Re: Grafting

Fred Rodrigues 93-3230 wrote:
> 
> Hi all
> 
> One of the things that I have not been successful in the garden is with
> grafting. I have read about the different type of grafts such as Budding, Whip
> and Cleft grafting etc.  I have tried on four occasions to graft but all have
> failed.
> 
> Is there anyone who has successfully grafted say, fruit trees or roses etc. and
> is one method better than the other?  Is there a particular season for
> grafting?  What is the optimum size of the stock or scion to use?  Does one
> have to add any growth hormone to accelerate the graft?  Please help.
> 
> Fred.
> Sydney, NSW


I have grafted many apple, pear and cherry trees with the whip and cleft
methods.  I've rarely been successful at bud grafting.

Scion wood should be selected in mid to late winter, well before the
trees start to bud.  Select 5-10mm (about 1/4-3/8 inch) wood that is
from the previous year's growth.  Watersprouts work very well.  Cut them
cleanly with a knife to about 12-25 cm (6-12 inches) long and refigerate
them.

When you see the buds just begin to swell on the scion tree (not the
scion wood, but the tree from which you selected the scion wood) it's
time to graft.

Select a young lateral branch on your parent tree or rootstock of the
same or slightly greater diameter as your scion wood and trim it with a
very sharp knife at a point about 12 cm from its parent branch.  If
you're using rootstock make that more like 6 cm.  The cut should be very
clean and solid with no ragged bits.  Cut perpendiculat to the branch if
you plant to use the cleft technique and trim at a shallow angle (30
degrees or so) for a whip graft.

For smaller scion wood use the cleft technique.  With your sharp knife,
split the parent wood about 2 cm.  Sharpen the end of the scion to a
wedge shape, again making sure your cuts are clean and sharp with no
bruising or fraying of the wood.  Slide the wedge into the split,
insuring that the bark layers line up on one side.  Wrap the joint
carefully with tape so no moisture can enter.  If the parent branch is
large enough you can insert two small scions into the cleft, each one
lined up with the outer edge of the bark on the parent.

For larger scions use the whip method.  Trim the scion at an angle
similar to the parent wood.  Then lay the exposed edges together so that
one side of the bark is lined up.  Wrap as above.

I get about an 80% success rate with this method.  Never used any
hormones.

Make sure your knife is *very* sharp.  I use a soft steel knife (the
kind that rusts easily) which takes a razor edge.  Also, make sure your
knife is sanitized.

Hope this helps.

Steve  (Maritime...)
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