Article 20470 of rec.gardens:
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Subject: Fruit tree grafting - tips from limited experience
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From: heffron@falstaff.css.beckman.com (Matt Heffron)
Date: 28 Jul 1993 11:56:22 -0700
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I received a few requests for grafting tips, so, based on LIMTED
experience (2 years), here goes...

* Sterility of the tools is important to MAKE SURE that there is no
  chance of any possible contamination of the graft.  I use a spray
  bottle (e.g. like for window cleaner) with a 10-15% chlorine bleach
  solution (i.e. between 1:5 and 1:9 bleach-to-water ratio).  Spray
  the tools between EVERY GRAFT.

* Use a SHARP knife for making the cuts.  If you don't use a
  grafting knife then use a knife with a thin stiff blade and a
  good, solid handle that you can really hold onto.  A kitchen
  paring knife might be OK if the blade is thin and stiff, a hobby
  knife usually has too small (thin) a handle, a retractable utility
  knife (the kind with the 1x2" trapezoidal blades) works well, but
  make a few cuts in scrap wood first to get the oil off of the blade.
  I use the utility knife.

For a whip (splice) graft:

* Choose the location on the stock to graft, correctly.  It MUST be
  pointing as close to vertical as possible.

* Try to match the diameter of the scion to the stock as much as you
  can.  The best size for the scion is about the same as a pencil
  (.25"x7") before you make your cut.  (You really only want about 3
  buds on the scion when you're done, but start with extra length to
  work with making the cut.  I NEVER get a good cut the first try.)

* Cut the stock first.  Then cut the scion, so that the buds point in
  the direction you want (i.e. away from the center of the tree, and not
  pointed to cross other branches.)  Try to make both cuts the same
  length.

* Be sure to cut the bottom of the scion (with some plants it's hard
  to tell which end is UP).

* You MUST match the cambium layer in the stock and the scion.  (The
  cambium is the layer just below the bark.)  If you can't match both
  sides of a cut because of different diameters, then match as much
  as you can of one side.  DON'T just center the scion on the stock.

* Using vinyl grafting tape (not teflon plumbers tape, it looks right
  but it isn't strong enough), wrap the graft snugly to hold the scion
  to the stock.  Be sure to cover the entire cut area, if the cut is
  exposed, it'll either dry out or get infected, either way you lose.

* Cut the exposed scion down to 3 buds.  More doesn't help.  It
  divides the energy going into the scion.

* HINT NOT IN ANY GRAFTING BOOKS! *
  Take a 2x4" piece of PARAFILM laboratory film, stretch it lengthwise
  (into a 2x10" approx piece), and wrap the whole graft and scion, all
  the way over the end of the scion (i.e. a spiral wrap).  This helps
  keep the scion from drying out, and you can leave it on since the
  buds can grow right through the PARAFILM, and it eventually just
  breaks down.  You should be able to get PARAFILM from chemist or
  biology friends or lab stockrooms or lab supply companies.  Try
  friends first, you have to buy it in 125 or 250 FOOT rolls. (That's
  750 to 1500 grafts!)

* Leave the tape on the graft as long as you can.  Until it looks like
  it is girdling (strangling) the branch.

* When the new growth is about 12-14 inches, pinch off the tips of the
  growth to force it to branch out.  I'm told this will result in a
  healthier, more productive limb later on.

* If it is growing really well, tie the limb to a stake to support it
  so the new growth doesn't get too heavy for the graft joint to hold
  up, especially if it's windy where you are.  (I lost 2 grafts this
  way.)


THE BEST WAY TO LEARN TO GRAFT IS TO BE SHOWN BY SOMEONE.
It's not as hard as it sounds, watching someone do it really helps.

A couple of other grafting points.

Grafting does not cause the fruit produced to be some sort of hybrid
between the stock tree and the scion type.  The fruit will be exactly
the scion type.

You can graft most stone fruits onto each other: peach, nectarine,
apricot, plum, almond.  Although some will take better than others.
(E.g., European plums and Oriental plums don't seem to graft together
well.)

You can also graft apple varieties onto each other, pear varieties onto
each other (including asian pears (yummm!)), and some apples and pears
onto each other.

You can bud graft any citrus onto any other citrus.  (There are
probably exceptions, but I haven't heard of 'em.)

That's enough for now.  (I've really got to do some REAL work... :-)

-- 
Matt Heffron                      heffron@falstaff.css.beckman.com
Beckman Instruments, Inc.         voice: (714) 961-3128
2500 N. Harbor Blvd. MS X-11, Fullerton, CA 92634-3100
I don't speak for Beckman Instruments unless they say so.



