North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lucky Pittman" <lpittman@murraystate.edu>]

I've never used the 'grafting' Parafilm - just the 'Parafilm M' that's
widely used in laboratory settings.  I buy it in a 2"x250' roll.  I cut off
6" pieces and cut those each into what are essentially 2/3"x6" strips.
Those work out just about right for every thing I graft, unless it's
large-caliper pecan/walnut grafts that sometimes tak 2 or 3 strips.

Lucky

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of david.maxwell@dal.ca
Sent: Friday, December 09, 2011 11:38 AM
To: Nafex
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Parafilm

I use it exclusively for budding.  (For whip-and-tongue grafts I generally
use electrical tape).  
But one major advantage emerged last year when I was supplied with scion
wood which was 
well out of dormancy, beginning to leaf out in fact.  I wrapped both the
graft and the entire 
scion, including the tip end, with parafilm.  The parafilm maintained the
moisture in the scion 
until it successfully callused. (I actually had 15" growth in that first
year.) Highly 
recommended, but not used locally by the commercial growers. (I had
considerable difficulty 
obtaining it because the local ag supply place didn't stock it.  Eventually
found some in rolls 
only 1/2 inch wide, but this seems to work quite satisfactorily.  A
practical detail: if you leave 
the roll rattling around in your bag of grafting supplies the knocks by the
other things in the 
bag tend to cause the layers to fuse together on the roll, at which point it
tends to break when 
you try to unroll it for use.  So, protect it from external trauma.

> Does anyone have comments / instructions of any kind for using Parafilm in
> grafting?  I've never used / attempted to use it, and someone has offered
> to give me some to try.  I'd really appreciate any input or experience
that
> anyone has.
> 
> Thanks,
> Chris
> 
> 


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