Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - [NAFEX] Re: Using electrical tape for grafting

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: longdistshtr <longdistshtr@shtc.net>
  • To: NAFEX <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Re: Using electrical tape for grafting
  • Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 11:31:26 -0500

Two quickies about "electrical tape": The type to use for grafting is
referred to as "splicing tape". It is rubber and comes with a backing
(paper, fabric). It is more expensive than most plastic electrician's tapes.
Jerry mentioned about using the white vs. the black. I have never seen the
white type of rubber splicing type but I would use it because I have lost
several grafts to sun heated unions until I started using aluminum foil to
cover my grafts.
One advantage of using rubber splicing tape over Parafilm is that it
provides a stronger support for the coadunate juncture (growing union). If
you allow ANY movement between the scion and stock while they are growing
together, you are practically assured of failure. I believe that this is the
reason why bark grafting and chip grafting is better than cleft grafting for
beginners. I have always had better success with cleft grafting inside away
from any possible movement due to wind and heat from sunlight. "Perfect"
matching of stock and scion plus tacking them together reduces movement in
cleft grafts. Mechanical immobility of the union is very important as is
avoidance of wide variations of graft temperatures.
Seems to me that masking tape's big advantage, other than being inexpensive,
is it has strong resistance to movement. Rubber strips and tapes allow
continued constriction but allow some stretch movement which may be
desirable in some cases. Parafilm allows buds to penetrate it without
sacrificing immobility.
Doc Lisenby
Zone 7/8





  • [NAFEX] Re: Using electrical tape for grafting, longdistshtr, 03/18/2004

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page