North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Jwlehman@aol.com]

In a message dated 4/7/2010 8:24:09 AM Eastern Daylight Time, brian.raby@roche.com writes:

> How necessary do you find it to cover the entire scion with Parafilm in order to achieve success rather than just covering over the grafted portion?
>
> I have also applied grafting tar to the parafilm to help keep in the moisture.  This is my first year grafting in the field using a saddle graph method and I'm eagerly awaiting the results.


Total coverage of scion isn't always necessary and maybe not in most cases. But retaining moisture until transfer of nutrients begins between the understock and scion is of utmost importance. Parafilm is relatively cheap and only takes an extra second to fully cover the scion and graft wound, so why risk failure by not covering?  
Also the answer to your question can vary from species to species and weather conditions at the time of grafting. My guess is it is more important when grafting ward wood than soft fruit wood. All grafts I make get 100% coverage. 

Parafilm is a lab product to temporarily cover viles and vessels of liquid to block moisture evaporation. I believe covering it with tar is completely unecessary and may be harmful in that it being black attracts heat which when in full sun could overheat the scion. 

Jerry