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nafex - [NAFEX] Any opinions on my grafting problem?

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  • From: Jwlehman@aol.com
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Any opinions on my grafting problem?
  • Date: Thu, 5 May 2005 08:41:02 EDT

A few scions I placed in a glass of water while preparing the rootstock, mostly I
just worked quick so the scion wouldn't dry out. I grafted about 10 of each fruit type, mostly using a cleft graft, whip-and-tongue on a few.

Dear Friendly27,

Regarding placing them in a glass of water while preparing the understock, I believe and always do prepare the understock first. Always! I can't say from experience that placing them in water hurts them, but can't see any possibility of doing any good except preventing moisture loss which is avoided when attaching the scion immediately after preparing. A few years back after someone told me of keeping them moist in the mouth in saliva I tried it. Three of three persimmon grafts took and grew. Looked like a good idea. Next spring all three were dead which is not normally a problem with persimmon.

On occasions when something goes wrong and I need to rework the understock I place the scion in my mouth, suspending it away from saliva with my lips and teeth and exhale across the scion. The humidity of my breath should be nearly 100% preventing moisture loss in the scion wood.

There are, I find, two graft methods being called cleft graft. One is the old method where the understock is split. The other is where the scion below the bud is shaved in half, the long half below the bud cut into a V then the understock cut off, bark cut into a matching V, brought together and wrapped.  Although the old cleft graft works, little cambium is brought together between the understock and scion causing a high failure rate. The same would be true for the modified version. From what people have said over the years of cleft failures my recommendation is to use the bark and whip & tongue as you did on a few. Prunus doesn't graft as reliably as Malus and Pyrus. You said you used mostly cleft and assume that holds true on the peaches you grafted. As peach bark splits easily I stay away from using the bark graft on it. If you have access to a mechanical "V" bench grafter use it or whip & tongue.

You did the correct thing by aligning one side where the scion and understock didn't match sidewise. But matching all the way around is best. 

Also I like to graft Prunus after growth has begun, after bud swell yet while the scions are fully dormant. My limited experience with Prunus has been once the scion buds have begun to swell success percentage drops drastically.  Store Prunus as nearly to 32 F as you can to prevent early bud swell. My scion refrigerator is set to it's coldest position. Water will develop ice on the bottom. Storing near the freezing point is important to hold Prunus.  

My observations and opinions. Others may not agree fully.

Jerry
 




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