I know who I’m getting scions from next year
Reminds me of one of those all in one stop and shops.
Those are budding rubbers. I like the 8 inch x 3/8 x 0.020 for grafting and most budding. A smaller size say 5 x 1/4 x 0.016 works better on small diameter budding.
http://www.amleo.com/rubber-strips-for-budding-and-grafting/p/VP-XXXRS/
Is Flavor Blast a new one? old one? Don’t recall seeing that name before. Thanks! Impressive work.
It’s a commercial one, not sure how old it is.
I’ll load you up with all you can handle!
Tim, nice job, very well done. What type of graft did you do? So pretty and all doing so well!
Thanks Patty, 4 or 5 of them were cleft grafts but the rest of them were done with this cheap omega grafting tool I picked up for $20 on Ebay. The only problem with it is that the Blade on them is dull and rips the bark. So I took the blade out and sharpened it with a very small round file.
Puggy,
You can do it!
Put a new cherry on that bad boy.
Super work grafters.
Dax
I never understand why I don’t hear more about these or why more people- beginners especially- don’t use them. I have a similar one with interchangeable blades and I love it. My knife skills are very poor. I understand that people who get better with a knife can do more and do better than what is possible with these little tools, but for those just starting out, I wish more people would try these. Its just so much less intimadating. Two cuts and you have a really nice little male and female end that fit perfectly together and I have great success with them.
So if you are a beginner who doesn’t have the knowledge or ability to make really good graft cuts, buy one of these $15-$20 grafting tools and give it a try. Within an hour you’ll be making grafts that have a good likelihood of success.
I have those cheap Omega grafters that I have 2 years of experience with. In general I like them. They work well and leave a perfect match. One downside I notice is that prior to healing and callusing the graft is fairly weak due to it’s small size and it is not pressure fit. It can also leave a rather odd bulge after callusing and it might be my imagination but I don’t feel like I get as good of growth that I get with a cleft graft. Even after two years that weird bulge is still present on so.e grafts. I’ll have to see if I can find a pic or take one tomorrow. Last year the best growth I got on grafts were from side grafts, followed by cleft grafts, and lastly Omega grafts. I can’t prove its the tool but it does seem to correspond with what I see in real life.
I am a fan of the grafting tool, but I do agree with all those points. Sometimes I get the bulge, sometimes not. One thing I kind of get a kick out of is sometimes when the match is really good and I don’t get a lot of callusing, you can still see the perfect outline of the omega shape or the horseshoe and stopper shape depending on which blade. I don’t think that is bad or good, just kind of neat. But as I’ve said, I’m just not good at free-handed cutting. I often scoop out a gap or cut to much or whatever, that’s why I like the tool. But again, every single point you made is true and I agree with them all.
It’s acrylic craft spray Cityman. Works great. I have used it and seen it used many times. Cheaper the better.
Drew
As a beginner, the omega tool has been great for me. I could have never had the success rate I’ve had without it. As far as the “weird budges”, I did a few grafts last year and at least one of them did grow into a bulge, it looks weird but growing great.
Once I make the graft I wrap it with electrical tape as tightly as I can possibly get it without popping the tape.
About a month or so after they take I put a few cuts lengthwise in the tape with a razor so they don’t girdle and the tape falls off later.
Some of my A. Plums started to push buds on scions which were grafted the first week of March. It doesn’t mean that they took yet, but it is a good sign.
Lavina plum
Burgundy plum
Flavor King.
Also Cripp’s Pink apple have waking tip buds.
Maria,
I am way behind on grafting. It has been raining and cold. Hopefully, in the middle of the week I get the chance to do some grafting.
Tony
Me as well. So far I have done only apples, pears and euro plums. Apricots and Jap. plums are next in line probably next week and peaches in 3-4 weeks.
Anyway it’s always good to see pictures of successful grafts of others
Maria,
You did graft very early
We Had temp dropped to a single digit at least 5 times in March.
I grafted dormant scion wood to a dormant rootstock. Just in the last few days I see some of the rootstocks “waking up” and trying to push leaves, but nothing from the scion yet. Is that typical?