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nafex - [NAFEX] Re: Grafting Questions / Comments

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  • From: Console G4 <b.cannon@worldnet.att.net>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Re: Grafting Questions / Comments
  • Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 12:34:11 -0500

Hi Grafters,

I have followed the thread on grafting wax and grafting with interest. I placed some selected snips below my own comments.

Leonard seems to be a good supplier of many nursery/grove items.

Most of my experience is with tropicals and subtropicals which on the whole seem to be a bit less tough than temperate hard woods. Some Eugenia sp. may be an exception as their wood is difficult to work for grafting. I have also done a few experiments with plastic tubing and soft tips on seedlings. I do not have a cutting machine to produce self locking unions (would love one to experiment with).

Grafting Wax: Used it a few times. Its the beeswax that helps keep it so soft. In my hot humid climate it did OK but I was not confident in it. Had to make a pot to melt it in and keep the brush from rolling onto the ground.

Parafilm® type M: The paper backed paraffin / plastic based tape is great. Seals to its self and is very stretchy. On small tender materials it may provide enough mechanical support to hold T buds, top grafts and small side veneer grafts. It produces an excellent water seal and my tests show that a bud will push through 4 layers of stretched tape (mango, carambola, avocado).

Parafilm® type F: A smaller with tape that seems a bit thicker and does not need any backing. Works the same as type M. Also tested and buds will push through 4 stretched layers.

Rubber Budding strips: Hold well for budding and grafts. Biodegrade in Florida sun. Cover with Parafilm or a plastic bag to keep from drying out.

Rubber Bands: Wide variation in usefulness - depends on manufacturers formulation. Some can be used as budding strips above. Cover to prevent drying out. I use these to tie protective plastic bags over the work.

Plastic Bags: One of the newer tools in the grafters arsenal. :) I prefer clear/translucent but have used white in a pinch. They work very well here both to keep a graft from drying out AND to protect the graft from our heavy rains. I use them to cover most of my buds / grafts.

Plastic Tape: The clear type works well and forms a water tight seal. Since it is not adhesive backed it is tied off. I have also been experimenting with a white tape. These are tough and I've never seen a bud push through. Left on a plant they can kill. They provide excellent support and I use these along with plastic bags in many grafts. I also sometimes use Parafilm for water proofing.

Grafting Knife: Now this is the BIGGIE in most grafting discussions. Thought is very diverse and I suspect that between 100 grafters you would find 80 'favorite' knives. Also 80 ways to sharpen them! I have a couple of real grafting knives as well as some other knives I use. The key is that any knife used must be well made. Even an old paring knife can be used. (In some cases fixed blade may be better than using a folder). Note I said well made, you can find a very few well made and inexpensive but most are more than the average person wants to spend.

Remember that all tapes are more water tight if you wrap from the bottom UP.

For a beginner or someone who does not want to learn how to care for a fine knife a razor blade in a handle works well. I use a single edge injector blade in an Exacto® handle. After 5-7 grafts I reverse the blade and make another 5-7 grafts. Besides always having a sharp blade I also find this much easier to keep clean (as opposed to a folding knife).

Cleanliness: Grafting works the best with a minimum of contamination and drying out. Clean your tools frequently, at least when switching from one variety to another. Clean your clippers too before gathering budwood. Wash your hands and work on a stable surface (budwood loves to roll off the table to the floor - especially if its rare and hard to find).

Thanks for reading my two cents worth. The best way to learn is to ask questions and when you can watch someone graft. Lists like this make it easier for a wider range of people to learn. I have a basic grafting kit available on my rarefruit website that includes the many of the materials above. (No grafting knife, but a handle and blades). Links are provided below. Feel free to contact me off list with specific questions on the kit.

Best of growing,

Bob Cannon
SW Florida USA
Home Page:
http://www.quisqualis.com./
Rare Fruit:
http://www.quisqualis.com/quisopen.html
Grafting Kit and More:
http://www.quisqualis.com/forsale.html



snip
nafex-request@lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1

Does anyone still make cleft grafting tools?
If not what do most people use now?

Rob


Message: 3
From: Ribes60@aol.com


I do not use grafting wax, parafine or any thing like that. I use a grafting rubber and cover it with parafilm, it has worked for me so I have never changed.
Ed Mashburn


Subject: [NAFEX] Re: Grafting wax is old technology.
To: <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <012d01c40bd8$e103ca60$2f01a8c0@THREEHILLSFARM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Ginda:

I went surfing a week ago for some grafting tape and ended up buying both a pound of grafting wax and a dozen rolls of Parafilm. I used a fabric-based grafting tape last year that had way too much adhesive on it and was a nuisance to cut with a razor blade 6 weeks later.
I've got a question for the list though. Will the Parafilm stay secure to the graft if a knot is tied in it at the end, or will I need to secure the Parafilm with a rubber budding band? How should Parafilm ideally be used? And if I need to subsequently wrap or dip the graft with something in addition to the Parafilm, why bother with it at all?

John






  • [NAFEX] Re: Grafting Questions / Comments, Console G4, 03/17/2004

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