North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Mark Lee" <markl@nytec.com>]

Lucky,
So many ways to do grafting.  I use grafting/budding rubber and Parafilm
also, but I do my layers in the opposite order.  I wrap with the rubber
strip first so I can see that there is a good connection between the two
pieces, and then I apply Parafilm over the graft union and out to the
end of the scion.  Almost all my grafts are cleft grafts with scion and
rootstock of same diameter. The only apples and pears that didn't take
last year were on rootstock that died.  I tried cleft grafting of cherry
in the spring, and these all died.  This year I am going to try bud
grafting cherry.

Why do I prefer the cleft graft?  I like the way that the scionwood
stays in position as I wrap it.  Unlike whip-and-tongue which often
slipped out of alignment for me, the cleft graft alignment seems to
improve when I wrap it.  Another thing I like is that the rootstock and
scion don't have to be the same diameter.

There are probably as many ways to graft as there are people grafting.
I love the diversity.
-Mark Lee, Seattle, zone 8A