North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[David.Maxwell@dal.ca]

On 9 Feb 2008 at 18:00, Karen Tillou wrote:

>
> i love trowbridge's grafting wax - you can melt it in your hands (but coat 
> your hands with oil first
> so it doesn't stick or you'll curse yourself) or stick it in a can and use 
> a torch or campstove to
> heat it up to brushable consistency (my favorite way).  it smells great, 
> seals well, and doesn't
> crack.  isn't tree kote a petroleum based tar?  if it is, i'd steer 
> clear.<SNIP>

I am curious as to what your objection to tars is.  I have used black roofing 
goo for
years, (cheap, easily found, easy to use), and never experienced any adverse
effects.  We use peroleum-based products quite happily in the form of dormant 
oils;
tars are just longer chain hydrocarbons than oils, but basically no more nor 
less
"toxic", and the quanties used in grafting are markedly less than you would 
use in
spraying dormant oil.  (In fairness, I have encountered this concern about 
tars many
times before.  I just wonder whether there is any evidence behind it, or 
whether it is
a "rural myth".)