Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - Re: [NAFEX] successful bud grafts

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Stefan Brandle <sbrandle@css.tayloru.edu>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] successful bud grafts
  • Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2004 11:26:57 -0500

On Aug 17, 2004, at 10:55 PM, Bob Hartman wrote:
. . .

* I let the buds dry out in transit. Don't think that's a problem. They went straight from cutting to my mouth, and were taken out
only when ready to be inserted.

Why put them in your mouth? I never cut the bud until I am ready to insert it. From the time I cut it off the bud stick until it is in place is about 3 to 5 seconds.

I had the same question. You mouth is full of bacteria, viruses, mammalian growth factors, enzymes that break down plant material, and who knows what else. I would try not to touch the cut surface with either my fingers or my mouth if possible. But I've never done bud grafting, so maybe that's not an issue.

Good question. It seemed easier to prepare a bunch of buds at once. I read or heard somewhere that commercial budders put a bunch of buds in their mouths and spit them out as necessary. So saliva, human viruses, etc. didn't count. There was a non-totally scientific report in Pomona a while back about how clean the grafts had to be. As I recall, this guy was answering a question about that from his niece (?) by doing an experiment. Although not exactly conclusive, he reported that the cleanliness wasn't such a big deal.
However, it makes sense that you might as well have everything involved be as
clean as possible. So I'll try again -- I know it's late -- and see whether I
can keep everything properly clean. Wish me luck. :-)

-- sb In zone 5b wondering where I left my grafting knives. Last time, my
knife showed up the day after I had given up hunting, purchased and received
a new grafting knife! Are you sure these things are truly inanimate?






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page