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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Grafting Persimmon - What works best?

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  • From: Lucky Pittman <lucky.pittman@murraystate.edu>
  • To: Peter Chrisbacher <pxbacher.ls@comcast.net>, North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Grafting Persimmon - What works best?
  • Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 08:30:26 -0600

At 11:48 PM 3/16/2006, you wrote:
I recall a thread within the past year about grafting Common Persimmon,
D. virginiana, and it looks like I may be grafting some sooner than I'd
thought.

If I recall correctly, some type of "hanging" bud graft was purported to
be one of the more effective methods for grafting Persimmon.

Pete,
I started out grafting persimmons with just a simple splice/whip graft - just like I'd learned to do apples/pears; 100% 'takes', though I was only doing small numbers of them. Then, someone indicated to me that persimmons were hard to graft. I don't find that to be the case. Maybe I just don't know enough ;>)

I now do a simple bark graft almost exclusively for persimmons(well, actually, for almost everything, nut trees and oaks included) - this may be the 'hanging bud graft' you're referring to. At any time in early spring after the rootstock begins pushing leaves, I merely behead the rootstock, make a vertical incision in the bark and gently lift the edges of the bark on either side of the incision. I prepare my scion by making a long, sloping cut in the basal end - just as you would for a simple splice/whip graft - then I 'shave' just a little bit of bark off the lateral edges, to expose a little more cambium on the sides, insert the base into the vertical incision on the rootstock and slide it down into the slit until the cambium at the 'top' of the sloping cut is just level with the top of the rootstock. I wrap with budding rubbers and Parafilm.
In my experience, aftercare is of much more critical importance than the type of graft you do. You have to check, almost on a daily basis, and keep rootstock sprouts below the graft rubbed off, or the rootstock will channel all its energy into pushing growth of its own buds rather than callusing and pushing growth on the grafted scion. After the scion has commenced growth, you may be able to cut your examinations to once or twice a week, but you still need to practice some diligence throughout the first growing season, or you'll go out and find that your rootstock has pushed a shoot and overtaken the graft.
If grafting on a vigorous, established rootstock, it may be necessary to support what may turn out to be a vigorously growing graft - otherwise wind or a bird lighting on the graft may result in it blowing or breaking out.


Lucky Pittman
USDA Cold Zone 6
AHS Heat Zone 7
Hopkinsville, KY




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