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  • From: tanis <tanistanis@hotmail.com>
  • To: "nafex@lists.ibiblio.org" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [nafex] article "Learning Grafting"
  • Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 21:22:05 +0000

Somewhere I have a CD with photos. Not sure how to add them, though.

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The graft union's mending begins with formation of callus, then this
differentiates into the functional parts. These steps happen best in
conditions of enough moisture and oxygen and proper temperature. Apples and
pears manage this in a range of conditions, and pears have the widest window.
So begin with pears if you can.
Collect good scionwood. Choose "one-year wood", that which was new green
growth in the past growing season. I've succeeded with two-year wood, but
this is more likely to have fruit buds, which don't grow much. The more
vertical the shoot, the more in the sun, the closer to the top of the tree,
the better the scionwood. Should be free of disease, and it should have
hardened off properly, i.e., matured before autumn and has no dead leaves nor
petioles attached. Collect before the first spring growth on ANY tree/shrub
in the spring. Ideally, collect before any extreme winter weather, especially
thaws. Most lessons recommend "pencil sized" scions. I prefer "thinner than a
cheap ball-point pen, but thicker than the ink tube."
Clip off the tips of the scions, especially if these are much fuzzier than
the rest-- didn't mature fully. If tips look OK, they can be used for
grafting, but are a little awkward to handle and then want even more water
for proper growth than do the lesser buds. Put scions into clean, labelled,
plastic bags. Put these into another plastic bag which contains a wet
paper-towel. Store in a refrig which (ideally, but may not be practical)
isn't opened often, and contains no fruit and no veggies older than one week.
Check the moisture of the paper-towel occasionally, adding water if drying
out. Also check for bud growth. They shouldn't break dormancy if the refrig
is cold, and collection was before much spring weather. Pears and crabapples
and fruit buds tend to grow first. Some people store their scionwood in the
freezer. I've never tried this, but it might be a way to store scionwood
until budding season, or even the next spring's graft season.
"Bench grafting" refers to timing: it's done during the dormant season, on
rootstocks which were dug in the autumn and stored. I prefer "nursery
grafting" in May, which for me gives better success rates than bench
grafting. But, bench grafts might be done on rootstocks which you've just
bought, then you plant them in the nursery row in the spring; while nursery
grafting takes more planning. Rootstocks grow in the nursery row for a year,
then the grafting. Try to finish before Memorial Day. If you run late, the
buds may not grow much (then they have another year in the nursery!) but if
they grow any green leaves which last til autumn, they should grow well the
next year.
Use "splice graft" method for the union. It's the safest and easiest, maybe
also the fastest. Use any good knife with a straight edge and not much
side-to-side play. Sharpen it, wash it, and use a separate tool for cutting
the wraps. My preferred wrap is rubber electrician's splicing tape, also
called self-fusing rubber tape. Parafilm is a better wrap for scrawny scions.
Both tapes need a pre-stretch. Remember to knock off any buds-- on the
rootstock and the scion-- which would end up under the wrap. A demonstration
of all this is nice, but really it's just trying it, then practice, that
matters. Many graft demonstrators forget to mention that the scionwood should
end up with only one or 2 buds. I've forgotten to tell students that the
rootstock's shoot, where you are grafting to, should be cut back so you are
using the woody part instead of the new green part.
I'm in southern WI, where most Mays are humid, so I don't bother coating
grafts and scions with wax. I don't shade them. No fuss except for extra
water, a little fertilizer if needed. For storing scionwood, I don't dip the
cut ends in wax. The ends dry out anyway, and you have to cut off anything
with wax on it so it doesn't contaminate the graft union. I avoid shipped
scionwood, unless I can go get it and haul it in a cooler with ice. I get 1/2
the rate of success from shipped scions. Maybe they get too warm for too long.

Eventually the biggest problem you will have with grafting is what to do with
all the trees. Not joking. Have a plan to transplant and stay ahead of
trees growing in the nursery row a year or 2 or 3 too long.



  • [nafex] article "Learning Grafting", tanis, 01/16/2014

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