried in ground. They are too large to keep inside.

[marknmt]

@RedSun

Anyone using thick paint instead of wax? Just a thought comes to mind.

Good thought. Along the same lines isn’t a drop of white glue (Elmer’s, or whatever) usable here too?

[RedSun]

@marknmt

@RedSun

Anyone using thick paint instead of wax? Just a thought comes to mind.

Good thought. Along the same lines isn’t a drop of white glue (Elmer’s, or whatever) usable here too?

I’ve heard and seen people doing that. I like hot wax. It is so easy and not messy.

[franc1969]

I think I saw GnarlyPippins on Instagram using bright blue paint mixed with glue, for grafting. I am happy with buying buddy tape and treekote. I am not going to do much in the field. I was just hoping that the ratios were the same, so I could just melt and keep one mix.

[Barkslip]

Waxing scions vs parafilm, vs au naturel

Waxing Deciduous Dax’s Recipe Box of paraffin wax from grocery or hardware store. Cut the box in half. That gives you (8) pieces. Cut those in half. You now have (16) 1 oz pieces. For 1 gallon: 1 piece (1 oz) For Field Grafting: 1 piece (1 oz) + .25 oz. Beeswax Heat wax + water to 180F and allow to drop to 160F. Once at 160F start dipping quickly if temperature cannot be kept. A 1.1 liter deep fryer is the best way I know to dip scions. Fill with water leaving 1" of the reservoir at the t…

[Fusion_power]

I’ve made walnut and pecan grafts using butyl rubber caulk. The success rate was always less than waxed grafts. I have had good success with whip and tongue grafts using electrical tape. Here in the deep south, this works better with gray electrical tape than with black because the black gets too hot in direct sun. I’ve seen video of Bill Reid using a dot of elmers on top of a scion to seal the end.

I’m going to extend this just a bit by asking if anyone could use a pound or so of beeswax for grafting. If so, send me a PM and I will see if I have enough to go around. I think I have about 10 pounds. I will sell it for $5 per pound plus whatever shipping costs. That probably means about $12 total in a USPS priority box.

[Barkslip]

I like glue too for dabbing the end, Darryl. Yep. Put the bottle in your shirt pocket and dab it.

[franc1969]

Adding a question to my own topic- what do you use for field grafting /top working a tree? For sealing around graft between old tree bark and new graft. I had cheese wax in mind from some thread somewhere, but don’t have any, and the place is closed tomorrow when I am there.