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some questions about conifer grafting

17 years ago

Conifer grafting season is near and this time I want to try the art of grafting myself.......

I've read a lot about it, but there are a few questions:

-do I have to use wax after I complete the grafting?

-what's the effect of the wax on the plastic ribbons and most important on the new union? How do I unravel it later ?

-Some grafting instructions say that best temperatures in the first weeks after the graft are between 45 and 50 F, others say near 70 F is also fine.....

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conifers
17 years ago
Hi Menno,

Conifers need no wax, only deciduous grafts do.

50 degrees constant is perfect.

Tent the grafts at supper time (dark) and remove the tenting early morning. Mist them 4-5 times daily (not at night).

Use bottom heat.

When preparing the understock, never cut more than 25% into the understock, instead, you want a thin cut but the flap you're creating should be a little longer than the prepared cuts on the scion. Insert the scion so that it is nicely snup and so that the flap is excessive/longer at the top so you know the scion wounds are completely covered.

Keep the humidity up - you want high ninties to 100% if at all possible.

Your knife should be sharp enough to remove the hair off your hand by scraping. Anything less than that sharp you're grafts will be very unsuccessful.

Keep the knife clean with rubbing alcohol. (Periodically dip to remove built-up resin). Wipe the blade clean and dry.

Deciduous grafts (side veneer) treat the same with a few exceptions:
You use your bud tape (bud strip) but the grafts need be coated in paraphin. The entire "strip" needs to be coated.

Do not tent deciduous grafts.

After growth has occured on a deciduous graft (full leaf push on the scion), you must remove the understock. Cut just above the graft union leaving only the scion to continue growing on the roots of the seedling understock.

Pot up your grafted plants and untangeling all roots early spring. Then and only then, add fertilizer to the soil mix. For the next couple years, keep these "fresh grafts" shaded. Under a large shade tree is perfect.

For the conifer understock, snip back all but one or two main branches at spring pot up and leave the understock on for a year (this is debatable to no end) - and the following spring remove them just as you did for your deciduous grafts. These must also be placed under a shade tree. Keeping both out of full sun is very important and I want to stress this.

Lastly I'll just say, when you make your understock cut, try your darndest best to make it exactly as wide as your scion - 'otherwise' - line "at least" one side of the scion up with "one side" of your understock flap. Tie it off and call it done!

Dax
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oh annie ... we all wish for that.. lol ... google the AMer conifer society ... they have a database ... and tutorials.. etc ... google all of the following, looking ofr pix.. and all info you can : coenosium .. if i spelt it write ... lol bethlehem nursery stanley and sons arrowhead alpines foxwillow gee tree farm the British conf soc look for pix... look for growth rate info .. the chase is a big part of the fun ... but most of all .. find a local arboretum ... and take a pad of paper and the digital ... and go see them in person ... gotta be something down in GA ... zone listing would be coldest .... but your problem wont be cold.. it will be summer heat.. of which .. i can not help you .... and there is no zone info for hotness ... others here answer those ????'s .... st mary ... ok.... from the ACS database.. you would discover its Picea pungens St Mary .... first go look up P. pungens.. and find it grows 12 to 18 inches per year ... gunna be a giant ... and then find its zone.. and then find its heat tolerance [probably here] .. then database P. p. st mary .. and find its a dwarf or mini .. growing...for me.. since i was gazing at mine yesterday ... 3 inches per year ... obviously much more attuned to small gardens ... then google Picea pungens st mary .. and find more info ... its what keeps most of us going in the winter .. lol ... research ... all that said.. find a supplier ... and just order 4 or so ... and have them mailed to you .. max 100 to 150 bucks.. and your collection is on the way ... but do try to find a local .. labeled .. conifer garden ... what grows within 100 miles of you is an easier way to start .. than to search the world wide web.. and just get sooooo confused with toooo muchhhh info .... good luck ken PS: your zone is so different than mine.. i hesitate to make specific recommendations ... PPS: heres is a pic of my st mary .... look at the leader.. on this in situ plant for 4 years [meaning it is past transplant shock and fully 'established'] .. and you will see it grew about 3 inches.. though i understand that might be hard to tell without a scale ... you will have to take my word ....so the only question is.. ill Picea pungens take your summer heat??? i will get a better pic later ...
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