North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Kieran &/or Donna" <holycow@frontiernet.net>]

I do all kinds of cheating when it comes to grafting.  When the scion is 
budding or leafing, you can do tropical style grafts.  Choices would include 
an approach graft with the end of the scion stuck in a vial of water.  Not 
too different from leaving it in the vase on the dining room table, only it 
could be healing to your rootstock in the meanwhile.  The grafts aren't all 
that pretty when complete, but a few years will smooth the edges.  Or you 
could do a simple splice or bark graft, but tie a white plastic grocery bag 
over the graft with some kind of water supply inside.  I used to fold up 
newspaper and wrap it around below the graft before tying on the white 
plastic bag, but if we get into a hot dry spell I'd often forget to check it 
and it would dry out too much.  this spring when I discovered I'd waited a 
bit too late to graft junipers, I figured out I could take a vitamin bottle 
filled with water and tie it to the rootstock, then tie the bag on.  the 
vitamin bottle with pop up lids work the best.  I'd wrap a rubber band 
around lid, stem, then lid again.  Maybe a couple wraps if the stock was 
small, but I was doing veneer grafts so the stock was large.  I was very 
pleased and intend to use the vitamin bottles for most of my cheating in 
future.  Of course if you can easily get buds for the varieties you want, 
summer budding is quicker and easier.  But in my experience summer budding 
is more dependent on weather, and slower in establishing a tree than 
grafting.    Donna