North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Jwlehman@aol.com]

In a message dated 6/28/2011 12:59:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
lucky.pittman@murraystate.edu writes:

> have done a couple of 3 or 4-flap 'banana' grafts of shagbark hickory 
> onto
> pecan understock, in early to mid-July in a similar manner; leaf petioles
> snipped off back to near their base, with the previous year's growth being
> the portion of the scion 'buried' underneath the rootstock bark, current
> year's growth exposed above the graft union.  Entire union and scion 
> wrapped
> with multiple layers of Parafilm, then overwrapping the graft union with a
> rubber band and covering that with aluminum foil. 
> Numbers are low, but I've got 100% so far - I'm 2 for 2. 

Hello Lucky,

I'm going to stick my neck out, but believe the reason you were successful 
is you used wood that wasn't current years growth. I believe had you used 
this years growth it may act like it had taken, stay alive but next spring it 
would be dead. The reason: I don't believe current year wood callouses until 
after it matures over the summer, hence successful fall budding. I have 
summer grafted with reasonable success, also small numbers, but always used 
last years wood. 

I tried grafting dormant scions into current years green wood. The buds 
broke and grew and was excited as it appeared I could graft after the bark 
went 
out of the first slip. The following spring all were dead. Upon examining 
them all, none had calloused with the green wood. There was transfer of 
nutrients to enable bud extension and growth, but no callousing.   

Jerry