I have chip budded in spring when I had very little scion. What I did was after the bud was on I would take the pruners and mostly, but not completely, cut above the bud spot, enough to bend the top of the rootstock to the ground. This makes the just-grafted bud dominant so it will sprout as soon as it can. You can also just take the whole top off right after the graft, but this former method lets the roots get some energy from the leaves. Chip buds work fine in the spring; I think the only reason why people don't do them is you get only one bud growing.

Scott

With your damaged thumb I doubt chip budding will be any easier. There is available, a tool that makes an omega shaped cut that works well and avoids the budding knife. I see them being sold for as low as $50. With a differing size of stock and scion it still works as well your whip and tongue by aligning the cambium on one side only. Al

Chip grafts make great back-ups to w&t or cleft or bark grafting. Make your whip & tongue as usual (after your thumb heals!) and install a chip an inch or two behind it. If the W&T fails the chip should emerge.

Mine look kind of funny- they seem to ride on top of the branch! but the attatchments thus far have been strong.

M

alexbug:

For your size rootstock and scionwood you should be doing cleft grafts. That is where you split the rootstock about 1" down, and sharpen the end of the scion and wedge it into the split (do a Google search for cleft graft).

I use a wooden vice with padded jaws to hold the rootstock and save my left hand. Old timers use a big steel washer around the rootstock to do the same thing.

Applenut

Al (calistoga):

I was all set to buy the Omega Grafting tool, when I read the metal that cuts the omega hole is cheap, and not very sharp, and half the time smashes instead of cuts a hole.

Is this not true? Does it really work as advertised?

Carla in Sac