I’m trying to buy some more parafilm tape, and everything on Amazon that has the word “parafilm“ in the title is actually this cellophane crap that looks like Saran Wrap once you actually look at the description. Which is not something I’ve ever been successful with.
Like this:
Google Parafilm M. Buy this brand.
YES! What the heck is up with that? I finally gave in and bought some of the cheap looking stuff because I couldn’t find where to buy authentic parafilm (that would ship to California!).
Parafilm is very hard to get right now. If you do find it, the price will be high. Ebay has it if you need it.
I switched to buddy tape (from ebay) since I couldn’t find good parafilm anymore. Most local grafters by me seem to prefer buddy tape over parafilm but I prefer parafilm just because it’s what I’m used to. I think buddy tape is technically a better product once you’re used to it though.
I had the same problem, and parafilm m is way mor expensive got mine here this year, good price. Parafilm Nursery Grafting Tape
I always find it available on Ebay.
Is it a China/pandemic thing or is it something else?
I wonder if they are phasing it out? The Oseco link above is out of stock but harmony farm supply has it:
I have a bunch of it so am set for about five years, otherwise I would hoard some now.
Oh here is a place selling it by the box… that is how I buy it:
Fedco where I got mine for $6 including free shipping. They are out but will be available April 1.
It was always one of the perks of beimg a biologist, parafilm m was in almost every lab i was in and very readily available for sealing culture dishes, etc….
Mine from “laboratory appropriations” is now well over ten years old and getting brittle but i had 2 large rolls…
IDK where you’ve looked but Parafilm M, in many configurations, is readily available from multiple online sources. I usually buy the 2"x250’ roll…cut into 6" x 2/3" strips, a roll usually lasts me 2-3 years.
My one experience using the ‘grafting tape’ formulation was less than impressive. IMO, it is a very prominent inferior product, compared to Parafilm M.
Fwiw and as warning i agree 100%, i bought parafilm grafting and loathe the stuff
Parafilm for lab is supple and thin, the grafting stuff is coarse, thick, and more prone to random tearing than to actually stretching for wrapping like parafilm m does…. AVOID parafilm grafting, at all costs.
I love it! I’m probably on my 20th roll by now. We have had several debates here on this, some people love it some hate it. The half inch stuff… now that I do hate, it breaks too easily.
Bemis is not phasing it out. However, they told me they had unusually high demand for the product.
I’m just guessing, but one effect of the pandemic was that a lot of people basically started to think like preppers (or maybe it was cabin fever), nursery sales went through the roof, and nurseries are buying up more stock and equipment to meet demand (assuming demand stays up).
Some places have it on backorder right now till April, so I don’t even think it’s going to be out of stock for very long. It looks like there is an Amazon seller (fulfilled by Amazon) still selling it by the box, and it looks in stock (1 inch rolls).
I like them equally. The problem with parafilm M is conversely the same. It’s not strong enough to be self supporting unless you use a lot of it, especially if you’re using larger/stiffer caliper scion/rootstock, which makes it harder to come off naturally. You need a budding band or maybe tape.
The other problem is that parafilm M doesn’t naturally come in 1 inch width, unless you don’t mind short pieces. You have to buy a 2" or 4" roll and score it to get a 1" width, which I have done before. It’s a bit tedious to carry around in the field that way unless you can get it rewound.
I hate the .5 rolls. The 1 inch work out nicely. I still have a few boxes in storage. I like that grafting parafilm is a bit more stiff, you can get away not using any budding bands or additional security of scion/bud to the rootstock.
I do think that parafilm M has it’s place. It just requires additional support, but it is far easier to wrap.
Interesting other inputs here…for me anyway, i do often use 3-4 pieces of parafilm m and bulk up the wrap at the union to hold things, but i have never had an issue with it coming off—a few months in the sun, a season at most, and it cracks from the sunlight.
The ease of wrapping for me more than makes up for using a few extra strips.
Apparently these people have it:
The only situation where I find Parafilm M unreservedly superior is in bark grafting. I am going to use tape anyways and the wider width of the Parafilm M in combination with it’s easier extensibility means you can use a single piece to cover the exposed end of the rootstock.
I was wondering about that as well. Good to hear, I have gotten in a good groove using it and don’t want to switch now.