sorry everyone, I meant to post this in the hoya forum! Tracy

The part of the plant i was refering to is the green (sometimes red or pink; color varies), soft(herbaceous), part of the stem that is located between the nodes of the youngest leaves. I needed to know this because I am doing a science project that has to do with testing what host is prefered for a semi-parasitic plant (Santalum paniculatum) and if liquid fertilizer will supply the plant with necessary nutrients. To measure the effectiveness of each independant variable I am measuring the size of the largest leaf, height, and the length of the "fleshy stem." The reason why I am measuring this is because the length of this portion of the stem is directly related to the plant's health and growth conditions. It is usually longer on faster growing individuals and shorter on slower growing individuals. This fleshy stem is often absent or very small on stunted plants. It is difficult to measure this part of the stem, especially for plants that grow year-round, because the fleshy stem gradually becomes wood. For plants that have conspicuous buds and grow seasonally there is a discrete line between wood and fleshy stem. It would be helpful to know a scientifically correct term (if it exists) for this part of a woody plant because I will have to write a lab report including my data, and I must use proper scientific language.

David, You'd be best to put up a small camping tent up against the north side of a structure and place your grafts inside. This will provide the constant humidity necessary for any type of graft to not dry out. I don't think you need parafilm tape if you have humidity for summer grafting. It wouldn't hurt but it's not necessary. Now rhododendrons are not something I've read up on. Grafting is grafting to me though and those tips are what I would do for anything I'm grafting this time of the year, or, especially at the end of July into August. The middle of August is optimum time to summer graft because that's when the roots are most active (at any given time of the year.) Less energy into producing shoots in spring while active rooting is occurring is the opposite of August. Some people graft in November also after plants have fully gone dormant and while roots are active, but, you'd need a pretty warm climate or greenhouse at that time. The reason for less water in media is to decrease bleeding at the union. When plants are watered they want to grow. If you starve a plant of water they will slow down. During healing, when there is an active flow of sap, it will push the union apart, literally. Recently I was on the phone with a friend asking for cuttings of Rhododendron to do later in the year and he told me that now is the optimum time. I replied that Dirr says otherwise and he said, 'Dirr doesn't know it all.' So, I'm going to assume you know more about Rhododendron propagation that I. As for grafting though, I honestly believe it's the wrong time of the year, but I cannot tell you if I'm incorrect. Mid-August for two weeks, until Sept 1st is optimum summer grafting time. I'll say one last thing. This is T-budding time and the window is closing. It's also June Greenwood Grafting. They're both basically the same. A bud is sliced out of a stick of wood for T-budding and inserted under the bark of another. In Greenwood grafting, rigid new growth is where the bud is cut out to be inserted under the bark. I honestly cannot compare these bud grafts with what you're doing; using a stick of wood vs. a bud. I do know however that a full scion is not grafted this time of the year on anything I know of. Dax

I think I have found my answer....is it flowering quince? I can't believe it...